Bacon Ciabatta Crostini with Pimento Cheese and Candied Jalapeños .
I’ve found the thing I want to eat for the rest of my life.
Well, the thing besides bacon, chocolate dipped in peanut butter, tacos of all kinds, really great pizza, cheese and crackers and mojitos. Yeah, that thing.
It’s called pimento cheese on bread brushed with bacon grease and then toasted. And then topped with more BACON. And then topped with a candied jalapeno (or three).
Right? Isn’t this what you would like to eat forever and ever and ever?
I thought so.
Soooo. Once you’ve got your mint julep planned (I’m thinking strawberry this year), appetizers and snacks come next. Only THEE most important part of this Saturday, for sure. If you have been reading for a few years, you know Eddie is crazy over the Kentucky Derby. As of right now, he is picking between Dortmund, American Pharoah and Mubtaahji as the front runners.
As of right now, I’m picking this crostini as my front runner.
Speaking of my husband, I made these and said “hey! I think I made something that you’re going to LOVE. Come eat it!” He asked what it was. I said pimento cheese.
He said he hates pimento cheese. I said why. He said BECAUSE IT HAS OLIVES, duh.
No no no no no. I made his day, saying this pimento cheese had, um, pimentos, which yes, you can often find stuffed in olives but are not olives themselves. He rejoiced! We ate crostini until we were blue in the face.
Or should I say red in the face, because these are spiiiiiiiicy. Hot hot hot.
I’m really in love with these little treats. You can make pretty much every component ahead of time – I would just quickly broil the ciabatta before serving and assemble. It is the perfect blend of creamy, crunchy, sweet and savory. I used white cheddar cheese in my pimento cheese because sometimes I have a phobia of orange foods (see also: carrots) and especially orange cheese. I used a touch of cream cheese, mayo, pimentos and spices. You know what’s next on the list? GRILLED CHEESE. BURGERS. HOT DOGS. Anything and everything that I can kind of sort of top with and melt pimento cheese on.
Tell me: how do YOU make pimento cheese? And what kind of mint julep are you making? And are you wearing a hat?
Because these are the important questions of life.
Bacon Ciabatta Crostini with Pimento Cheese and Candied Jalapeños
Ingredients
- 4 jalapeño peppers sliced
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 3/4 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 6 slices bacon
- 1 ciabatta baguette, sliced (you can use whatever kind of baguette!)
pimento cheese
- 12 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, freshly grated
- 1 (4-ounce) jar of pimentos, drained
- 4 ounces 1/2 block cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- To make the candied jalapeños, Add the vinegar, sugar and garlic powder to a small saucepan over medium heat and whisk until the sugar dissolves. Allow the mixture to boil for 2 to 3 minutes, then add in the peppers and stir with a wooden spoon, making sure all of the slices are submerged. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the peppers with a slotted spoon and place them in a jar or a bowl. Continue to cook the liquid for another 5 minutes until it has reduced by half, then pour it over the jalapeños. Allow the peppers to cool completely – you can do this a day ahead of time too.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat and add the bacon. Cook until completely crispy and the fat is rendered. Remove the bacon and place it on a paper towel to drain. Preheat the broiler in your oven to high, with the over rack in the center of the oven. Place the baguette slices on a baking sheet. Using a pastry brush, brush each slice with the bacon grease in the skillet from the cooked bacon. Place the baking sheet in the oven and broil for just 1 minute or so until the bread is golden. Don’t take your eyes off of it!
- Let the crostini cool slightly. Crumble the cooked bacon. Spread each bread slice with a spoonful of pimento cheese. Add some bacon crumbles on top. Add one candied jalapeno on each crostini and serve.
pimento cheese
- Add all ingredients together in a large bowl and mix well until combined. You will have some leftover, so store it in a sealed container in the fridge.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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38 Comments on “Bacon Ciabatta Crostini with Pimento Cheese and Candied Jalapeños .”
I’ll place my bets on these crostinis instead of a horse any day of the week! Amazing flavor combo, Jessica!
Yep, these are perfect!
Weirdly enough I am catering a cocktail party for the Kentucky Governor in the near future, so these may just need to be on my menu, thanks for the inspiration!!
ummm that sounds incredible!!
Yes! These are so cute and sound delish! I also have a weird phobia of orange cheese. My mom always used it in her mac when we growing up, and that’s one of the only times I am OK with orange cheese. Kids’ mac has to be orange, ya know? Anywho. I have NEVER made pimento cheese, but it’s been on my list for awhile now! Trying these out for sure.
sweet baby jesus
Yes….just yes to all of this.
My first thought was .. ummm -what – omg. My second thought is OMG this is like bomb.com amazing … and then i figured I should probably separate myself from the 90’s …. maybe.
LOVE this recipe!
Yep. Could totally eat this every day for eternity and be happy. I don’t know how anyone couldn’t honestly. And yes to pimento cheese on burgers. Best. thing. Ever. I feel like the cheese sometimes gets lost when it’s in sliced form, but spreadable cheese you can taste in every single bite!
This looks fantastic!!! Wow, love it! :)
Pimento cheese is one of those things I thought I hated until I actually tried it and was like, “OH MY GOSH this is delicious!” Mayo and cheese and pimentos should be wrong together but they are SO RIGHT.
same here – especially because i never liked mayo!
So the link below is my FAVORITE pimento cheese- it is so smoky/creamy/tangy/wonderful, it has all the flavors.
http://cookingbride.com/appetizers/pimento-cheese/
holy crap. a pound of bacon? i now immediately hate my own recipe and want to make that one forever. WOW.
Pimento Cheese is a BIG favorite around here! I use Greek Yogurt, a few Tbsp of mayo, and the same spices you list with the addition of cayenne and Worcestershire! This looks AMAZING — I want a candied jalapeno!
I am gonna join you with eating this for the rest of our lives!
I’m gong to the Derby for the first time this weekend! We’re partying in the infield – it’ll be an experience. I’ll be making these when I get home!
OMG. I adore thisss. <3 <3 <3
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It’s 5am and I so want this now!!! Thanks for sharing!
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This is heaven. Pimento cheese is my FAVORITE, and jalapenos and bacon?! On bacon-grease toast? Oh my goodness.
When I saw this recipe come through my emails this morning, I just knew at once I would be making tonight for a Friday FUN! And… I made it and ate it, and offered a neighbor to come and try. It! Truly so so so good!
What? Candied jalapeno??? Love it! Okay..I’m a lightweight with super spicy, so I’d have to seed it, but what a brilliant bite of sweet, hot, bacony, creamy, crusty, cheesy yum!
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This wasn’t a good idea to look at while hungry! I need all of these right now!!
I make something very similar, but I use jalapeno jelly instead of the candied jalapeno, and it is so good! http://livingart-artphotography.blogspot.com/2014/07/amazing-appetizers-pimento-jalapeno.html It’s the combination of sweet, spicy, salty, creamy, and crunchy, just love it! These are always a hit at parties and provide big flavor for not a ton of work.
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