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Sliced bread, toasted and topped with burrata cheese, steak, peppers and parsley. Dark sheet pan background with oregano flowers.

Steak + Burrata Bruschetta

A great way to use leftover steak! In this recipe, store bought focaccia or homemade bread is sliced, griddled, topped with burrata cheese, flat iron steak, then, drizzled with a chunky garlic-parsley-chili sauce.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American, Italian
Servings 6
Calories 165 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Cast Iron Pan or Griddle Pan

Ingredients
  

  • 6 Slices Focaccia Bread Or homemade bread
  • 1-2 Balls Burrata Cheese 2 small balls or 1 large ball
  • 6 Slices Leftover Flat Iron Steak Or steak of choice
  • ½ Cup Parsley Italian Flat Leaf, chopped
  • 2 Tbsp + more for topping Red Bell Pepper Minced or chopped fine
  • 2 Tsp + 1 Clove Garlic Fresh, minced or grated
  • 2 Tsp Lemon Zest
  • 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
  • 1 Tsp Oregano Fresh, minced. Use ½ teaspoon if using dried.
  • 6 Wedges Lemon For serving
  • ¼ Cup Olive oil plus some to griddle bread
  • Flaky Sea Salt to taste

Instructions
 

For the Bruschetta

  • Preheat a cast iron pan or griddle over medium heat.
  • Using a bread knife, cut 6 slices of focaccia bread ¾" thick and 4" long.
  • On one side, lightly drizzle with olive oil and grill on the griddle or in a cast iron pan until golden brown a crispy, about 2-3 minutes. Flip over and cook 1-2 mintues. Remove from pan.
  • Remove the outer husk of the garlic clove and remove the nubby end with knife.
    Rub the blunt (cut end) of the garlic on the toasted side of the bread, being sure to cover the enitre side. Repeat will all pieces.
  • Quickly heat the steak in the same pan (if using leftovers) until just warmed through, about 30 seconds - 1 minute, being careful not to overcook. Remove from the pan and set aside.
  • Top each piece of toasted bread with ⅙ of the burrata (about 1½tablespoons)
  • Add 1 slice of the warmed steak
  • Drizzle with a 2 -3 teaspoons of the chunky garlic chili sauce, sprinkle with more red chili or red bell pepper and finish with flaked sea salt, if desired.
  • Serve with lemon wedges on the side.

Chunky Garlic Chili Sauce:

  • In a bowl comibine: chopped parsley, red chili or red bell pepper, oregano, garlic, lemon zest, olive oil and lemon juice. Stir well to combine and set aside.

Notes

For the Bread: I recommend using focaccia bread or if you're willing... try to make your own homemade bread.  There are many easy no-knead bread recipes like this Easy Rosemary and Olive Bread.  If you don't want the olives or the rosemary, simply leave them out of the recipe and you will have a basic no-knead bread.
*PRO TIP: The burrata comes in a salt water brine, drain the cheese from the brine and pat the burrata dry before adding to the toasted bread. I you don't pat the cheese dry your toast may get soggy.
Burrata Substitutions: If you can't find burrata or you don't like it, you can easily substitute with ricotta, mascarpone or cream cheese if you like it creamy. If the creamy style cheese isn't your thing, opt for fresh mozzarella.
If you want to mimic the burrata, shred ½ cup fresh mozzarella into small strips and mix in a 2-3 tablespoons ricotta or mascarpone cheese. It won't be an exact copy but you'll get a similar texture and creaminess.
For the Steak: Any steak that you can grill and serve would be a good choice for this burrata appetizer and is a great way to use steak leftovers.
I do like to use a leaner cut of steak because both the burrata cheese and the sauce will have a decent amount to fat to them. Using a steak that is too fatty may taste a little too rich.
For the Chili in the sauce: If you can find it, I used a sweet red Italian chili. You can also use a small red bell pepper, I like to use it those the smaller texture. BUT that is completely optional. A standard red bell pepper works perfectly, just be sure to finely dice.
Fresh Italian flat leaf parsley is the only way to go here. The flavor is much better than its curly leaf counter part. You can find flat leaf parsley in the produce section at most grocery stores.
I used fresh Oregano for this recipe, but you can use fresh or dried. Fresh oregano isn't a strong as dried oregano. If using dried oregano, cut the amount in half.
Use a good quality olive oil that isn't too overpowering. I like to use a mild or classic extra virgin olive oil. The olive oil creates the base of the sauce so you want to taste it without it getting overly bitter. Some high end extra virgin olive oils can be slightly bitter so be sure to taste it before adding to the sauce.
A nice finishing salt like Maldon adds a ton of flavor and a nice crunch. I break up the flakes of salt to prevent over salting the dish. If you don't have Maldon, use your favorite sea salt to finish this dish.
*PRO TIP: If you're not familiar with sea salt, it can be quite a bit saltier than regular salt. Start with less and add more as desired.

Nutrition

Serving: 6gCalories: 165kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 3gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 166mgPotassium: 44mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 520IUVitamin C: 12mgCalcium: 11mgIron: 1mg
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