Back when we lived in Philadelphia, we had a few neighborhood restaurants we frequented. One of them had the most incredible appetizer: whipped ricotta with bacon jam and toasty grilled bread and oh my gosh, it was incredible. Like I could sit there and eat the entire jar of it. Like, scraping the sides of the jar with the back of my spoon so I didn’t miss a single bit of it good.
And many nights that was my dinner.
The date nights I spent stealing Andrew’s pizza crusts so I could dip them in the whipped ricotta are some of my favorite memories of that time in our life. Plunging my spoon into that cute little jar to scoop up the smooth creamy ricotta and the intensely flavored jam and slathering over warm bread…ugh, when we moved away, I missed it so much!
So, finally 3 and a half years later, I decided I had to make it myself and share it with you.
And let me tell you, I nailed it.
Like could not stop talking about it, nailed it.
Like, I all but begged Andrew to “just try it” even though he hates ricotta – spoiler alert: he didn’t try it.
Oh my gosh it’s so good. Then I proceeded to eat it all for lunch.
Back to the original. The jam’s would change seasonally sometimes but the most frequent and my favorite jam was always the smoky bacon jam. It has just the right amount of sweetness to balance the smoky bacon flavor and the texture is so incredible with the smooth ricotta.
Whipped ricotta is so dreamy because there is really nothing to it but a little patience. Then, the jam comes together in about 20 minutes and can really be slathered on anything! 5 ingredients and you have what I would consider an indulgent
This is again, so simple and easy to make and would look adorable piled up in jars on your next brunch table or you know, for dinner tonight.
Whipped Ricotta with Caramelized Onion Bacon Jam
Creamy whipped ricotta pairs perfectly with the sweet and smoky onion and bacon jam to make the perfect topping for toast or a dip for your favorite dippers
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- 12 ounces bacon, chopped
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Whip the ricotta
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Using a hand mixer or food processor, whip the ricotta until silky smooth, creamy and fluffy about 3-5 minutes. It should look like freshly whipped cream. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Make the jam
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Add the bacon to a cold large skillet and heat stove top to medium. Allow bacon to cook until crispy, then transfer to a paper towel lined plate.
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Remove all but 1-2 tablespoons of bacon grease from skillet. Then add the onions and cook over medium low heat stirring occasionally, until caramelized, about 45 minutes.
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Add bacon, brown sugar and balsamic vinegar to the skillet and simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes. Set aside and allow mixture to cool.
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Once the onion and bacon mixture has cooled, transfer to a food processor and pulse until it starts to resemble a jammy paste. Mixture should be fairly spreadable but you should still be able to see bits of bacon in the jam. Taste jam and add pepper to taste.