Take a spin on the classic BLT sandwich and turn it into this BLT Bruschetta with a twist. Crisp baguette bread spread with a herb cream cheese and topped with ripe cherry tomatoes, crisp iceberg lettuce and salty crisp bacon. The perfect summer appetizer!
Easy appetizers are great for any occasion. And I have to admit, Bruschetta is one of my favourite quick appetizers to make. You just can’t beat the Fresh Tomato Bruschetta as a start to pretty much any Main Dish or as part of a big ol’ Appetizer buffet.
Check out these Great Bruschetta Recipes!
What is This Bruschetta Like
- Difficulty – This bruschetta is broken down into three parts, the bread, the herb cream cheese and the BLT salad topping. It isn’t difficult but there are quite a few ingredients in total to pull it all together.
- Taste – A fresh tasting bruschetta with so much flavour. From crisp bread, a creamy spread and fresh salad. This bruschetta has it all.
- Serving – This will make between 14 – 18 bruchetta slices. It depends on how thick you cut your slices really. You may have a little of the topping left over at the end.
Ingredients
- Baguette bread – I used a rustic baguette loaf for this recipe. It will cut between 15 – 18 small bruschetta slices.
- Herb cream cheese – I made my own herb cream cheese by combining cream cheese, parmesan cheese, parsley, dried dill, dried basil, dried oregano and garlic powder.
- BLT Salad ingredients – This salad topping used shredded iceberg lettuce, sliced cherry tomatoes and crisp bacon pieces.
- Vinaigrette – I made a simple vinaigrette for the salad topping. I just used olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and a little minced parsley.
NOTE, The full recipe and ingredient list can be found at the end of the post in the recipe card.
Instructions
- Toast bread – Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/180 degrees C. Lay the baguette slices on a large baking tray and drizzle with the two tablespoons of olive oil. Bake in the oven for about 8 – 10 minutes or until crisp. Remove from oven and set aside.
- Make herb cream cheese – In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, parmesan cheese, minced parsley, dried dill, dried oregano, dried basil, and garlic powder. Stir well to combine and set aside.
- Make blt salad – In a large salad bowl combine the shredded lettuce, sliced cherry tomatoes and crisp bacon pieces. Pour over olive oil, balsamic vinegar, parsley and salt. Toss really well.
- Assemble bruschetta – Top the crisp bread with the herb cream cheese and then spoon over the blt topping. Serve immediately.
Recipe Tips
- Prep ahead – You can make the cream cheese topping up to the day before. Just be sure to store it in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Crisping the bread – Make sure the bread is really crisp when making bruschetta. This is help prevent it from going soggy after you top it will all the toppings.
- Assemble before serving – Because the topping has a vinaigrette, don’t assemble the salad or top the bruschetta until just before serving.
Substitutions and Flavour Changes
- Baguette bread – If you don’t have baguette bread, you can use any rustic style bread. Avoid using any kind sandwich or sliced prepacked bread.
- Cream cheese – Although this recipe uses cream cheese, you could opt for using Mascarpone cheese, Cottage cheese or even cream cheese.
- Herbs – For my herb cream cheese I only used fresh parsley, the rest were dried herbs. You could always add fresh dill if you have it on hand.
- Cherry tomatoes – I liked using the small firm tomatoes for this bruschetta. You can use Roma tomatoes. Just be sure to dice them small and put them through a strainer to remove any excess liquid.
Serving
Top serving tip! Serve it un assembled if you like. Set out the crisp bread, the salad topping and the cream cheese spread. Let your guest make their own so each one is fresh and crisp!
Also, this BLT Bruschetta would be a wonderful starter to just about any Pasta dinner or a wonderful Portobello Mushroom and Spinach Risotto. Why not make it a part of a bigger appetizer board and serve it alongside the Italian Stuffed Mushrooms, the Caprese Salad Sticks and the Oven Roasted Italian Green Peppers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Make sure your crisp the bread until it has a crunch and don’t top the bread until just before serving. Avoid overly wet toppings or it will make the bread soggy.
Bruschetta is best made with a rustic style bread like baguette or an Italian bread such as ciabatta. It’s a great way to use up day old bread that’s starting to go stale. In fact dried bread works wonderful for bruschetta.
Bacon Tomato Salad
Fresh Tomato Bruschetta
Mediterranean Bruschetta
BLT Bruschetta
Ingredients
Other ingredients
- 1 baguette cut into approximately 18 slices
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Herb Cream Cheese
- 1/2 cup cream cheese
- 1/3 cup parmesan cheese finely grated
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley minced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
BLT Salad
- 8 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup iceberg lettuce shredded
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/180 degrees C. Lay the baguette slices on a large baking tray and drizzle with the two tablespoons of olive oil. Bake in the oven for about 8 – 10 minutes or until crisp. Remove from oven and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, parmesan cheese, minced parsley, dried dill, dried oregano, dried basil, and garlic powder. Stir well to combine and set aside.
- In a large salad bowl combine the shredded lettuce, sliced cherry tomatoes and crisp bacon pieces. Pour over olive oil, balsamic vinegar, parsley and salt. Toss really well.
- Top the crisp bread with the herb cream cheese and then spoon over the blt topping. Serve immediately.
*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.
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