Goat cheese baked in bacon with roasted pepper and capers is a spectacular appetizer that is convenient to serve both on the festive table and for a small dinner for guests. On the outside, the dish looks neat and distinct, and on the inside it combines several bright flavors at once: cream cheese, browned bacon, juicy peppers and salty capers. All this is prepared without complicated manipulations, if you follow a simple sequence of actions.
The advantage of the recipe is that it does not require a large list of ingredients, but gives the feeling of a restaurant snack. During baking, the goat cheese becomes soft and tender inside, the bacon is fried and holds its shape, and the peppers and capers add a balance of sweet, sour and salty notes to the filling. The dish can be served in different ways: right out of the oven to dip pieces of fresh bread into, or slightly chilled – as a warm snack that can be easily divided into portions.
Here it is important not to change the temperature and cooking time. In 25-30 minutes at 160 degrees, the cheese has time to warm up well, but does not dry out, and the bacon forms a reliable shell around it. If you fold the strips in the form of a star, and then successively wrap the cheese, the structure is stable and does not spread on the baking sheet.
Ingredients for 2 servings
- goat cheese with white mold – 1 pc.
- raw-smoked bacon, sliced – 1 pack.
- baked marinated pepper – 1 pc.
- capers – 6-7 pcs.
- parsley – a few sprigs
Preparation
- Finely chop the roasted marinated pepper and capers with a knife. The stuffing should be thin enough to spread easily under the cheese and not fall out when you wrap the bacon. If the pepper is very juicy, slightly wet it with a paper towel, but do not dry it.
- Line a baking sheet or a small heat-resistant form with parchment. Lay out strips of raw-smoked bacon in the form of a star so that the edges stick out and they can completely cover the cheese. Place the prepared pepper and capers in the center of this base, distributing them evenly.
- Place the goat cheese with the white mold in the center and begin to lift the strips of bacon up one by one, wrapping the cheese on all sides. Do this carefully so as not to break the shape of the cheese. The result should be a dense bacon shell that will hold the cheese and filling inside during baking.
- Put the tray in a heated oven and bake the dish at a temperature of 160 degrees for 25-30 minutes. During this time, the bacon will brown, release some of the fat and become an appetizing crust, and the cheese inside will soften to a creamy consistency. Do not rush to increase the temperature so that the bacon does not burn before the cheese warms up.
- Carefully transfer the finished cheese to a plate or simply serve it on a nice board. Let the dish sit for 2-3 minutes to stabilize a little after the oven, then sprinkle chopped parsley on top. Serve hot or warm, with fresh bread, croutons or crackers.
If you are preparing this snack for guests, it is convenient to immediately put a sliced baguette or dried pieces of bread nearby. The cheese can then be served warm fondue-style, with everyone scooping a bit of the melted center along with the bacon and toppings. This is a simple way to make the presentation spectacular without additional ingredients.
Delicious!