Oh yes. All the cuteness of a cake pop, all the fun of an easy appetizer, and it's all wrapped up in bacon.
These little bacon and goat cheese pops were inspired by these very popular cake pops, Elizabeth's wonderful bacon-wrapped potato bites, and these goat cheese balls from Neiman-Marcus. (We love the apple-serving idea; we incorporated it into this recipe, in fact.)
These are not for the dieting or those of a non-bacon-loving persuasion. In spite of the addition of lower-fat cream cheese and fresh herbs, these are very rich. They are also creamy, cool, and bright with spring flavors. The bacon holds it all together with a warm, toasty crunchiness. So delicious!
Try serving these at your next spring soirée; they're pretty enough for a nice party, but they have that magic ingredient even the most fussy eater will love: BACON!
Goat Cheese Balls with Herbs, Pecans, & Bacon
makes 16-20
6 slices bacon
4 ounces goat cheese
4 ounces cream cheese (not whipped)
2 tablespoons chopped thyme or basil, divided
Cracked black pepper
1/4 cup pecans
Apple slices, to serve
Cut each piece of bacon in half. Place the bacon in a large skillet without overlapping the slices, and turn the heat on low. Cook on low for about 15 minutes, turning frequently, until the bacon is quite crispy. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Pat the slices to remove excess grease.
While the bacon is cooking, whiz the goat cheese, cream cheese, 1 tablespoon of herbs, and a few turns of cracked black pepper in the food processor. Whiz until creamy and well-mixed, then form small balls, about the size of the tip of your thumb. Insert lollipop sticks. Put in the freezer for 20 minutes to firm up a little more. (Don't let them freeze all the way; just help them firm up. You can also place them in the refrigerator for a longer period of time.)
Clean out the food processor. Crumble in the cooled bacon, the remaining tablespoon of herbs, and the pecans. Whiz until very fine and crumbly; it should be as fine as your food processor will make it.
Take the cheese balls out of the freezer and roll them in the bacon mixture, pressing it in with your fingers if it doesn't immediately stick.
Place the balls in a container on their sides and refrigerate until serving. Serve on full rounds of sliced apple. These are delicious eaten together with apple; take a bite of one and then of the other.
Extra-bacon option: If you aren't content to simply roll these in bacon, then fry an additional two strips of bacon and crumble them into the cheese mixture itself.
Related: Appetizer Recipe: Bacon-Wrapped Potato Bites with Spicy Sour Cream Dipping Sauce
(Images: Faith Durand)
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Ok -- These look fantastic, and I bet they taste even better -- but you have to do something about the name... the thought of "bacon pops" made me gag a bit before I read what they were.
I also bet you could subsitute lebneh for cream cheese if you were looking for a lower fat option without sacrificing taste or texture.
@mileErica... hmmm - what would you suggest?
Swine on a stick? It's like Grant Achatz's swine on a swing.
Oh dear god. My boyfriend will make these this weekend if I show him this post.
Oh dear..I could eat these like candy.
I don't know what sort of "problem" I have but I get a weird gag reflex thinking about eating foods off a stick. However, if these were just balls then I would be all for it :)
Great idea!
You could also use neufchatel instead of cream cheese. Or just make them even smaller and stick them with a toothpick. Green onion or chives in the bacon mix might be nice.
Too bad I hate goat cheese, or it might be something I'd make. Then again, it's basically a mini cheese ball on a stick...so no reason not to improvise, eh?
cheese.. covered in bacon... I can't think of a better idea...
wait...
nope, still can't.
You could also use turkey bacon instead of piggy.
My husband is sitting beside me drooling.
goat cheese bacon = my 2 favorite food groups
I don't know if anyone still tunes into this post, but I have to tell those of the turkey bacon persuasion that turkey bacon does not have the ummph of pork bacon. To each his own, but bacon is a sacred thing to bacon lovers!!
Made these last night and they were amazing!
Thanks for sharing & making our dinner better.
http://dangerouscrafts.blogspot.com/2011/01/first-annual-bacon-booze-schmooze.html
This is awesome. I just made a version of these with some jalapenos and cheddar in the goat cheese filling. Can't wait to share them with friends tonight!
Love this. Not nuts about using apples though since they always look brown and ugly so fast. Other suggestions? Or just serve them on their own?
OK, these are the perfect diet food for a low carber! Do NOT use low fat anything! Fat is not the enemy, but carbs, especially grains, are.
Thanks for the recipe, I'll be making these soon.
@Angie, try sprinkling lemon juice on the apple slices to keep them pretty.
i think these will be a great garnish for my bloody mary pre-jazz fest party!
I know my boyfriend is drooling reading this, and so am I!
How about cutting the balls in half (so they don't roll), and then putting that, cut-side down, on the apple slice? I love the whimsy of the pop, but this might make it easier to eat together. Just a thought. Whoever has made this, do you dip the apple slice in acidulated water to keep it from browning?