These Bacon and Pimento Cheese Crostini are made with thinly sliced bread brushed with olive oil and toasted. They have a delicious pimento cheese topping.
This is a quick and easy appetizer to prepare. You can make the pimento cheese mixture a day ahead and store it in the refrigerator because it is even better on the second day!
Preparing the Bread for Bacon and Pimento Cheese Crostini
The bread should be made the day you are going to serve it. It is easy to prepare because the most time-consuming task is slicing the bread!
Saute the garlic for a few seconds in olive oil until aromatic. This will also impart garlic flavor to the oil.
For a shortcut, use minced garlic from a jar.
Brush the bread slices with the garlic and garlic oil.
Bake the bread for 3-5 minutes or until lightly browned. Let the bread cook while you make the topping.
Making the Topping for Bacon and Pimento Cheese Crostini
To make the topping, stir all the ingredients together. Here are some tips to follow:
When making the topping, soften the cream cheese first by letting it come to room temperature ahead of time or by heating it for a few seconds in the microwave on the defrost setting.
For the best taste and results, shred the cheese from a block.
If you make the topping a day ahead, store it in the refrigerator. When ready to use it, place it in the microwave on defrost for 10-20 seconds, checking it after the first 10 seconds. Heating the topping will make it soft and easy to spread.
Quick Cooking the Bacon
I microwave the bacon, an easy method that will let you prepare other things while it cooks.
Place a paper towel on a microwave-safe dinner plate to absorb the grease during cooking.
Place raw bacon slices side by side, but not overlapping. (Do not use precooked bacon.)
Cover with another paper towel to prevent grease from splattering.
Cook on high. If you have five slices of bacon on the plate, cook for 5 minutes. The number of cooking minutes usually correlates to the number of bacon slices. I have had a similar experience with different microwaves; however, reduce the time by one minute the first time you cook bacon to see how quickly your microwave cooks it.
Do not flip the slices. If (at the end of the cooking time) the middle ones are not as crispy as the outer slices, remove the cooked bacon from the plate. Then, move the partially cooked bacon slides to the outer sides of the plate and cook for 30-second intervals until crispy.
1cupColby-jack cheese, finely shredded(use freshly shredded cheese from a block instead of bagged cheese)
⅛teaspoongarlic powder
1largepinch white pepper
¼teaspoonseasoned salt
1teaspoonWorcestershire sauce
1pinchcayenne pepper
6slicesbacon, cooked and chopped
3green onions, thinly sliced
2tablespoonspimento peppers, chopped
Instructions
Bread
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Slice the baguette into 24-30 slices and place on a baking sheet.
In a small pan, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 20-30 seconds. Remove from the heat and brush the olive oil mixture onto the sliced bread. Bake for 3-5 minutes or until the bread is lightly browned. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
Topping
Add the cream cheese, mayonnaise, shredded cheese, garlic powder, white pepper, salt, Worcestershire, and cayenne pepper to a mixing bowl. Stir until well blended.
Then, stir in the bacon, pimento, and green onion. Mix well. Serve the dip on top of the toasted bread.
Notes
Tips for Cooking Bacon
Place a paper towel on a microwave-safe dinner plate to absorb the grease during cooking.
Place raw bacon slices side by side, but not overlapping. (Do not use precooked bacon.)
Cover with another paper towel to prevent grease splatter.
Cook on high. If you have five slices of bacon on the plate, cook for 5 minutes. The number of cooking minutes is usually the same as the number of slices. I have had a similar experience with different microwaves; however, reduce the time by one minute the first time you cook bacon to see how quickly your microwave cooks it.
Do not flip the slices. If (at the end of the cooking time) the middle slices are not as crispy as the outer slices, remove the cooked bacon from the plate. Then, place the partially cooked slices on the outer sides of the plate and cook for 30-second intervals until crispy.