Bruschetta with Leeks, Goat Cheese, and Bacon

I made this unimaginably delightful appetizer last week because I had leeks, bacon, and goat cheese in my fridge and I decided they were, like, totally made for each other. It’s nothing a cowboy would touch with a ten foot pole, generally speaking, but I didn’t let that thwart me.

Make this for your friend or neighbor or mother-in-law or cousin or anyone who drops by your house in need of a quick, delicious munchie and and a glass of cold white wine.

Super easy and incredibly tasty!

 

First, chop up some thin bacon into small pieces…

 

Then throw ’em in a skillet…

 

And 

 fry ’em until they’re nice and crisp.

Remove the bacon to a paper towel lined plate and set it aside.

Important Note: Do not eat all the bacon. If you eat all the bacon, you will not have any for your bruschetta. This has been a public service announcement.

Next, lop the tops off the leeks…

And slice them thinly until you get an inch or two into the darker green area.

*Note: At this stage, if the leeks look sandy/dirty, you can soak the slices in a bowl of cold water for a few minutes, then drain them. I didn’t do this, because they didn’t look very sandy at all, and besides that, a little sand never hurt anyone.

In other words, don’t be like me.

Next, slice up a loaf of good French bread.

 
Then melt butter in a large skillet over medium to medium-low heat (depending on how hot your burner gets)…

 

And toast the bread on both sides…

 

Until it’s nice and buttery and golden and crisp.

Note: Traditional bruschetta involves grilling the slices of bread, then rubbing a clove of garlic all over the surface. But I love the toasted-in-a-buttery-skillet method myself. Either way is delicious!

Remove them to a platter and set them aside to cool slightly.

Now, grab the same skillet you used to fry the bacon.

Drain off the fat, then use a paper towel to blot out the excess. You want the skillet still to have some bacon flavor and small bits, but not any of the grease.

 
 

Turn the burner on medium-high heat, then throw in the sliced leeks!

Saute them for a few minutes, stirring here and there, until they’re nice and golden. Yum!

   

 Finally, grab some goat cheese/chevre…

 

And spread a good amount on a slice of toasted bread.

Repeat with the rest of the bread, and try with all your might not to eat one of these right now.

Goat cheese.

Sigh. I love it so.

Now just grab a spoonful of the leeks…

And add it to the top of one of the pieces of heavenly goat cheese-smeared bread.

Repeat with the rest of the pieces…

Then sprinkle each one with a few bits of bacon.

Done!

Oh, wow. How scrumptious do these look?

And they were every bit as good as I imagined.

You’ll love these! They’re perfect with cold white wine, and make a great little appetizer before dinner. You could use smaller crostini and make a whole bunch of them for a cocktail party, or heck…you could even stir the goat cheese, leeks, and bacon together and make a dip.

Enjoy!

Here’s the handy dandy printable.

Recipe

Bruschetta with Leeks, Goat Cheese, and Bacon

Prep Time:

5 Minutes

Difficulty:

Easy

Cook Time:

15 Minutes

Servings:

8 Servings

Ingredients

• 8 slices Good French Bread
• Butter, For Toasting Bread
• 6 slices Thin Bacon, Cut Into Bits
• 2 whole Leeks, Sliced Thin And Washed If Needed
• 4 ounces, weight Goat Cheese/chevre, Softened

Instructions

In a skillet, melt butter and toast the bread slices on both sides until golden and slightly crisp. Remove from the skillet and set aside to cool slightly.

Fry the bacon bits until crisp, then remove to a paper towel-lined plate. Pour off the excess grease, then blot the skillet clean. Add the leeks to the skillet and cook over medium-high heat for several minutes, until golden.

Smear each piece of bread with goat cheese, then top with leeks and bacon and serve!