Bacon Brie Bites Recipe
On your way to a New Year’s Eve party?
I’m not.
And I’ll be honest, I’m not disappointed in the slightest! The last couple of weeks have been a whirlwind of cooking, baking, gift giving, social events, a few too many cocktails...phew. Just busy!
So tonight’s festivities will consist of a light dinner of leftovers, a warm bubble bath, and a good book (I’m currently reading Holy Shit: Managing Manure to Save Mankind by Gene Logsdon - highly recommend).
But I will say that I did a LOT of party preparation over the last few weeks, which in my case consisted mostly of a ton of cooking.
One of my best holiday recipes is a recipe that could be replicated at any time throughout the year. For whatever reason, though, I typically only make it during the holidays because it’s a favorite of my sister’s. She always asks me to make this for our family gathering, and I want to share it all with you today.
Ladies and gentlemen, I bring to you…
Bacon brie bites. Absolutely delicious.
Bacon Brie Bites.
The triple B’s.
And let me tell you, they are absolutely delicious (and super easy to make).
Here’s how to do it.
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How Do You Eat Mini Brie Bites?
There are many different ways to enjoy mini brie bites. Perhaps the simplest way is to just pop one in your mouth and savor the creamy flavor. But there are endless possibilities for enjoying them as part of a meal or snack. Here are just a few ideas:
Top with a dollop of preserves or jelly for a sweet and savory treat
Serve with crackers or bread as part of an appetizer or light meal
Make mini brie bites grilled cheese sandwiches for a decadent twist on a classic favorite
Add them to a salad for a bit of creamy goodness
Use them as toppings for burgers or pizza for a gourmet twist
Whatever way you choose to enjoy them, mini brie bites are sure to please. So go ahead and indulge in this delicious treat!
And if you decide bacon brie bites aren’t right for you, no worries! Here’s another fun brie bites recipe:
A Few Recipe Notes
Before I launch into all the details, here are some of the basics that you need to know about this recipe.
First, I used bacon from the hogs we slaughtered this year. I can’t recommend enough how important it is to use quality smoked bacon for this recipe. I’ve tried using storebought bacon before and it just ends up being too fatty and greasy for the recipe.
If you do use storebought bacon and not meat from a local farm, don’t fry it in a pan before including it in the recipe. Instead, bake it in the oven.
I bake my bacon in the oven anyway, as it helps remove excess grease, but I can’t stress enough how important it is to do this if you are using commercial pork.
Next note.
I used sourdough loaves that I had baked the day before as the bread base. If you are in the market for a good sourdough recipe, make sure you check out this post.
Artisan sourdough loaves work well for this recipe.
You can really use any kind of bread but I recommend artisan loaves, ideally ones that are relatively thin and narrow in diameter. In the past, I’ve used French baguettes and they were perfect, too! The choice is up to you. You could even use phyllo cups if you wanted to!
Finally, you could really use any kind of jam that you want for the bacon-jam sauce. I recommend apricot because it has a mild flavor that pairs nicely with the salty, savory flavor of the bacon and the rich brie. Again, it’s up to you.
Let’s get going!
Ingredients
1 lb bacon
10 oz jar apricot jam
6 oz wedge of double or triple creme brie cheese
1 loaf of artisan or sourdough bread
Olive oil
Herbs to garnish (optional)
Equipment Needed
Instructions
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Next, while the oven is preheating, slice your bread into rounds, about ¼ - ½ inch thick. The diameter will vary depending on the type of bread you use. Spritz each round with a small amount of olive oil.
3. When the oven has preheated, arrange your slices of bacon on a baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until crispy.
4. Remove the bacon from the oven and allow it to cool, removing any excess grease.
5. Place your bread slices on a baking sheet. Set the oven to broil and slide the sheet into the oven and toast until just barely crispy. The edges should be just starting to turn a light golden brown. Remove the sheet from the oven.
Lightly toast your bread.
6. Once the bacon has cooled, chop it on a cutting board, dicing it up into small pieces.
7. Place your chopped bacon into a saucepan with the apricot jam. Then,mix until thoroughly combined and heat to a simmer. Cook for about five minutes.
The bacon and jam should be added to a stockpot and brought to a low simmer.
8. While the jam and bacon is cooking, cut your brie, removing the rind from all edges if desired. Cut the brie into thin slices and set aside.
Slice your brie into thin chunks.
9. Place a slice of brie atop each slice of bread. Top with a spoonful of the bacon and apricot jam mixture.
10. Finally, the heating. This last step is optional - if you would like your slices to be served warm, you can put the tray of bacon-brie-bread back into the oven and cook for just six or seven minutes. The cheese will just start to bubble at this point. You can also serve it uncooked as a chilled appetizer.
Enjoy!
What other recipes do you like to whip up for the holidays? Be sure to let me know in the comments!
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