Butternut Squash & Goat Cheese Bruschetta with Bacon & Cranberries

By GadgetGirl

The goat cheese provides a tangy background to the sweetness from the squash and cranberries, and the bacon provides just enough saltiness to make this sweet and savory appetizer pure fall perfection. I’ll be making it again soon!

Ingredients

• One French Baguette, sliced and toasted
• 4 oz. goat cheese, softened
• 2 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 t. salt
• 2 slices bacon, chopped
• 1 T. olive oil
• 1 shallot, finely diced
• 1 1/2 c. butternut squash, peeled and diced
• 1/2 c. dried cranberries, roughly chopped
• 1/3 c. apple cider
• 1/2 t. dried thyme
• salt to taste

Details

Servings 8
Adapted from bonappetit.com

Preparation

Step 1

In a large, non-stick skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon, stirring often until crisp. Remove bacon pieces to drain on a paper-towel lined plate.

Add olive oil to the bacon drippings in the pan, add the shallot and cook for about 1 minute. Add the squash and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.

Add cranberries and apple cider, allow to simmer for another 5-8 minutes, until squash is fork tender.

Stir in thyme and season with salt. Remove mixture from heat and stir in bacon crumbles.
Allow the cooked squash and cranberry topping to cool to room temperature.

Using a mixer, whip together the goat cheese, cream cheese and salt.
Serve toasted baguette slices topped with a smear of the whipped goat cheese and about a tablespoon of the squash, cranberry and bacon topping.