BURSTING TOMATO BLT BRUSCHETTA

8 Ingredients or less|Appetizers|Brunch|Italian|Pork

Ingredients

½ pound bacon

1 large baguette, but into ½” thick rounds

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 pints grape or cherry tomatoes

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

8 ounces goat cheese, softened to room temperature

2 cups shredded Iceberg or romaine lettuce

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and lay the bacon slices in a single layer on top. Bake for 12-14 minutes until the bacon is crisp. Remove the pan from the oven and place the bacon on a plate lined with paper towels. Do not discard the bacon grease! When the bacon is cool, chop it into small pieces. Set aside.

Quickly dip the bread rounds on both sides in the bacon grease on the pan and then line up all of the bread slices in a single layer on the same foil. Note- if you run out of bacon grease, you can lightly brush some olive oil on the other slices of bread. Bake for 8-10 minutes until toasty and lightly browned. Set aside.

While the bread is toasting, heat the olive oil in a large skillet and add the tomatoes to the pan. Cook over medium high heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the salt and sugar to the pan and stir to combine. Cover the pan and let the tomatoes cook for 2 minutes. Remove the lid and stir again. Cover and let cook one more time until all of the tomatoes burst and a ‘jammy’ texture has formed.

Spread the tops of each toasted bread round with a generous layer of the goat cheese. Top with a heaping tablespoon of the tomatoes, some of the chopped bacon, and finish with the shredded lettuce. Serve at room temperature.