Here's an elegant way to serve delicious appetizers for cocktail parties, showers, or casual get togethers. Set up a make-your- own bruschetta bar.

The key to creating a pretty bruschetta bar is to place each topping in its own beautiful serving dish. Set out one or more napkin- lined baskets of baguette slices that have been brushed with olive oil (and rubbed with garlic, if you like), and toasted until golden.

You also can buy plain, garlic, parmesan or other types of crostini, as the little toasts are called. Be sure to provide small plates and forks to keep your guests' servings—and your guests—neat.

Check out this tasty selection of four make-ahead recipes. Each offers different tastes, colors and textures; and each serves 8 to 10 people.

Basic Bruschetta

Recipe adapted from Colin Cowie

10 roma tomatoes, roughly chopped
10 basil leaves, julienned
1 tsp. minced fresh rosemary
1/2 onion, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

  1. In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, basil, rosemary, onion, garlic, and oil.
  2. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.

To read more great ideas from Colin Cowie, check out our full-length "Tips from the Experts" feature.

Special Video Bonus: Recipe for pesto

Mixing seeded, diced tomatoes with a bit of pesto gives you basic tomato bruschetta in an instant. Make a batch and refrigerate or freeze it. Pesto is great on grilled chicken and makes a perfect, aromatic sauce for fresh pasta.

Here's the recipe used for the pesto made in this video.