Pesto Baked Brie

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This is one of the easiest and most delicious ways to serve baked brie!

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Total Time25

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: French, Italian, Western

Servings:

Author: Chris Collins

Equipment

Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
Large Baking Tray
Small Pot and Brush (for oil)
Small Dish (for baking brie - see notes)

Ingredients

2x small loaves of Ciabatta, sliced into small wedges (see notes)
2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil, or as needed
1 clove of Garlic, peeled
1x 200g/7oz block of Brie (see notes)
2 tbsp Basil Pesto, or to preference (store-bought or homemade)
2 tbsp finely diced Sun Dried Tomatoes, or to preference
1-2 tsp Pine Nuts, or to preference (optionally toasted for extra flavour)

Instructions

For the crostini: Preheat the grill/broiler to high. Space out the sliced ciabatta on a large baking tray and lightly brush both sides with oil. Toast both sides under the grill/broiler until golden and crisp. Lightly rub one side of each crostini with garlic.
Alternatively, you can toast ciabatta in a hot pan until golden and crisp.
For the brie: Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Place the brie in a small dish and use a sharp knife to score the top. Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes, or until the brie is melted all the way through (you can use a knife to check).
Serving: Spread a couple of tablespoons of pesto on top of the brie, then scatter over the sun dried tomatoes and pine nuts. Use the crostini to dunk in whilst it's hot. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

a) Brie – Here I've used a round of brie that is the typical size in the UK (200g/7oz). You can definitely use a larger one, just adjust the cooking times and topping quantities as needed.

b) Baking Dish – You can actually create a make-shift dish by using foil, but a dish is much more sturdy, given that the brie will do everything in its power to leak. I have a 4.5″ dish, which the brie slots into perfectly.

c) Microwave – You can actually microwave brie, and it melts perfectly (your guests will never know). Just place it in a microwave-safe dish and cook on high in 20-30 second blasts. I find it usually takes around 1-2 minutes to melt through.

d) Ciabatta - You can use any type of bread. I just love ciabatta because it crisps up nicely, and the brie melts into all the holes. You actually don't have to toast bread at all, serve with Ritz crackers, bagel chips, pita chips - anything!

e) Calories - Just the brie and toppings - no bread.

Nutrition