Try a Bruschetta Bar!

Mmmmm....bruschetta. So many toppings---all delicious!
Here's a fabulous and easy party idea: consider a bruschetta bar! Call some friends for an impromptu, after-work happy hour. Don't worry about a perfectly clean house or perfect decor. Just focus on a casual and fun opportunity for you and your friends to unwind after a long day of work. Stock up on a couple bottles of good wine and some other beverages, according to what your crew likes. Then, lay out the makings for a bruschetta bar! Prepare the bread, lay it on on a platter, and supply several bowls full of different bruschetta toppings. You can click on either of the pictures above for bruschetta recipe ideas. (The top recipe/photo is from Epicurious.com and the bottom is from The Food Network).

To prepare the bread for basic bruschetta, follow this recipe:
Preheat your oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit OR prepare a gas or charcoal grill with high heat (450 degrees Fahrenheit, approximately). Slice a good-quality bread (baguettes, loaves of artisan bread, etc.) around 1/2 thick. (You'll need lots of slices---figure around 4-6 pieces of bruschetta per person. If you are only doing the bruschetta bar and it's around dinner time, you'll want to make sure you have enough because some people will consider happy hour to be their dinner!)
Lightly brush both sides of bread slices with olive oil. Toast slices in oven for about 10 minutes, turning once and keeping an eye on the oven so that your bread does not burn. You'll want it to be crisp, but not burnt. If you are grilling on the gas or charcoal grill, figure only 3 or 4 minutes to get the bread crisp.
Remove bread and rub each slice with a sliced clove of fresh garlic.
Optional: sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Topping ideas:
Here's the easiest bruschetta topping:
4 ripe tomatoes, diced
3 large basil leaves, coarsely chopped
2 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 minced clove of garlic
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
Mix all ingredients in a bowl and spoon onto bruschetta.

There are so many yummy things that can be put on bruschetta. Don't stress over your Happy Hour party! Scour the internet for a couple more recipes and call up those friends. Impromptu gatherings are often the best!