Mini Bacon Basil Tomato Bites: A Great Low-Carb App

Mini Bacon Basil Tomato Bites are a delicious small bite reminiscent of a traditional BLT sandwich. They’re sure to be a hit at your next party.

Wedding Inspiration for Mini Bacon Basil Tomato Bites

Our youngest daughter had a wonderful wedding with great food and a lot of dancing! It was a great day, the guests had a lot of fun and we were so happy for her and her new husband.

And, after the ceremony and before we sat down for the dinner and our main course, we did have a cocktail hour.

The cocktail hour was highlighted with several kinds of passed hors d’oeuvres. There were crab-stuffed mushrooms, spring rolls, crostinis – just one delicious appetizer after another.

The first time the appetizers were passed around, I missed this one particular dish. Upon the second sweep through the room, I saw one of the passed hors d’oeuvres that looked like a caprese appetizer. There were tiny tomatoes cut in half and what could have been mini mozzarella cheese balls stuffed inside.

Imagine my surprise when I found out they weren’t a caprese salad appetizer, but were small ripe tomatoes filled with a mixture of mayo and bacon. So, what I thought was something based on a caprese salad ended up being a great appetizer that tasted just like a BLT.

I was sold! These were fun mini bacon basil tomato bites, they were delicious, and I knew I had to recreate the them when I got home (of course, after recovering from all the wedding fun!). I thought they would be a terrific party food for most any occasion.

Making the Mini Bacon Basil Tomato Bites

Making these delicious little bites is actually very easy. It starts by slicing cherry tomatoes in half and scraping out the seeds. You basically want to make little tomato cups.

For best results, you want your tomatoes at room temperature. This will make it easier to scoop out the seeds.

Now, it’s time to fry up some bacon. You definitely want crispy bacon as it is easier to crumble and/or mince. Put that aside on a paper towel until ready to use.

Once your bacon is ready, you mix that together with the mayo and pepper. Place your tomatoes in a single layer on a serving platter and start spooning the mayo mixture into the tomato cups you created. You want just the right amount of filling so it just comes up over the top of the tomato.

To finish everything off, thinly slice some fresh basil leaves and sprinkle over the top of each tomato. You can cover with plastic wrap until ready to serve.

These will now be one of my go-to party appetizers!

Enjoy!

Tips and Tricks

• Make sure to use cherry tomatoes rather than grape tomatoes. Grape tomatoes are not large enough for this recipe.
• It’s important to slice a small amount off the the top and bottom of the tomatoes so that they will stand upright on the serving platter.
• You can also prep the tomatoes ahead of time and assemble shortly before you’re ready to serve them.
• To make this recipe even quicker to put together, you can use pre-cooked bacon. You should be able to find this at your regular grocery store. Just heat it up and crumble as instructed below.

Ingredients Needed to Make Mini Basil Bacon Tomato Bites

Full instructions can be found below in the printable recipe card

• Cherry tomatoes – These are the perfect size for this appetizer. Grape tomatoes are too small.
• Mayonnaise
• Cooked and finely crumbled bacon
• Black pepper
• Fresh basil leaves – I highly recommend fresh vs. dried. It is so much more flavorful.

How to Make Mini Basil Bacon Tomato Bites

• Slice a small amount off of the bottom and top of the tomatoes so they will stand up.
• Then slice tomatoes in half crosswise.
• Scoop out seeds with a spoon and place on a platter, cut side up.
• In a small bowl, mix together mayo, bacon and pepper.
• Stack basil leaves on top of each other and roll tightly together lengthwise.
• Cut basil roll crosswise into very thin strips.
• Spoon 1/2 tsp of mayo mixture on top of each tomato half.
• Sprinkle basil strips evenly over the top of the tomatoes.

Here are a Few Other Little Party Bites to Try

• Italian Style Baked Zucchini Chips
• Classic Tuna Salad Deviled Eggs
• Asian Meatballs
• Cheddar Puff Pastry Bratwurst Bites
• Chicken and Waffle Bites
• Savory and Cheesy Baked Parmesan Puffs

ENJOY!