Sourdough Baked Brie with Cranberries and Bacon
This post is sponsored by Joan Of Arc Cheese but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.
An easy, elegant appetizer perfectly suited for holiday entertaining or sharing with a loved one. This Baked Brie with Cranberries and Bacon is a pull apart bread with Joan of Arc Brie and a cranberry bacon jam.
There’s something about holiday entertaining that’s extra special. Of course, it is a time to share with our friends and family. But there’s something about it that just oozes elegance, charm and just makes everything seem fancy AF.
Today’s recipe fits in with the charm and elegance of the holiday season – it can totally hang with the prime rib on your Christmas table.
And because I know the holiday season also tends to be the busiest for us, I gotchu. You can absolutely make the jam ahead of time and just pop everything in the oven before it’s time to serve.
This baked brie is more of a pull apart bread. Grab a loaf of rustic round bread (sourdough or Italian – both are fantastic), slice the top off and trace around the wheel of brie in the center of your bread. Scoop it out (creating a bread bowl) and slice the edges into 1-2″ sections, leaving just the bottom connected.
Pro-tip: Save the bread you scooped out and tear into small, bite size pieces. Bake them with the bread bowl to use for extra dipping!
Also, when I picked up the bread I used in this recipe, it looked quite sad. It was soft and white with none of the golden crunchy crust we associate with a fabulous rustic bread. If this ever happens to you, all you need to fix it is one egg, a pastry brush and your oven.
Whisk the egg and brush a thin coat all over the parts you wish to brown, then pop it in the oven on broil for 2-5 minutes. Take it out when you get that perfectly golden crust and you’re set!
This baked brie with cranberries and bacon recipe is not only delicious, it’s the centerpiece of the table at every celebration and perfect for sharing! I hope you enjoy!
Be sure to check out Joan of Arc to see where you can find brie near you.
Until next time. X
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Sourdough Baked Brie with Cranberries and Bacon
Sourdough Baked Brie with Cranberries and Bacon
An easy, elegant appetizer perfectly suited for holiday entertaining or sharing with a loved one. This Baked Brie with Cranberries and Bacon is a pull apart bread with Joan of Arc Brie and a cranberry bacon jam.
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Ingredients
Cranberry Bacon Jam
- 4–5 slices of bacon, chopped into 1/2” pieces
- 1/2 white onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 c. light brown sugar, gently packed
- 1 tsp brewed coffee
- 1/2 c. cranberries, fresh or frozen
- 2 TB maple syrup
- 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 c. chopped walnuts
Bread Bowl
- 1 loaf round rustic bread, sourdough or Italian
- 1 wheel Joan of Arc Brie
- Italian parsley, chopped
- olive oil
Instructions
Cranberry Bacon Jam
- In a small saucepan set to medium heat, fry the chopped bacon until browned.
- Remove to drain on a paper towel lined plate and set aside.
- Reserve 1 Tbsp of the bacon grease and discard the rest (or save for later).
- Place the bacon grease back in the saucepan with the onions and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes until soft and fragrant.
- Add the brown sugar, coffee, cranberries, maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, walnuts and cooked bacon to the pot.
- Simmer over medium heat for 20-25 minutes, stirring often, until the cranberries pop and it thickens. Reduce heat to medium low if the sugars begin to burn.
- Make this jam ahead of time and refrigerate or set aside for cooking shortly.
Bread Bowl
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a sheet pan with parchment.
- Slice the dome off the top of the bread, leaving 3/4 of the bread on the bottom.
- Use the brie to measure the center of the bread and trace with a knife. Scoop out the bread and set aside.
- Cut slices around the edge of the bread in 1-2″ sections, leaving the bottom intact.
- Drizzle the olive oil over the bread, including the bottom of the “lid” – the dome you sliced off the top.
- Slice off the top of the brie and discard the rind.
- Place it in the oiled, hollowed out bread, and top with the chopped Italian parsley.
- Spoon the cranberry bacon jam over the top and then replace the top of the bread.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, until hot and melty. In the last 10 minutes of baking, add the chunks of bread scooped out to the sheet pan and bake if desired.
- To serve, remove the top of the bread and encourage your guests to rip it to shreds! Slice the top of the bread into bite size pieces for dipping.
Notes
tools
- small saucepan
- sheet pan
- parchment paper
- bread knife
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: French, American
Can regular Brie be used if the other is not available?
Yes, it can. 🙂
This was awesome!!!!
Made this for thanksgiving yesterday! Omitted the bacon as we have two vegetarians and used butter instead of the bacon grease. We also got tired and skipped out on the parsley (used a Röckenwagner rosemary olive oil loaf anyway so we weren’t short on flavor). It was delicious! We had to pop it back in the oven for a bit because the brie wasn’t quite melty enough, but it was gone in minutes.
This looks like the perfect holiday appetizer!
Thank you Aileen! 😀