This is a great little appetizer with lots of flavor and texture in one little bite. The lettuce and salty bacon give it some crunch, the basil mayonnaise is packed full of fresh flavor, and the tomato and bread fill it all out. I used whole wheat bread and a large tomato chopped up because that's what I had on hand, but I think sliced cherry tomatoes and different varieties of bread would work great for this too.
BLT Bites with Basil Mayonnaise
Note: There is a similar recipe (which originally comes from America's Test Kitchen) that calls for cutting small circles out of bread with a cookie cutter, spraying both sides with cooking spray, then toasting them under the broiler until golden brown. I just cut my bread into small rectangles and did not toast it, but I think the toasted bread would be great.
Ingredients:
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
salt and pepper
6-8 pieces of sandwich bread
6-8 slices bacon, cooked until crispy
3-5 leaves lettuce (preferably Butter lettuce)
1 large tomato (chopped into 1/2-inch pieces) or 10-20 grape tomatoes, sliced
Directions:
1. For the basil mayonnaise: Process the basil leaves, mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a food processor until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Transfer to a bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. (Basil mayonnaise can be refrigerated up to 4 days.)
2. Cut each piece of sandwich bread into 6 small rectangles (discarding the crust). Cut bacon and lettuce into similar sized pieces. Season tomatoes with salt and pepper to taste.
3, To assemble: Place a piece of lettuce on each piece of bread. Put about 1/4-1/2 teaspoon basil mayonnaise on each piece of lettuce. (Try to "cup" the basil mayo in the lettuce without letting it touch the bread to avoid the bread getting soggy.) Skewer a piece of bacon and then tomato onto the top of a toothpick, then push the bottom of the toothpick into bread/lettuce piece. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
Source: adapted slightly from Deidra S. and from www.ellenjamesrecipes.blogspot.com
