Easy Ham Appetizers (On Crostini)

Whether I’m making hors d’oeuvres for a cocktail party, or finger food for showers and happy hour, I always love a baked crostini option. It’s sort of like an open face sandwich, but more festive and easy to eat.

These ham and Swiss cheese crostini are on my go-to list of recipes because they’re a hit every time!

Why You’ll Love It

• Based on years of serving these, your guests will love them too! It’s a tried and true recipe that has mass appeal.
• With only 5 ingredients in the ham and cheese mixture, they take little effort to prepare. You can even make them ahead and freeze if you want.
• Although these are baked, they can still be eaten at room temperature.  
• The ingredients are pure comfort food and work well for a dressier occasion as well as a casual one; from game day parties to appetizers for girls night in.
• They’re small and easy to pick up and eat in just 2-3 bites. You could pass them around on trays or place them on an appetizer buffet table.

Ingredient Notes

• French baguette. These are typically long and slim. The diameter and the length will ultimately determine how many appetizers you’ll get – usually 20 to 24.
• Sliced ham. Use deli slices of boiled or baked ham. You don’t want to use a flavored variety as that can overtake the flavor profile. I find that the best ham to use is also the cheapest, and it comes in those rectangle shapes so it’s easy to dice.
• Swiss cheese. I recommend shredding your own cheese for most recipes because you just get better flavor and melt. However, you can use the pre-shredded packages for this one since Swiss is inherently good for melting; just make sure it’s a quality brand. Other alternatives are shredded Parmesan, white cheddar, gruyere, or asiago.
• Cream cheese. Make sure to soften it so it integrates easily with the other ingredients. I like to use the blocks for this and soften it at room temperature. If you need to soften it quickly, remove the packaging and place it on a microwave-safe dish. Heat it for about 8 to 10 seconds and then check it. Adding 5 seconds at a time if needed – you don’t want it to get hot.
• Green onion. You could also use fresh chives. In a bind you could use ½ teaspoon dried onion flakes or a pinch of onion powder.

How to Make It

1. Dice the deli ham and combine with the other filling ingredients.
2. Cut bread into slices and spread a layer of filling on top, all the way to the edge.
3. Bake and serve warm or at room temperature.

Make Ahead Tips

• Prepare the topping mixture ahead of time, like the night before or in the morning. Cover and keep in the fridge until ready to assemble and bake. You can also cut the bread slices ahead and keep them stored in the bag it came in.
• As an alternative, go ahead and assemble the crostini, place them on the sheet pan and cover with foil to store in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to bake, remove the foil and put them in the pre-heated oven.

How to Freeze

Fully assemble the crostini and store in an airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge when you want to serve them, and then bake as directed.

If you need to stack them, place a piece of wax paper between each appetizer so they don’t stick together.

PARTY TIP: The great thing is that you can literally stick these in the oven as the doorbell rings and they’ll be ready in 10 minutes. That’s just enough time to say your hello’s and get a cocktail into your guest’s hand.

More Easy Ham Appetizers

For more appetizers with ham, check out these recipes. Even though ham and cheese are the main ingredients they all taste different.

• Ham & cheese puff pastry pinwheels
• Ham & cheese phyllo cups
• Ham, cheese, and fruit kabobs
• Cuban appetizers
• Ham and Swiss sliders
• Ham and Cheddar sliders