When my husband and I go out to a restaurant, we almost never get an appetizer because I usually feel it’s a waste of money, and I don’t want to fill up before the meal comes. However, I have seen bruschetta as a very yummy looking appetizer, and have wanted to try it. So when I saw this recipe for BLT bruschetta in Taste of Home’s 2008 Annual Recipes, I just had to try it, and it was delicious!
Here is what you need:
1 10 1/2 oz loaf of French bread
3 T olive oil (I used a little more)
5 strips cooked crumbled maple flavored bacon strips
1/2 cup chopped seeded tomato
1/2 cup leaf lettuce chopped finely
1/2 c pesto
2 T fresh basil chopped finely
Salt and pepper to taste (the recipe said 1/4 tsp each, but I thought that was too much)
Slice your bread thinly into about 36 slices (the number of slices may be less depending on how thin or thick you like it).
Brush each slice with olive oil, and place on an ungreased baking sheet.
Bake the bread for about 10 minutes at 400 degrees.
Combine the bacon, tomato, lettuce, 2 Tablespoons of the pesto, basil and salt and pepper.
When your bread is done, spread each slice with the remaining pesto.
Then lightly spread each slice with about 2 teaspoons of the bacon, tomato… mixture, and you are ready to serve and enjoy.
This was everything I hoped it would be, crunchy, fresh, garlicky and so flavorful!
Incidentally, I bought fresh basil for this recipe and it was awesome, but I had a lot leftover, and didn’t want it to go bad before I used it all. This website was very informative about how to store and preserve basil.
I followed one of their suggestions, and washed and patted dry my basil.
Then I froze it in a ziploc bag.
The recommendation was to use within a year as it loses its flavor after then.
Enjoy some bruschetta!
Printable recipe
Linking to some of these fun link parties: Sunday: Under the Table and Dreaming, DIY Showoff, Nifty Thrifty Things, Homemaker on a Dime Monday:Uncommon Designs, Skip to My Lou, Craft O Maniac, Keeping it Simple, Creating Really Awesome Free Things, Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms, Between Naps on the Porch, The Girl Creative, Mad in Crafts, I’m An Organizing Junkie, Sew Can Do, I Should be Mopping the Floor, Making the World Cuter, The Gunny Sack, Mrs. Happy Homemaker, DIY Home Sweet Home, The Modest Mom Tuesday:Coastal Charm, A Bowl Full of Lemons, Tip Junkie, Sugar Bee Crafts, Balancing Beauty and Bedlam, 5 Minutes for Mom, Funky Polka Dot Giraffe, Hope Studios, Reasons to Skip the Housework, Time Warp Wife, Chef in Training, Home Stories A to Z, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia,The Blackberry Vine, Carolyn’s Homework, The Kurtz Corner, Growing Home, Cornerstone Confessions, Mercy Ink, A Diamond in the Stuff Wednesday: Raising Homemakers, Crystal & Co., We Are That Family, Women Living Well, The Trendy Treehouse, Handy Man Crafty Woman, Someday Crafts, Fabric Bows and More, Seven Thirty Three, Sugar and Dots, A Creative Princess, Twin Dragonfly Designs, The Thrifty Home, Creations by Kara, Gingersnap Crafts, My Girlish Whims, SemiHomemade Mom Thursday: Shabby Creek Cottage, Delightful Order, Somewhat Simple, House of Hepworths, The Frugal Girls, Miz Helen’s Country Cottage, The Thirty Sixth Avenue, Thrifty 101, Diary of A Stay At Home Mom, Beyond the Picket Fence, A Glimpse Inside Friday: The Shabby Nest, Fingerprints on the Fridge, Chic On A Shoestring, Miss Mustard Seed, Tidy Mom, Whipperberry, French Country Cottage, 30 Handmade Days, Finding Fabulous, Naptime Crafters, Tatertots and Jello, My Romantic Home, While He Was Napping, Bacon Time with the Hungry Hungry Hippo, The Country Cook, Six Sister’s Stuff, Kitchen Fun With My Three Sons, Ann Kroeker, Writer, Simply Sweet Home, Craft Junkie Too, Simply Designing, Happy Hour Projects, A Little Knick Knack, Young and Crafty Saturday: Funky Junk Interiors, Be Different Act Normal, A Vision To Remember, Sweet As Sugar Cookies, It’s Overflowing, The Artsy Girl Connection, Too Much Time On My Hands, Or So She Says, Tutus and Tea Parties, Your Home Based Mom
This looks delicious. My Whimsy Wednesday link party is going on now and I’d love for you to share this at http://www.thenymelrosefamily.blogspot.com/2012/04/whimsy-wednesdays-8.html.
Thanks so much for sharing at whimsy Wednesdays! Love them!
OMG Why didn’t I think of this!!! What a GREAT idea!!! I’m going to share this with my blog’s Facebook followers! Great job on this!
This sounds delicious!
I’m adding this to my appy list.
Yumm! We’re huge BLT fans, but I never would have thought to make BLT bruschetta. Sounds delicious! Thanks for the great tip on freezing fresh basil too! ~Mary
Looks delicious – and I had no idea that I could freeze basil! I’m so glad I found this blog post, for I always raise a lot of basil in my herb garden. I’m your newest follower. I hope you’ll stop in and follow back?
Yummyola! I’m making these tonight for sure!! I’m your newest follower! Hope you can visit me! I am the new girl on the block!
This looks SOO yummy! I’m so glad you decided to share it.:)
Hi Margo,
Your Bruschetta looks delicious and your recipe looks awesome. Hope you have a great week end and thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday.
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
Totally Perfect!!! I’d love to have you share at my party…it JUST opened!!!
http://www.itsoverflowing.com/2012/04/overflowing-with-creativity-19.html
XO, Aimee
Thanks so very much for this fabulous recipe. I have pinned it in my pinterest board for recipes. Love to have found your blog.
I have to agree with your header, as I have found much satisfaction being a stay at home mom and raising wonderful human beings in a very loving home. Thanks for the “Joyful Homemaking” title.
Oh Yum!
Bruschetta with bacon sounds incredible!
We’d love to see this recipe at our Beautify it Monday link party open now!
-Four Sisters
Bringingbeauty.blogspot.com
This looks insanely delicious! Thanks so much for sharing this yummy recipe and your shoe bag organizer with us this week! You always have the most helpful tips!
Take care,
Trish
YUM! I love BLTs so I am quite sure I would love this!! Thanks for sharing at oopsey daisy!
I know a bacon fan that would love this!
Melissa
http://www.lovebugliving.com
Looks amazing!! Megan
This looks so delicious! Great recipe for a party too! Thanks for coming to our “Strut Your Stuff Saturday.” We hope you’ll be back soon! -The Sisters
featuring this tonight at our link party! stop by and grab a featured button!!
Thanks so much for linking up to Your Whims Wednesday, I featured this on my blog today! Stop by and grab a featured button
http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/2012/05/your-whims-wednesday-57-and-features.html
Featuring on Thursday at Bacon Time.
looks so great… love it
What a fun twist on Brushetta adding bacon. It will guarantee my kids will try these. Please share this on my foodie friday party today.
I’m a huge fan of bruschetta, and this sounds like a great version to try. Thanks for sharing it!
Pesto…bacon…Sold! Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful recipe on “A Little Birdie Told Me…” Tuesday at Rook No. 17!
Jenn
Thank you so much for sharing this on Foodie Friday last week!! I love anything with BLT in it, lol. I’ve featured you in this weeks party http://homemaidsimple.blogspot.com/2012/05/foodie-friday-strawberry-lemonade.html
Hope to see you back~