Ina Garten Just Shared Her Super Simple Recipe For 'Grown Up' Jelly Sandwiches
Ina Garten is most known for her Daytime Emmy award-winning Food Network show "Barefoot Contessa." From a comfortable kitchen inside a barn on her property in East Hampton, Garten has taught viewers how to prepare basics while also making advanced techniques and ingredients seem approachable for more than 20 years.
The always-amiable chef has also published plenty of cookbooks, from her first in 1999, "The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook," to other titles including "Barefoot in Paris," "How Easy Is That?," and "Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics" (per Food Network).
With so much experience in the kitchen crafting recipes for her fans, it's safe to say Garten knows how to elevate a dish, as well as how to entertain guests. So it was no surprise when she shared with Today how she makes "grown-up" jelly sandwiches, which could impress guests as an appetizer or serve as an easy, luxe snack for one.
How to make grown-up jelly sandwiches
The term "jelly sandwiches" may conjure up images of grape or strawberry jelly slathered (perhaps sloppily) on white or wheat bread, sometimes accompanied by a smear of cream cheese. The most intricate detail may be whether it's sliced horizontally or diagonally (if at all). But as you might expect, The Barefoot Contessa's version is exponentially more elegant, incorporating greens, figs, and vinegar in addition to cheese (via Today).
Ina Garten recommends starting with fresh toast — she told Today that she regularly keeps prepared dough ready to make crackers for when she has visitors on the fly. Next, spread a thin layer of fig jam over the toast points or crackers. We presume that "store-bought is fine," given that it's her well-known catchphrase, but if you're so inclined, you can make homemade fig spread, too.
On top of the fig jam, Garten recommends adding a dollop of "creamy cheese." She doesn't specify the type, so you can go old-school with cream cheese or add more richness with goat cheese or brie. After that, simply garnish with some microgreens and a sweet, thick balsamic, and you've got yourself a gorgeous appetizer that, even though it's "grown-up," guests of any age can enjoy. The best part is that these tasty cheese and fig-topped toasts only take a few minutes to make. We can't help but borrow from Garten and ask, "How easy is that?"