Easy Steak Crostini with Goat Cheese & Roasted Red Pepper Relish

Steak crostini sounds like the kind of appetizer you make when you have people coming over and suddenly decide you need to become a much fancier version of yourself.

It does not have to be that complicated.

These easy steak crostini start with crisp slices of baguette topped with creamy goat cheese, peppery arugula, tender sliced steak and a quick roasted red pepper and olive relish.

The shortcut is using already-cooked steak.

I’ve been using Cuisine Solutions Sliced Grass-Fed Beef Sirloin from Costco, which comes fully cooked and sliced.

Instead of buying a steak, cooking it, letting it rest and slicing it while simultaneously trying to get everything else ready, you can warm the steak for a minute and move on.

The result is a party appetizer that looks considerably more impressive than the amount of work it actually requires.

Exactly how I like it.

Why You’ll Love These Steak Crostini

These are especially good when you want an appetizer that feels a little more substantial than chips and dip but don’t want to spend your afternoon cooking.

You’ll love them because they’re:

• Easy. Using pre-cooked steak removes the most complicated part.
• Fast. You can have the whole platter ready in about 20 minutes.
• Great for entertaining. They look polished without requiring fussy preparation.
• Full of flavor. Creamy goat cheese, steak, peppery arugula and briny roasted pepper relish give you a little of everything in each bite.
• Easy to prep ahead. Most of the components can be prepared before guests arrive.
• A good way to use leftover steak. You definitely don’t need to buy steak specifically for this recipe.

And if you bought the large package of sliced sirloin from Costco, this gives you another completely different way to use it after making my easy Steak Salad.

Ingredients You’ll Need

There are a few components here, but none of them requires much actual cooking.

Baguette

A standard French baguette works perfectly.

Slice it into approximately 1/2-inch pieces so the crostini are sturdy enough to hold the toppings without becoming difficult to bite.

Steak

You’ll need about 8 ounces of thinly sliced cooked steak.

I use pre-cooked sliced sirloin when I want the easiest version, but leftover flank steak, tenderloin, strip steak or another tender cut works just as well.

Goat Cheese

Soft goat cheese creates the creamy layer between the toasted bread and steak.

Let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes before assembling so it spreads easily without tearing up the crostini.

Not a goat cheese person? Boursin or whipped feta would also work.

Arugula

A small amount of baby arugula gives the crostini freshness and a peppery bite.

You don’t need much. This is not secretly a salad sitting on top of bread.

Roasted Red Peppers

Jarred roasted red peppers are exactly what we want here.

Drain them well before chopping so the relish doesn’t make the crostini soggy.

Kalamata Olives

The olives add saltiness and enough briny flavor to balance the creamy goat cheese and rich steak.

Chop them fairly finely so you get a little in each bite rather than an entire olive taking over one crostini.

Fresh Parsley

Fresh parsley brightens the roasted pepper relish without competing with the steak.

Red Wine Vinegar

A small splash of red wine vinegar gives the relish the acidity it needs.

You can substitute fresh lemon juice if that’s what you have.

The Easy Costco Steak Shortcut

This recipe originally caught my attention because I saw someone using Costco’s pre-cooked sous vide steak for appetizers.

Which immediately made sense.

Steak crostini is normally one of those recipes where the appetizer itself is simple, but cooking the steak creates an entire extra process.

Using Cuisine Solutions Sliced Grass-Fed Beef Sirloin eliminates that.

The steak is already cooked and sliced, so you can briefly warm it in a skillet and cut larger slices into crostini-sized pieces.

That’s it.

And this is exactly where convenience food is useful.

You’re still assembling fresh arugula, making a quick relish and toasting the baguette. You’re just outsourcing the one step that would otherwise make this appetizer considerably more annoying to prepare.

Don’t have the Costco steak?

Use:

• Leftover grilled steak
• Beef tenderloin
• Sirloin
• Flank steak
• Strip steak
• Roast beef in a pinch

If you have leftover steak from dinner, this is honestly one of the best ways to use it.

How to Make Steak Crostini

1. Toast the baguette

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Arrange sliced baguette on a large baking sheet and lightly brush the tops with olive oil.

Bake for about 6 to 8 minutes, or until the edges are crisp and lightly golden.

You want the bread toasted enough to hold the toppings but not so hard that eating one becomes a dental event.

Let the crostini cool slightly.

2. Make the roasted red pepper relish

In a small bowl, combine chopped roasted red peppers, Kalamata olives, parsley, red wine vinegar and olive oil.

Add a small pinch of red pepper flakes if you want a little heat.

Stir everything together and set aside.

You can make the relish ahead and refrigerate it until you’re ready to assemble the crostini.

3. Warm the steak

If you’re using fully cooked sliced steak, warm it briefly in a skillet over medium heat.

You don’t need to cook it again. The goal is simply to take the chill off.

You can also use the steak cold if you’re assembling these ahead or serving them at room temperature.

4. Assemble the crostini

Spread each toasted baguette slice with goat cheese.

Add a few leaves of arugula.

Top with a folded or sliced piece of steak.

Spoon a small amount of roasted red pepper relish over the steak.

Finish with freshly cracked black pepper and arrange everything on a platter.

Can Steak Crostini Be Made Ahead?

Mostly.

And for an appetizer, that’s really the important part.

You can toast the baguette several hours ahead and keep the pieces at room temperature in an airtight container.

The roasted red pepper relish can be made a day ahead and refrigerated.

The goat cheese can be softened ahead of time.

