Table of Contents
- Bread & Better Kit: Start Your Italian Supper with Something Worth Reaching For
- What's Inside the Bread & Better Kit
- Classic Tomato Basil Bruschetta
- Tuscan Olive Oil Bread Dip
- Tuscan White Bean Crostini
- Sicilian Herb Bread Dip
- Cheesy Bruschetta Flatbread
- Herbed Stuffed Mushrooms
- Three Bottles. Plenty of Reasons to Tear Open a Loaf.
- FAQs
Bread & Better Kit: Start Your Italian Supper with Something Worth Reaching For
A good appetizer does more than keep hungry people out of the kitchen. It gets everybody gathered around the same table before supper even starts. The Bread & Better Kit from Tradition Spice Company gives you three easy ways to make that happen: Best Bruschetta, Italian Appetizer Mix, Taste of Tuscany, Bread Dip Mix, and Slice of Sicily, Bread Dip Mix. Fresh tomatoes and crisp bread can become a proper bruschetta. Olive oil and a torn loaf can become the bowl everybody keeps reaching across the table for. And once you wander beyond the obvious, these blends can season flatbread, white-bean crostini, stuffed mushrooms, and plenty more. Keep the kit for your own appetizer emergencies or hand it to somebody who enjoys feeding people. Either way, the bread basket just got promoted.
What's Inside the Bread & Better Kit
3 Bottles
- Best Bruschetta, Italian Appetizer Mix
- Taste of Tuscany, Bread Dip Mix
- Slice of Sicily, Bread Dip Mix
Start with the classics, then quit behaving like the label is a set of handcuffs. The first three recipes are the obvious reasons this kit belongs beside a good loaf of bread. The next three take the same bottles into easy appetizers that look like you worked harder than you did. We support that kind of efficiency.
Classic Tomato Basil Bruschetta
Makes 12 crostini
Fresh tomatoes do the juicy work while Best Bruschetta brings dried tomato, garlic, onion, basil, and savory seasoning into the bowl. Give the mixture a few minutes to soften and mingle before piling it onto crisp baguette slices. Simple food has nowhere to hide, which is exactly why good seasoning matters.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Best Bruschetta, Italian Appetizer Mix
- 2 cups finely diced ripe Roma tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh basil
- 12 baguette slices, about 1/2 inch thick
- Fine salt, only if needed
Directions
Mix the topping.Combine tomatoes, Best Bruschetta, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and red wine vinegar.
Give it time.Let the mixture rest 20 minutes, stirring once halfway through so the dried pieces soften in the tomato juices.
Toast the bread.Heat the oven to 400°F. Brush baguette slices with the remaining olive oil and bake 8 to 10 minutes, until crisp and lightly golden.
Finish it.Stir in fresh basil, taste for salt, and spoon the tomato mixture over the warm toasts just before serving.
Tuscan Olive Oil Bread Dip
Serves 6
This is the restaurant bread-basket move without the wait for a table. Taste of Tuscany brings garlic, herbs, pepper, and seasoning to good olive oil. Stir it together, let it sit, and give the dried aromatics enough time to flavor the oil before everybody starts tearing bread apart.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons Taste of Tuscany, Bread Dip Mix
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 8 ounces ciabatta or crusty Italian bread, torn into pieces
Directions
Stir it together.Combine Taste of Tuscany and olive oil in a shallow serving bowl.
Let it mingle.Rest 30 minutes at room temperature, stirring once halfway through.
Taste with the bread.Dip a piece before adjusting anything. If you want a lighter flavor, add olive oil 1 tablespoon at a time.
Serve.Stir once more and bring it to the table with warm bread.
Tuscan White Bean Crostini
Makes 12 crostini
White beans are mild, creamy, and wonderfully willing to accept help. Taste of Tuscany gives them garlic and herb character, lemon keeps the mixture bright, and crisp crostini turns a pantry can into a respectable appetizer platter.
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons Taste of Tuscany, Bread Dip Mix
- 1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 12 baguette slices
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, optional
- Extra olive oil for brushing bread
Directions
Season the beans.Toss the beans with Taste of Tuscany, olive oil, lemon juice, and zest. Let stand 10 minutes.
Mash lightly.Use a fork to crush roughly one-third of the beans, leaving the rest whole for texture.
Toast the crostini.Brush baguette slices with olive oil and bake at 400°F for 8 to 10 minutes.
Build the platter.Spoon the bean mixture onto the toast and finish with parsley if using.
