Bacon Almond Cheddar Bruschetta

Something you might not know about me: I’m kind of a huge, obsessive, scream-at-the-top-of-my-lungs sports fan. Yep, I’m totally one of those people. College basketball, hockey, and open-wheel racing are my drugs of choice, but I really don’t discriminate. If it involves someone keeping score of something and a winner and a loser, I’ll probably watch it.

Even though football doesn’t top my list for favorite sports to watch, I still happily wear my blue and support the mighty horse during playoff season. I was really hopeful we’d see an Indiana team in the final game this year, but alas, it wasn’t meant to be.

Sure, I’m a little bummed that my team didn’t quite make it to the big game, but that just means that there will be a lot less pressure on game day. Instead, I can now focus on what really is the best part of the game—the food!

I like a fancy restaurant dinner with wine and lobster and creme brûlée as much as the next girl (okay, not particularly), but if you were to ask me what I’d want for my last meal, it would be a game day spread. Give me some good beer, some cheese-filled appetizers, and the big game, and I’m a happy lady.

These “bruschetta” are pretty much everything a good game-day dish should be. There is bacon (check!), cheese (check!), hot sauce (check!), and a heavy-handed dose of mayo (check!). All of this is mixed with toasted, sliced almonds and finely minced onions to give these toasts an incredible flavor and crunch!

Whichever team you are cheering for in a couple of weeks (or even if you’re just there to watch the commercials), this appetizer will definitely be a good companion to the big game.

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Bacon Almond Cheddar Bruschetta

Yield: 20 toasts

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Bacon almond cheddar bruschetta is a rich and cheesy appetizer that is the perfect option for your game day eats.

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Ingredients

• 1 baguette, cut into 1" slices
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely minced
• 1 cup mayo
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 3/4 cup sliced almonds {I recommend: Blue Diamond Almonds}
• 6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 2 green onions, finely sliced

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425°. Brush one side of each of the baguette slices with olive oil, place on a baking sheet, oil side up, and toast in oven for 4-5 minutes, until slightly browned. Remove from oven, and flip the toasts over, so toasted side is down.
2. Meanwhile, mix together the onion, mayo, Worcestershire, almonds, bacon, cheese, hot sauce, and dry mustard in a small mixing bowl until well combined.
3. Spoon about a tablespoon and a half of the almond mixture onto each toast. Bake in oven for 7-8 minutes, or until bubbly and browned. Sprinkle with green onions before serving.

Notes

These toasts can be made ahead of time and frozen, before the final baking step—perfect for a quick appetizer when unexpected company stops by.
Adapted from Taste of Home.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 20 Serving Size: 1 toast
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 232Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 19mgSodium: 314mgCarbohydrates: 10gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 7g

At Wholefully, we believe that good nutrition is about much more than just the numbers on the nutrition facts panel. Please use the above information as only a small part of what helps you decide what foods are nourishing for you.