Bacon-Wrapped Cheese Toast Sticks

Bacon-wrapped cheese toast sticks are one of those ideas where completely basic ingredients turn into something that looks almost too good for so little work. The toast is flattened, filled with cheese, wrapped in bacon and sent into the oven. That is it. A kitchen trick with a very good payoff.

They are excellent for breakfast, a warm afternoon snack, a quick bite or as a savoury addition to the table when guests arrive and you want something crispy, cheesy and satisfying. The bacon gets nicely roasted on the outside, while the toast stays soft inside with melted cheese.

Crispy snack

Bacon-wrapped cheese toast sticks are a quick, crispy and very simple idea for breakfast, brunch or an afternoon snack. A few minutes of preparation, a few minutes of baking and small savoury rolls are on the table, disappearing dangerously fast.

Preparation time about 10 minutes

Baking time 4 to 5 minutes

Quantity serves 2

Ingredients

• 8 slices of toast bread
• 8 slices of smoked bacon
• 8 cheese sticks, about 1 x 1 cm thick and about 0.5 cm shorter than the side of the toast bread

Method

1. Prepare the toast bread

Trim the crusts from the toast bread if you like, although this is not necessary. Then roll each slice well with a rolling pin so it becomes thinner, more flexible and easier to roll. The toast should be thin, but not so thin that it starts tearing.

2. Add the cheese

Place one piece of cheese at the beginning of each flattened slice of toast. The cheese should be cut into a longer stick or a smaller piece, about 1 x 1 cm, so you can wrap it neatly inside the toast.

3. Roll the toast sticks

Roll the toast with the cheese tightly into a small roll. Start at the side where the cheese is placed and roll toward the end of the slice. The tighter the roll, the better it will hold its shape during baking.

4. Wrap with bacon

Wrap each toast roll with one slice of smoked bacon. Wrap the bacon around the roll in a spiral, so it hugs the toast and cheese nicely. Place the end of the bacon underneath when you put the roll on the baking tray, so it does not unwrap during baking.

5. Bake

Arrange the toast sticks on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Bake them in a preheated oven at 190 °C for about 4 to 5 minutes, or until the bacon and toast are nicely golden. For a crispier result, you can place them under the grill function for the last minute, but keep a close eye on them.

6. Serve

Serve the baked toast sticks immediately, while they are still warm and the cheese inside is soft or melted. They are excellent on their own, but you can also serve them with yoghurt sauce, ketchup, herb mayonnaise or a fresh salad.

Tip

If you want to prevent the cheese from leaking out too quickly during baking, use a cheese that melts nicely but does not become too runny. Gouda, Edam, Emmental or toast cheese are all good choices. With very soft cheeses, you will get more of a “lava effect”, which is delicious, but the baking tray will need a little extra love afterwards.