Tomato Bacon Bites

We had a very full day yesterday, starting off with some wining at InVINtions with mike and Lauren. Video #17 – INVINtions, A Creative Winery We always bring snacks and nibblies whenever we go wining. It makes the event much more sociable and food and wine just naturally pair well together. Beides, food is what I do. I feed people. 🙂

I usually make some kind of a charcuterie tray because it is easy to make, travels well, and goes well with wine. But this time I decided to make something a little different instead. I still had appetizers and nibbles, including mixed nuts, olives and dolmas (stuffed grapeleaves), but I made some tomato bacon bites too. They were easy to make and tasted really good as well. That make them a win/win for me.

Tomato Bacon Bites

I made my own dough, using my basic go-to dough, but in a pinch you can also use canned biscuits. My friend Janet had given my a bunch of Herbs de Provence the other day, so I used some of that in my dough too.

The Dough

1 1/2 cups flour

6TBSP cold butter, cubed

pinch of salt

1 egg

5-6 TBSP heavy whipping cream

1 TBSP dried herbs of your choice – I used Herbs de Provence this time, but have have used basil, oregano, thyme, and various other herbs many times

Combine the flour, butter and salt in a food processor and pulse just until it resembles crumbly sand. Add the egg and the cream and mix until everything forms into a ball. Then wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using. I use variations of this dough for just about everything, all the time.

The Filling

Preheat the oven to 425* F or 219*C.

2 small to medium tomatoes, diced fine, or about 1 cup of tomatoes of your choice

5 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled

1/2 onion, diced fine

1 TBSP garlic

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1 tsp herbs of your choice – I used Herbs de Provence

2/3 cup shredded cheese of your choice, divided – I used mozzarella

salt & fresh ground black pepper to taste

1 TBSP lemon balsamic vinegar, optional

Cook the bacon then crumble and set aside. Cook the onions and garlic in the bacon grease for about 3-5 minutes, or until the onions become soft and translucent. Drain off the excess grease.

Combine all the ingredients together and mix well, saving about 1/3 cup of the shredded cheese for the topping.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough very thin, then cut into small circles. Roll again and form them into mini-muffin pans. There is no need to grease the pans with additional cooking spray or butter since the dough has enough butter in it to prevent sticking. Press the dough firmly into the mini muffin pans.

Fill the cups with the bacon and tomato mixture, with about 1-2 tsp of filling per cup. Once the cups are filled, top them with additional cheese.

Bake for about 10-15 minutes or until the dough is cooked and all the cheese on top has melted and they are golden brown.

These are best when served hot or warm. Once you pull them out of the oven, be prepared to watch them disappear. Because they are bite sized, they will disappear very quickly too. I’m pretty sure you’re going to love these. They are great for potlucks and parties too.

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.