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"Any experienced hostess will tell you that the appetizer should never be an afterthought. Beginning your evening with a good hors d&amp;#x27;oeuvre keeps hungry guests happy and buys the hostess a little more time in the kitchen preparing the rest of the meal. Think of it as a fail-safe for when you&amp;amp;#8217;re running behind schedule. Crostini are the perfect starter because they look impressive, but they&amp;amp;#8217;re surprisingly easy to make. In fact, you can whip up a whole batch of assorted crostini in about 15 minutes flat. I also love the fact they&amp;amp;#8217;re an easy-to-eat finger food with a gourmet twist. In my experience, they&amp;amp;#8217;ve proved to be a real crowd-pleaser. A few of my favorite crostini recipes are below. But you can also feel free to experiment with your own ingredients and flavor combinations too. Just stick to the bread + spread + topping formula. Bon appetit! Crostini Recipe Ideas: Pesto + sliced tomato + fresh mozzarella + basil leaf Ricotta + smoked salmon + sprig of dill + lemon slice for garnish Blue cheese + drizzle of honey + sliced pear or blueberries Goat cheese + chives + cucumber slice Do you have a favorite crostini recipe in mind? Share it with me in the comments! XO, Lauren P.S. If you&amp;amp;#8217;re looking for another easy and delicious hors d&amp;#x27;oeuvre, give my favorite two-ingredient party appetizer a try. Lauren Conrad regularly writes about home, food, and entertaining on her website, LaurenConrad.com. Look out for her guest posts here on Toast, where she&amp;#x27;ll be sharing her clever ideas and fabulous finds with us."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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