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.


BLT Bruschetta
Ingredients
- 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
Instructions
- 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

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!!!
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://www.homemaidsimple.com/2012/05/foodie-friday-strawberry-lemonade.html
Hope to see you back~