BACON GOAT CHEESE BITES

Hello, dear reader. And happy summer!

We had our first cookout a few weeks ago. The older I get, the more I love cooking out. In our circle of friends lately, we've been really into "bring your own meat" cookouts, which make for really easy prep. Plus they make hosting a large crowd a lot more manageable (especially on a grad student budget, which most of us are on).

My menu was extremely easy (and quick) to prepare, and everything on it keeps well as leftovers. Here's what I did:
     bruschetta
     quinoa salad
     big bowl of edamame
     bacon goat cheese bites (and a basket of crackers)
     cheesecake tartlets

Does anyone have any suggestions for refreshing hot-weather alcoholic drinks that are good for pitchers/large batches? For the party I made this white sangria, but it wasn't much of a hit. I let the fruit soak for 24 hours, and it was still pretty bland. Next time I'll opt for some bourbon iced tea or maybe a some kind of gin drink.

These adorable bite-sized cheese balls were my favorite. (And that's saying something, because I love bruschetta probably too much.) They were a huge hit, and I recommend them highly! They're easy to make and look VERY cute, and they're perfect for parties. This recipe stays at the front of my party book.

BACON GOAT CHEESE BITESadapted from this recipe

8 ounces goat cheese
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons dried herbs (I used oregano, basil, and thyme)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
large pinch salt
12 slices bacon, cooked till crispy
1/2 cup walnuts

*This recipe would be easily halved, but this amount disappeared quickly in a crowd.
**You can easily make these 2 - 3 days ahead. Just store in the fridge on parchment paper in an airtight container.

First cook the bacon. I like to bake mine on a foil-lined baking sheet - about 15 minutes at 400 degrees. Remove from oven when bacon is just crisp, and soak up the grease with a paper towel. Let cool.

Combine goat cheese and softened cream cheese and mix well. Stir in herbs, garlic, pepper, and salt. Put the mixture in the fridge.

Once bacon is cool, chop roughly. Place in a blender or food processor with walnuts, and process until minced. Pour into a bowl.

Remove cheese mixture from fridge. Use your hands to roll spoonfuls of the mixture into balls - about 3/4-inch wide. Roll balls in bacon mixture so they are well coated. Store in fridge until ready to serve.

BACON-APPLE BLUE CHEESE BURGER

Welcome back, dear reader, for number THREE in the 4-part burger test kitchen series. Number three, the burger I so lovingly dubbed "The American," features a beef/Italian sausage burger stuffed with apple slices and blue cheese, then topped with bacon, more apple slices, and a honey-mustard-mayo.



If you missed the first two burgers, you can check them out here!
The Greek: Spinach-Feta Lamb Burgers with Garlic-Dill Yogurt Sauce
The Moroccan: Moroccan-Style Burgers with Spiced Ketchup

As I've mentioned in other posts, I had two taste-testers helping me rank and evaluate the burgers, and this burger was a unanimous favorite. I put it in first place all by itself, while the other two had it sharing first place with two other burgers. I also enjoyed using apple slices in place of buns for this little guy... leaves room for more tasting :)



Please enjoy: the American!

Bacon-Apple Blue Cheese Burger with Sweet & Tangy Mayo

Makes 8 sliders (or 4 regular-sized burgers).

1/2 pound mild Italian sausage
1/2 pound lean ground beef
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 large apple, very thinly sliced
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
8 slices cooked bacon
1 recipe sweet and tangy mayo (below)
hamburger buns for serving

Chop half of the apple slices into small pieces. Stir together small apple pieces with blue cheese crumbles.

In a large bowl, mix sausage and beef with hands until well combined. Add black pepper and Worcestershire sauce and mix well. Divide the meat mixture into 8 equal parts. Then divide each part in two, forming 16 small patties. Top 8 of the patties with blue cheese and 1 or two apple slices, then top with remaining patties. Gently seal edges of burgers.

To serve: On bottom bun, place a few apple slices, then patties. Top each with a bacon slice. Spread mayo on top buns and top the burgers with them.

Sweet and Tangy Mayo

2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
honey, to taste (I think I probably used about 1 tablespoon)

Stir all ingredients together to combine.