You are only a few ingredients away from cheesy-pastry goodness! These Cheesy Bacon Puff Pastry Appetizers are perfect as a game-day appetizer or after-school snack. They are super easy and deliciously cheesy. Originally published August 21, 2015.
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Today I brought Truman in to the doctor for his immunizations. It was just one shot, and he cried, of course, for a few seconds. Then they gave him a lollipop, and he was fine.
But as we’re walking out a minute later, he walked straight into the wall and hit his head on the doorframe. Kid was bawling for like 3 minutes, and suddenly I’m (yet again) THAT parent who is laughing while their kid is crying.
Don’t worry, I really do love my kids, but seeing a tiny human walk into a wall while pathetically sucking on a lollipop IS kind of funny.
It reminds me of the time Charlotte fell into the washing machine. No joke. She was totally fine, and I was with her the whole time. But man, motherhood really does keep you on your toes. 😂
I have a whole theory about laughing vs. crying as a coping tactic for moms. See this post wherein Charlotte falls off a stool, or the one where I accidentally squirted water in her face and she cried. Laughing beats crying almost every time for me, which probably makes the nurses at the doctor’s office think I’m a total maniac. I’m sure I’m on their list.
Try these for your next party
Who’s ready for football?? *Cue laughter* I am not one of those people who understands football, so the phenomenon does very little for me, but one thing I do understand is food, and game-day food has its own special place in my heart, especially when there is cheesy bacon ranch involved.
These little puffs include everything you need in a perfect appetizer: fast, easy, cheesy, carb-y, bacon-y, and delicious, served both warm and at room temperature. Win!
Featured Comment
“I have made these for our New Year’s Eve party for the past 5 years, and everyone loves them!! They’re so good fresh, still good after sitting out a while on the counter, and delicious reheated the next day (if there are even any leftovers!).” – Casey
Key ingredients
- Puff pastry. Have you ever tried to make puff pastry? Just… don´t. Buy it frozen and save yourself the headache.
- I use cheddar cheese, but you could also use Monterey Jack, Gruyere, or mozzarella. Whatever you have on hand will work.
How to make these cheesy bacon puff pastry appetizers
You guys. These are sooooooo easy.
Start by taking your cream cheese out of the fridge and let it sit out on the counter for about 30 minutes. Soft cream cheese is so much easier to mix, and nobody wants to wrestle with a cold brick of dairy.
While that’s softening, cook up your bacon until it’s nice and crispy. You can chop it before you cook it or crumble it afterward; it really doesn’t matter. Just make sure the pieces are pretty small so you get little bits of bacon in every single bite. (As it should be.)
Once the cream cheese is soft, stir in the ranch seasoning and then fold in the bacon. If you’re a ranch fanatic (hi, welcome), feel free to add another sprinkle of seasoning. There are no ranch police here.
Unfold the puff pastry onto a lightly floured countertop. It doesn’t need a full-on rolling session, but give it a few passes with a rolling pin (or just press it out gently with your hands) until it’s roughly a 10-inch square. Grab a pizza cutter and cut the pastry into 36 little squares.
Spray a mini muffin pan with nonstick spray, then place two pastry squares into each muffin cup, turning the second one so the corners don’t line up with the first. It’ll look a little like a flaky star, and those overlapping corners get wonderfully crisp in the oven.
Now pile in that bacon-ranch filling. Don’t be shy! These are appetizer bites, and nobody wants a skimpy appetizer. Finish each one with a generous pinch of shredded cheddar.
Bake until the pastry is puffed and golden and the cheese is starting to bubble. They come out lava-hot, so give them a minute or two to cool before digging in. These are at their absolute best warm, when the filling is creamy, and the pastry is impossibly buttery and flaky.
How to reheat leftovers
To reheat, skip the microwave if you can as it makes the puff pastry soft instead of crisp. A few minutes in a 350-degree F oven or even an air fryer for 3 to 5 minutes will bring them right back to life.
Can I freeze these puff pastry bites?
Yes! You can absolutely freeze these! Let the bites cool completely, then place them on a baking sheet and freeze until solid before transferring them to a freezer-safe zip-top bag or airtight container. They’ll keep well for up to 2 months. Reheat straight from frozen in a 350-degree F oven for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until they’re heated through and the pastry is crisp again. They’re perfect for making ahead before the holidays, game day, or any party where you want one less thing to think about.
Cheesy Bacon Puff Pastry Appetizer
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 pound bacon, chopped
- 1 teaspoon Ranch seasoning, or to taste
- 1 sheet Puff Pastry, half a package, thawed
- 3/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- green onions, to garnish
Instructions
- Set the cream cheese on the counter to soften for at least 1/2 hour.
- Meanwhile, cook the bacon until crisp. You can crumble it after you cook it or chop it before. You want the pieces to be pretty small.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Add ranch seasoning to the cream cheese. Add the bacon and stir well. Taste it, and add more ranch if you want.
- Unfold the puff pastry onto a lightly floured surface. Use your hands or a rolling pin to flatten it out a bit. You want it to be about 10 inches square.
- Use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into 36 squares (see photos).
- Coat a mini muffin pan with nonstick spray. Add two squares of dough to each muffin hole, making sure that the squares are offset (see photos)
- Use two spoons to fill each puff with the cream cheese mixture. You can be pretty generous in filling them.
- Top with cheddar cheese.
- Bake at 400 for 9-12 minutes, or until the cheese barely starts to brown.
Nutrition
More bacon appetizer ideas
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These were a hit! I made them for a pool party, i didn’t have a mini muffin tin, i did one square of puff pastry in a regular pan, and I added jalepenos. Everyone devoured them and asked about the recipe. I will make these again !
OoOoh jalapens Hailey! You’re a genius! And good hack with the shaping on a regular pan. Thanks for sharing your tips!!
Bahaha – I think if you laugh the kid is more likely to not realize that they should be crying, right? (DOES THAT WORK?!). Laugh, shove bacon ranch puff in their face…keep laughing.
I have made these for our New Years Eve party the past 5 years and everyone loves them!! They’re so good fresh, still good after sitting out a while on the counter, and delicious reheated the next day (if there are even any left over!)
Omg Casey I love this!! I’m so happy you are loving this recipe! Thank you for all the tips and tricks, that’s super helpful!