Simple Bacon & Strawberry Jalapeño Jam over Goat Cheese
A simple appetizer of goat cheese covered with sweet and spicy jam and topped with candied bacon.
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!