Every year I have a sudden “oh my gosh New Years Eve is only a couple days away!” realization. For some reason the hustle and bustle of the season leaves me forgetting that there is still one more holiday left to celebrate before the year comes to an end.

We typically don’t have big fancy plans but inevitably a couple days before someone will have an always fun, impromptu get together of food, drinks and laughter. It is always a fun time for me to ring in the New Year with the people I love, but leaves me in a bit of a “oh crap what am I going to bring to eat” moment.

You see, I am a planner. I like to know what expectations are so I can figure out what my plan of action is. It doesn’t always make for great spontaneity but over the years I have learned to always have certain things on hand all season long. This helps me to not go insane about yet another grocery store run and give myself a break.

Enter this crostini. With brie on hand, honey always in the pantry and cranberries inevitably left over these are crazy simple to whip up in no time. So grab a bottle of bubbly, munch on these and have a good time ringing in the New Year!

Roasted Cranberry Crostini’s

2 cups fresh cranberries
2 cups butternut squash (optional)
¼ cup sugar
3 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
Pinch of salt
Camembert or Brie cheese
Sliced baguette (or crackers in a pinch)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Wash, rinse and dry cranberries. If using, dice butternut squash.
3. In a small bowl, combine honey, balsamic vinegar and salt. Coat cranberries in mixture and then combine with brown sugar.
4. Roast for 20 minutes or until soft. Be careful not to let the cranberries burn.
5. Roast squash by drizzling with olive oil and a pinch of salt. Roast 20-25 minutes.
6. Toast baguette slices on the oven 5-10 minutes.
7. To assemble: Top baguette slices with brie, cranberries and/or butternut squash and drizzle with a bit of honey. There really is no right or wrong way to go here. Do any combination you wish. Serve immediately.