Sicilian Herb Bread Dip
Serves 6
Slice of Sicily takes the dipping-oil idea in a deeper direction with tomato, paprika, garlic, herbs, and a smoky chipotle note. Its richer color and peppery finish make plain focaccia exactly the right partner. Let the seasoning lead. The bread has one job and it knows it.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons Slice of Sicily, Bread Dip Mix
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 8 ounces plain focaccia, cut or torn for dipping
- Fine salt, to taste if desired
Directions
Mix the dip.Stir Slice of Sicily into the olive oil, breaking up any small clumps.
Rest it.Let stand 30 minutes, stirring halfway through so the tomato, garlic, herbs, and spices stay distributed.
Taste with bread.Add a pinch of salt only if the bread and dip need it. Add more oil if you prefer a lighter seasoning ratio.
Serve and stir.Bring the bowl to the table with warm focaccia and give it an occasional stir as the finer spices settle.
Cheesy Bruschetta Flatbread
Serves 4 to 6
Here is what happens when bruschetta quits being polite and decides to become dinner-adjacent. Best Bruschetta seasons juicy tomatoes before they meet mozzarella and crisp flatbread. Cut it into small squares for an appetizer or larger pieces when the appetizer accidentally becomes supper.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Best Bruschetta, Italian Appetizer Mix
- 1 prepared flatbread or naan, about 10 to 12 inches
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups shredded low-moisture mozzarella
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
- Fresh basil for finishing, optional
Directions
Season the tomatoes.Toss tomatoes with Best Bruschetta and olive oil. Let stand 10 minutes.
Build the flatbread.Heat oven to 425°F. Put flatbread on a sheet pan and cover with mozzarella and Parmesan.
Add the tomatoes.Scatter the seasoned tomatoes over the cheese, leaving excess liquid behind in the bowl.
Bake hot.Cook 10 to 13 minutes, until the cheese bubbles and the edges are crisp.
Finish.Add fresh basil if using, rest 2 minutes, then slice.
Herbed Stuffed Mushrooms
Makes 16
Mushrooms are already earthy and savory, so they do not need a committee meeting worth of ingredients. Slice of Sicily gives the filling garlic, herbs, tomato, paprika, and smoky depth while Parmesan and breadcrumbs turn the tops golden and crisp.
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons Slice of Sicily, Bread Dip Mix
- 16 large cremini mushrooms
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
- 2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped mushroom stems
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, optional
Directions
Prep the mushrooms.Heat oven to 400°F. Remove stems, chop enough for 2 tablespoons, and lightly brush the caps with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Make the filling.Mix chopped stems, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, cream cheese, Slice of Sicily, the remaining olive oil, and parsley if using.
Stuff them.Mound the filling into the mushroom caps and place on a lined baking sheet.
Bake.Cook 18 to 22 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender and the tops are browned.
Rest briefly.Give them 5 minutes before serving. Molten cheese has no respect for enthusiasm.
Three Bottles. Plenty of Reasons to Tear Open a Loaf.
The Bread & Better Kit starts with three dependable appetizer ideas: bruschetta, a Tuscan-style dipping oil, and a smokier Sicilian-style dipping oil. That alone makes it useful when friends are coming over and the main course still needs another twenty minutes.
But a good bundle earns its shelf space by doing more than one trick. Use the mixes on crostini, flatbread, mushrooms, white beans, roasted vegetables, or whatever else could use a little Italian attitude. It also makes an easy host gift, housewarming gift, holiday gift, or "thanks for having us" offering for somebody who would rather eat the present than dust it.
Put out the bread, pour something cold, and let everybody start picking before supper is ready. Around here, that counts as planning ahead.
Bread and Better Kit - Italian Bread Dipping & Bruschetta Appetizers
$36.50
A good loaf of bread deserves better than sitting there naked on the table. The Bread & Better Kit from Tradition Spice Company gives you three downright tasty ways to turn bread, olive oil, tomatoes, and a few simple ingredients into… read more
FAQs
What blends are included in the Bread & Better Kit, and what do they taste like?
The kit features three individual seasoning bottles: Best Bruschetta, Taste of Tuscany, and Slice of Sicily. Together, they deliver a savory, garlicky, and tomato-rich flavor profile enhanced by fragrant Italian herbs and warm, smoky notes. Each blend offers a distinct personality to help you easily craft a variety of delicious Italian appetizers.
How do I prepare these seasonings for a traditional bread-dipping or appetizer spread?
To make a classic bread dip, you can swirl the Taste of Tuscany or Slice of Sicily mixes directly into high-quality olive oil. For a traditional bruschetta, the Best Bruschetta mix is designed to be combined with fresh tomatoes and olive oil before being piled onto toasted crusty bread. Arranging all three options together on a platter creates a dynamic dipping station or holiday appetizer board.
