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Why we love this recipe
Picture this: You are holding a small, golden brown toasted circle of bread, slathered with some creamy whipped cream cheese, topped with a sublimely tender slice of filet mignon and drizzled with a smidge of garlicky pesto.
Picture a glass of chilled prosecco in your other hand.
And with that, welcome to appetizer heaven! These little filet mignon bites are definitely a special occasion treat…even if that special occasion is a Tuesday night where you just need to be pampered by a decadent nibble or two.
What is crostini?
An excellent question! Crostini means “little toasts” in Italian, and they are small slices of toasted bread, usually from a small round baguette, topped with anything from cheese and fruits and vegetables to, well, filet mignon.
They are the little cousin of Bruschetta, which is also toasted bread…but the slices are larger and usually from Italian bread, also topped with anything from seafood to veggies and everything in between.
I like lobster bruschetta, personally!
That is your delectable toasted bread appetizer lesson of the day!
Ingredients you need to make this fancy appetizer
- French or Italian Bread: Look for this in the bakery section of your supermarket – and ask if they will slice it for you! One less step for you to do.
- Olive Oil: Use the best kind you have.
- Beef Tenderloin: These are usually right in the meat case – otherwise ask the butcher at your supermarket.
- Salt and Pepper
- Prepared Pesto: You can find this in the pasta sauce aisle.
- Whipped Cream Cheese: You can find this in the dairy aisle right next to the regular cream cheese.
How to make this easy crostini recipe
STEP 1: Line a rimmed baking pan with foil and preheat the oven to 350.
STEP 2: Arrange 24 slices of your favorite French or Italian bread in a single layer on the pan, brush with olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Bake until they are just turning golden, about 10 minutes. Set ‘em aside while you cook up the beef.
STEP 3: Pour a little more olive oil into a heavy skillet (a cast iron skillet is perfect for this!), turn up the heat to high and when the oil is starting to smoke, add a couple of filet mignon steaks and cook for 4 minutes per side for medium rare.
STEP 4: Pop the steaks on a cutting board and let them rest for 10 minutes. Slice them up into 24 slices.
STEP 5: Spread each toasted bread slice with some whipped cream cheese, top with a piece of filet, and dollop on a teeny bit of pesto.
Recipe FAQs
I know, tenderloin is spendy, but that is because it is the tenderest, most perfect cut of beef for these crostini. The next best choice is actually rare roast beef from the deli counter, which is less expensive and will also save you the step of cooking the beef. (Just promise me that once you will try it with the tenderloin!)
Pesto is a thick sauce made of pureed basil, garlic, olive oil, pine nuts and Parmesan cheese, and it’s usually used as a pasta sauce…but it is also the perfect topping for these crostini. You can find prepared pesto near the pasta sauces in your supermarket.
You can definitely prepare the different parts (toasting the bread, cooking the beef) ahead of time, but assemble them right before you serve them so they don’t get soggy from sitting too long.
Pop your question in the comments section below and I will answer pronto!
Arrange on your prettiest platter and serve!
You might find you want to go directly from appetizers to a decadent chocolate dessert and declare it a deliciously successful day.
Other crostini recipes we love
Could you leave us a review?
If you try this recipe, we would love to hear how it came out for you! I’d be super grateful if you could leave a star rating (you pick how many stars! ) and your thoughts in the Comments section.
Filet Mignon Pesto Crostini
These decadent little filet mignon pesto crostini make the perfect dinner party appetizer, or even a light supper all on their own!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 24
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 24 slices of French or Italian bread
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- Two 8 ounce pieces of beef tenderloin
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1/4 cup prepared pesto
- 4 ounces whipped cream cheese
Instructions
- Line a rimmed baking pan with foil and preheat the oven to 350.
- Arrange the bread slices in a single layer on the pan, brush with olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Bake until they are just turning golden, about 10 minutes. Set aside while you cook up the beef.
- Pour the remaining olive oil into a heavy skillet, turn up the heat to high and when the oil is starting to smoke, add the steak and cook for 4 minutes per side for medium rare. Pop the steaks on a cutting board and let them rest for 10 minutes. Slice them up into 24 slices.
- Spread each toasted bread slice with some whipped cream cheese, top with a piece of filet, and dollop on a teeny bit of pesto.
- Arrange on your prettiest platter and serve!
Notes
Beef Tenderloin: Yes, this is the most expensive cut of beef…but it is also the tenderest! If you want to save a little time and money, you can swap out the tenderloin for slices of rare roast beef from your deli counter. (But honestly? The tenderloin is worth it – and so are you!)
Pesto: You might have frozen some of this delectable basil spread from last summer, but if you didn’t, you can find it in the pasta sauce section of your supermarket.
Cream Cheese: We highly recommend the whipped variety of cream cheese because it is so light and airy and spreadable, but you can use the regular kind if you need to – just go a little lighter on it.
Serena says
I used some leftover filet from our holiday dinner for this appetizer and it was so easy and so delicious – next time I will make sure I have more leftover beef because they were gone in five minutes!