Bruschetta recipes are known to be quick to make and delicious to eat. I believe in that concept, but put a twist on making bruschetta, by adding a few of my favorite comfort foods. With French-style potatoes, roasted garlic + herb pork, along with fresh veggies and a few other things, this loaded bruschetta will turn heads when served! Grab the recipe for my Herb Pork + French Bruschetta recipe below!
Herb Pork + French Potato Bruschetta
We all have those certain foods we can rely on to bring us back to the center. Maybe it’s psychosomatic, or perhaps our favorite comfort foods just taste good, and that in and of itself is all we need them to do. Whatever the reason, our comfort foods are an essential part of our food DNA, our foodie identity, those scrumptious edible components which help us stay grounded and looking forward to that next bowl (or plate) of that special something we love. So let’s hear it for comfort foods because they’re not just good, but spiritually satisfying on so many levels. For me potatoes, in just about any form, is one of my favorite comfort foods. Maybe it’s the starch, that high carb fix that gives me soulful sustenance.
I’ve taken my love for potatoes and created a new way to eat bruschetta, including the succulent grilled Smithfield® Roasted Garlic & Herb Pork, and other equally supporting casts of ingredients. Each ingredient lends to this recipe an essential component on which an orchestra comes together to create a delicious slice of the best of the good stuff.
First, let’s get some sweet Valdia onions going, I used two large onions and three tablespoons of sweet cream butter, a pinch of sea salt, and freshly cracked black peppercorns. I cooked them over med-high heat until they started to brown, then turned the heat down low and let the magic happen.
Now, let’s make some French-styled smashed potatoes. These are some of the most decadent potatoes you will ever have, I promise. I used six medium-size Yukon Gold potatoes and boiled them, adding a bit of sea salt, until they were tender and ready to mash.
Three cups of flavorful cheese are the key ingredient of why these potatoes are so freaking yum.
Make sure the butter is at room temperature, softened butter will melt quickly in the potatoes and ensure super creamy potatoes.
This is a recipe using pork so a bit of rosemary in the potatoes will help build flavors, complementing the tender pork.
Same goes for the garlic, for this recipe I used three large cloves and ran them through a garlic press.
After you grate the cheeses you will immediately understand why these three kinds of cheese were used, don’t they smell amazing? Now, wait until you taste them.
Combine all of the ingredients and whip them real good!
Let’s pause for a moment and talk about this Smithfield® fresh marinated pork. This is the ideal pork when I don’t have time to fool around with making my own marinade because this one comes prepackaged and perfectly seasoned. Birthday parties, quick dinner ideas, summer BBQ parties, it doesn’t matter the occasion, Smithfield Marinated Fresh Pork is here to do the job. No fuss, just open and place it in the center of aluminum foil and fold the edges over the meat. See how I grilled it below.
While the pork is resting, let’s slice up the mushrooms and get them going on the stove.
Slice the mushrooms thinly; this will help them saute quicking and evenly through.
Slice the pork and chop into small cubes, the meat will be juicy and tender and perfect for this delicious recipe.
How To Grill Pork Loin Meat
Ingredients:
- 1 package of Smithfield® Marinated Fresh Pork picked up at Walmart, using the online Grocery pick-up service.
Directions:
- Prepare the grill by adding three pounds of applewood charcoal on the bottom and to one side of your grill.
- Light the grill and allow the charcoal to become glowing orange.
- When the grill is hot, between 475 and 500 degrees brush the rack with vegetable or canola oil.
- Place the pork about five (5) inches away from the coals; cook the pork using indirect heat.
- Close the lid and cook for fifteen up to twenty minutes.
- Open the lid and turn the pork 180 degrees with the side that was facing the coals now turned away.
- Close the lid and allow the pork to cook for an additional fifteen or twenty minutes.
- Using an instant-read thermometer check the temperature of the pork; it should read between 140 and 145 degrees.
- Remove the pork from the grill and onto a cooking sheet.
- In the kitchen allow the pork to rest for fifteen minutes.
- Slice and chop the pork into small bite-size pieces.
- Serve.
- Reserve leftover pork for the next day’s lunch or dinner.
How To Make Cheesy French Style Potatoes
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes
- 1 stick European style cream butter
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tbsp minced rosemary
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/3 cup Cacio di Roma, grated
- 1/3 cup cave Aged Gruyere, grated
- 1/3 cup Fontina Fontal, grated
- sea salt
- freshly cracked black peppercorns
Directions:
- Cut potatoes in half and place them into a large stockpot over high heat. Add a teaspoon of sea salt.
- Cook the potatoes under tender, about 20 minutes.
- Drain the potatoes, and place them into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
- Add heavy cream, whole milk, and softened butter, rosemary, grated cheeses, sea salt, freshly cracked black peppercorns.
- Whisk potatoes until all of the ingredients and fully incorporated.
- Taste the potatoes and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
- Serve.
Now, let’s build our Herb Pork + French Potato Bruschetta
Chop up a sweet ripe apple and saute it in a bit of butter, apples, and pork are perfect together.
Toast two slices of quality artisanal bread using butter and a hot skillet, and now we’re ready to put this recipe together.
Add a couple of heaping spoonfuls of the creamy potatoes and spread them on the buttery toast.
Adding the pork and the pan-roasted apples is definitely a good look.
It was so hard for me to restrain myself when adding the caramelized onions, surely you understand why don’t you?
Topped with the sautéed green onion and mushrooms and I think we have a winner on our hands.
Remember the drippings from the grilled pork you reserved for later? It’s later; drizzle a bit of au jus over the bruschetta.
Now, did I lie? After taking your first bite, you will agree that this recipe made with Smithfield® Marinated Fresh Pork is a winner.
Do you know someone who loves to grill? It’s where you can find me during the summer months (and sometimes in the winter), grilling up delicious recipes like this one for my family and friends.
Ingredients
- 1 package of Smithfield® Marinated Fresh Pork picked up at Walmart using the online Grocery pick-up service.
Instructions
- Prepare grill by adding three pounds of applewood charcoal on the bottom and to one side of your grill.
- Light the grill and allow the charcoal to become glowing orange.
- When the grill is hot, between 475 and 500 degrees brush the rack with vegetable or canola oil.
- Place the pork about five (5) inches away from the coals; cook the pork using indirect heat.
- Close the lid and cook for fifteen up to twenty minutes.
- Open the lid and turn the pork 180 degrees with the side that was facing the coals now turned away.
- Close the lid and allow the pork to cook for an additional fifteen or twenty minutes.
- Using an instant-read thermometer check the temperature of the pork; it should read between 140 and 145 degrees.
- Remove the pork from the grill and onto a cooking sheet.
- In the kitchen allow the pork to rest for fifteen minutes.
- Slice and chop the pork into small bite-size pieces.
- Serve.
- Reserve leftover pork for next day lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes
- 1 stick European style cream butter
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tbsp minced rosemary
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1/3 cup Cacio di Roma grated
- 1/3 cup cave Aged Gruyere grated
- 1/3 cup Fontina Fontal grated
- sea salt
- freshly cracked black peppercorns
Instructions
- Cut potatoes in half and place into a large stockpot over high heat. Add a teaspoon of sea salt.
- Cook the potatoes under tender, about 20 minutes.
- Drain the potatoes, and place them into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
- Add heavy cream, whole milk, and softened butter, rosemary, grated cheeses, sea salt, freshly cracked black peppercorns.
- Whisk potatoes until all of the ingredients and fully incorporated.
- Taste the potatoes and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
- Serve.
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