Cranberry Bacon Jam Crostini

This is the perfect little holiday or game day appetizer! I whipped up this cozy season starter using Kayem’s new extra-thick cut Maplewood Bacon & these little crostinis went fast!  The bacon’s maple flavor added a nice twist to this already delicious cold-weather recipe!

You can also do prep ahead of time so you just have to assemble & pop these delicious little bites in the oven!

Prep Time: 35 minutes Cook Time: 2 minutes

Ingredients

Cranberry Bacon Jam:

• 1 pound thick cut Kayem bacon
• 1 onion (minced)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup cranberry juice
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• salt and pepper, to taste

Crostini:

• 1 baguette (sliced)
• 8 ounces smoked cheddar cheese (sliced)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Cover a half baking sheet in foil and lay bacon in a single layer in the pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until crispy.
3. Remove bacon from the oven and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess grease. Use another paper towel to blot the top of the bacon to absorb grease.
4. Coarsely chop or crumble cooked bacon; set aside.
5. Heat 2 tablespoons of bacon fat from the baking sheet to a skillet over medium heat.
6. Add onion and cooked for 5-10 minutes, or until it begins turning golden brown.
7. Add salt, brown sugar and red wine vinegar and stir until combined.
8. Add cooked bacon, cranberry juice, dried cranberries and season with salt and pepper, as desired.
9. Stir and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the jam thickens and turns brown.
10. Store jam in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.
11. To make crostini, preheat oven to high broil.
12. Place baguette slices in an even layer on a baking sheet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
13. Top with sliced cheese and a tablespoon of cranberry bacon jam.
14. Place baking sheet in the oven and broil for 1-2 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
15. Remove from the oven and garnish with bacon crumbles, if desired.
16. Serve warm.

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Thank you to Kayem for making this post possible, all opinions are my own.