Recipe: Apple, Bacon, Brie Bites

Oh, bacon, bacon, bacon. I know the bacon hype is dying down and folks are pondering if we’ve already seen every new, unique use of it. Bacon cupcakes, bacon beer, bacon meatloaf, bacon ice cream. I know. As awesome as it all is, it might be getting tired. However, I can safely say, bacon is not quite done and this recipe is proof.

Domestocrat’s Apple, Bacon, Brie Bites (yields 32 bites)
13 strips of bacon, cooked and cubed (1 package)
8 oz. wheel of brie, cut into cubes (yielded 32 for me)
2 granny smith apples, cubed
3 tbsp. lemon juice (the juice of 2 lemons)
Toothpicks

The first step is to cook the bacon. For a recipe like this, that uses all the bacon in one package, I prefer to bake the bacon instead of cooking it in a pan. Baking yields exactly the same result and allows you to cook the bacon in bigger quantities. Bake the bacon on 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes. Drain on a paper towel lined plate or cooling rack. Allow the bacon to cool fully.

When the bacon has cooled completely, cut into cubes and set aside. (loving my new Shun, by the way!)

Next, cut up the brie. I used a full wheel of brie for this recipe. I cut the wheel into strips and then into cubes. You could use a wedge of cheese, just make sure you are able to cube the cheese evenly.

The next step is to cut the apple. I cut the apple in half, cored it, sliced each quarter of the apple into strips, then cut into cubes.

Here’s a quick look at how I easily cored my apples:

Next, toss all of the apple cubes in the lemon juice. Make sure to coat each piece evenly with lemon juice. This will prevent browning. I have to tell you, the lemon juice works like magic. I made these bites in advance of our first BC tailgate of the year and they stayed brown-free in the fridge, out of the fridge, and even 4 hours later after the last bite had been gobbled up. Amazing!

To assemble the bites, gather all of the ingredients in an assembly line with the toothpicks handy.

Top an apple cube with a slice of bacon, place the brie on top of that, and then stick a toothpick through the whole pile.

I’ve got to be honest here – these apple, bacon, brie bites were a genius idea. They are the perfect balance of sweet, savory, crunchy, and creamy. Complete and total balance in a one bite snack? Yes, please!

I know that it’s super easy to throw out potato chips and onion dip at a party. But now that I’ve made these I never need to do that again. You don’t either. Enjoy!