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Savory French Toast Bites with Bacon, Tomato & Cheese Recipe

Every year, I look forward to the Christmas cocktail party season with great anticipation. Of course, I enjoy donning a fancy outfit and being merry with my friends. However, I fully admit that I can not wait to sample all of the appetizers. Lots of little tastes and a multitude of flavor combinations all in one place is enough to make anyone turn their Scrooge face upside down. Some of our favorite hors d'oeuvres to serve and consume are Smoked Salmon & Horseradish Mascarpone in Wonton Cups; Prosciutto, Goat Cheese & Cherry Jam Rolls; and Artichoke & Hazelnut Pesto Dip/Spread. However, I am always on the look-out for new ideas for bites-sized savory treats.

This recipe was inspired by one that I found in my favorite hors d'oeuvres book, Martha Stewart's Hors D'Oeuvres Handbook. The first half of the book is nothing but beautiful photographs of the hundreds of appetizer ideas. I used her brioche French toast idea and changed the flavors to suit my whims (and pantry selection). I used French bread because brioche was not easy to find, but challah bread would work very nicely, too. Miniature pillows of warm bread are topped with bacon, tomatoes, green onions, and two types of cheese. They are small enough to pop into your mouth in one bite, but this would work beautifully as a brunch dish if you prefer not to cut the French toast into rounds.

The French toast bites recipe:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter the bottom and sides of a 13- by 9-inch baking dish.

Cook bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towel. Crumble and set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. Stir the flour mixture into the add mixture, then stir in cheeses.

Dip thick pieces of dense white bread - I used French bread, but brioche would be even better - one at a time, into the egg mixture until saturated. Arrange the pieces of bread in a single layer in the prepared baking dish.

Stir chopped tomato, crumbled bacon, and sliced green onion into the remaining egg mixture and pour evenly over top of the bread.

Bake the French toast until golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Let the French toast rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Using a 1 ½ inch round biscuit or cookie cutter, cut out rounds of the French toast.

Garnish with extra slices of green onion. Arrange on a platter and serve immediately.

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