The steak can be sliced and ready to go.

What I would not do is completely assemble the crostini hours before serving. The goat cheese, steak and relish will eventually soften the toasted bread.

Instead, prep all the components and assemble them shortly before serving.

That still means you’re spending about five minutes putting everything together when people arrive instead of starting a steak dinner from scratch.

Can Steak Crostini Be Served Cold?

Yes.

The steak does not need to be piping hot for this recipe to work.

In fact, steak crostini is especially good served at room temperature because the goat cheese stays creamy and the bread stays crisp.

If you are using leftover steak, you can pull it from the refrigerator about 20 minutes before serving rather than reheating it.

For the Costco sous vide steak, I personally like warming it briefly, but that is completely optional.

What Cheese Goes Best With Steak Crostini?

Goat cheese works especially well because its tanginess cuts through the richness of the beef.

But you have options.

Try:

• Goat cheese
• Boursin
• Whipped feta
• Blue cheese
• Cream cheese mixed with herbs
• Horseradish cream

If you want to turn these into steak crostini with horseradish cream, skip the goat cheese and use a mixture of sour cream, prepared horseradish, Dijon mustard and a pinch of salt instead.

That gives you more of a classic roast-beef-and-horseradish flavor.

Steak Crostini Variations

Steak Crostini With Horseradish Cream

Replace the goat cheese with horseradish cream and top with steak and arugula.

You can keep the roasted pepper relish or replace it with a little pickled red onion.

Steak Crostini With Blue Cheese

Use softened blue cheese or a blue cheese spread instead of goat cheese.

Top with steak and a small drizzle of balsamic glaze.

Steak Crostini With Chimichurri

Skip the roasted pepper relish and spoon chimichurri over the steak instead.

This is especially good if you’re already making chimichurri for dinner and have some left over.

Beef Tenderloin Crostini

If you’re serving these for a holiday or special occasion and already have beef tenderloin, absolutely use it.

Thinly slice the cooked tenderloin and assemble the crostini the same way.

There’s no need to buy tenderloin specifically, though. Sirloin works perfectly well for the easy everyday version.

What to Serve With Steak Crostini

These work particularly well as part of an appetizer spread because they add some actual protein among the dips, cheeses and vegetables.

Serve them with:

• A simple cheese board
• Marinated olives
• Hummus and vegetables
• Caprese skewers
• Fresh fruit
• Shrimp cocktail
• A chopped vegetable platter
• Roasted nuts

If you’re hosting a larger meal, I’d serve one or two crostini per person before dinner rather than making them the entire appetizer course.

If this is more of a cocktail-party situation, plan on several per person.

What to Do With Leftover Costco Steak

This is the part I actually find most useful.

A large package of pre-cooked steak is only convenient if you know what you’re going to do with the rest of it.

Use leftover sliced sirloin for:

• Steak salad
• Steak crostini
• Steak tacos
• Steak quesadillas
• Grain bowls
• Steak and eggs
• Sandwiches or wraps

My Easy Steak Salad uses the same sliced sirloin with cucumber, tomatoes, corn, avocado and honey lime dressing, so you can buy one package and turn it into two completely different meals.

That’s much more useful to me than meal prepping five identical containers and hoping I still want the same lunch by Thursday.

The Shortcut Is What Makes This Work

There are times when cooking an expensive piece of beef for an appetizer makes perfect sense.

There are also times when you want to put something nice on the table without turning the entire day into an event.

This is the second kind of recipe.

Toast some bread. Mix together a quick relish. Spread on goat cheese. Add steak.

Twenty minutes later, you have a platter of steak crostini that looks like you spent considerably more time on it than you did.

I consider that a win.

Easy Steak Crostini with Goat Cheese & Roasted Red Pepper Relish

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Crispy baguette slices topped with creamy goat cheese, arugula, tender sliced steak and an easy roasted red pepper olive relish. Use pre-cooked steak for a simple 20-minute party appetizer.

• Author: Stephanie
• Prep Time: 12 minutes
• Cook Time: 8 minutes
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 16 crostini
• Category: Appetizer
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

For the Crostini

• 16 baguette slices, about 1/2-inch thick
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 ounces soft goat cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup loosely packed baby arugula
• 8 ounces cooked steak, thinly sliced
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the Roasted Red Pepper Relish

• 1/3 cup jarred roasted red peppers, drained and finely chopped
• 1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• Pinch red pepper flakes, optional

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Arrange baguette slices on a baking sheet and lightly brush the tops with olive oil.
• Bake for 6 to 8 minutes, or until lightly golden and crisp around the edges. Let cool slightly.
• Combine roasted red peppers, Kalamata olives, parsley, red wine vinegar, olive oil and optional red pepper flakes in a small bowl.
• If desired, briefly warm the cooked steak in a skillet over medium heat.
• Spread each toasted baguette slice with goat cheese.
• Top with a small amount of arugula and a slice of steak.
• Spoon roasted red pepper relish over each crostini.
• Finish with freshly cracked black pepper and serve.

Notes

• Easy shortcut: Use fully cooked sliced steak, such as Cuisine Solutions Sliced Grass-Fed Beef Sirloin from Costco.
• Other steak options: Leftover sirloin, flank steak, strip steak or beef tenderloin all work.
• Make ahead: Toast the baguette and prepare the relish ahead of time, but wait to assemble the crostini until shortly before serving.
• Goat cheese substitute: Try Boursin, whipped feta or horseradish cream.
• Serving temperature: The steak can be warm, cold or room temperature.