Simple Bacon & Strawberry Jalapeño Jam over Goat Cheese
Strawberry Jalapeño Jam over Goat Cheese- This is a deliciously simple appetizer perfect for the upcoming holidays. A log of goat cheese covered with a simple strawberry jalapeño jam and topped with candied bacon. It’s the recipe everyone will be asking for!
Ya’ll. This recipe is a winner! Sweet, slightly spicy and topped with crunchy bacon. It’s super simple to make and everyone always loves it- what could be better than that?
I recently went to a “champagne stroll” with my family to kick off the holidays. It’s an annual event in the town they are from where a main strip of local shops and boutiques pass out champagne for free while you shop. Yes, it’s as fun as it sounds! 😉
While on this champagne stroll, we visited a home store that sells unique food items to serve at parties or to give as gifts. One of the samples was a strawberry jalapeño jam. In the south, we love pepper jelly; so the unusual twist of strawberry was super intriguing to me. I started testing the recipe idea straight away.
So, let’s get into it!
How to make bacon & strawberry jalapeño jam over goat cheese
Gather the ingredients
Goat cheese log
Strawberry preserves- you can certainly make your own jam by cooking down strawberries with sugar but using store bought preserves makes the recipe that much more simple.
Fresh jalapeños
Bacon- I like to use thick cut bacon slices.
Brown sugar
Crackers for serving
Candy the bacon: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 375. If you have it available, add a wire rack over the parchment paper to the pan and lay the slices of bacon onto the rack. Gently press the brown sugar on top of the bacon in an even layer. Bake until the brown sugar is melted and the bacon is crisp.
Dice the jalapeños and deseed them, if desired. Toss the diced peppers into a dry skillet over low heat and cook gently for a few minutes. Add the strawberry preserves to the skillet and cook down until it has been slightly reduced.
Pour the strawberry jalapeño jam mixture into a small bowl and allow it to cool in the fridge for 30 minutes or so.
Chop up the candied bacon once it’s cool.
On a serving platter, add the log of goat cheese and spoon over the strawberry jalapeño jam. Top the jam with the chopped candied bacon and serve with crackers.
Variations
Change up the jam! Peach or raspberry preserves would be a delicious substitute for the strawberry.
Skip the candied bacon. Instead of candying the bacon, try it with regular salty bacon for a sweet and salty flavor.
Looking for more appetizer ideas?
Simple strawberry basil goat cheese
Sweet & Salty Baked Brie in Puff Pastry
Before you go, if you make this bacon & strawberry jalapeño jam over goat cheese, comment and/or rate it down below. I’d love to hear what you think!
Simple Bacon & Strawberry Jalapeño Jam over Goat Cheese
Ingredients
- 8 ounce goat cheese log
- 4 slices thick cut bacon
- 4 TBSP brown sugar
- 1 cup strawberry preserves
- 2-3 small jalapeños
- crackers for serving
Instructions
- Start by making the candied bacon. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. If you have a wire rack available, add it on top of the payment paper. Lay the bacon strips onto the pan and add 1 tablespoon of brown sugar to each slice of bacon. Lightly pat the brown sugar to help it stick the bacon.Bake the bacon for about 20 minutes until the sugar is melted and the bacon is crisp. Once the bacon is cooked, immediately remove it from the oven and allow it to cool. NOTE: if using a convection oven, it will typically take 12-15 minutes for the bacon to cook.
- While the bacon is cooking, remove the seeds from the jalapeños and dice them small. Keep in mind that jalapeños vary in spice level so you can always add more depending on your guests spice tolerance.
- Add the diced jalapeño to a dry skillet over low heat and cook gently for 2-3 minutes. Next, add the strawberry preserves to the skillet and stir to combine. Let the jalapeños and preserves cook down slightly for about 10 minutes. Stir the mixture frequently to keep anything from burning.
- After the jam has cooked down, add it to a bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or over night if preferred.
- With the jam cooling, chop the cooled candied bacon into small pieces.
- When ready to serve, lay the goat cheese log onto a serving dish. Spoon the strawberry jalapeño jam over the goat cheese and top with the finely chopped candied bacon. Serve with crackers and enjoy!
