Easy microwave baked brie with apricot jam, thyme and bacon is a super fast way to make a delicious, impressive appetizer!
Today I'm bringing you another genius recipe from my Aunt Edith. She's the one behind some other favorite easy appetizers, like this hot artichoke dip and quickie crab dip. Good eats indeed!
Today it's this easy microwave baked brie that is only 4 ingredients and takes about 7 minutes to make, start to finish.
It's a serious show-stopper that you can whip out for any holiday party or get together, no matter how last minute.
It's got creamy, melty, delicious brie cheese, topped with slightly sweet apricot jam, a sprinkling of earthy fresh thyme and served with crumbled, salty bacon pieces.
So much flavor, so many textures, so completely irresistible.
And it doesn't get much faster than this for a hot, cheesy, delicious dip that will have everyone gathered around, vying for a turn.
So let's get to cooking.
Recipe Notes:
Brie: The recipe below is for a 15 oz. wheel of brie cheese to serve a crowd, but you can use a smaller one if you have fewer people. These photos are of an 8 oz. wheel, which is what I use if we have just 4-6 adults eating it as an appetizer. (Same process but it only needs about a minute in the microwave.)
Bacon: You can skip the bacon if you want this to be vegetarian. It's still delicious. You can also substitute store-bought bacon bits. (I don't care for them, but that's what my aunt's original recipe calls for.)
Garnish: I like to sprinkle this with extra slivers of dried apricots to serve, but that's because we ALWAYS have those on hand for snacking. Nature's candy!
Rewarm: You can absolutely pop this cheese back in the microwave to rewarm it as the party goes on. Same goes for leftovers. I sent some home with my mom one time and she re-used it days later and said it was fabulous.
Variations: I love this combination of flavors and highly recommend you try it. But you can also use this microwave method and change out the toppings for the "baked" brie. For instance, we love this baked brie with cranberry sauce for holiday parties.
You will want to have people pop over uninvited with this little trick in your back pocket. You'll be that flawless hostess who can whip up a delicious and elegant appetizer at a moment's notice.
And if you think I am that hostess, I'll nod and smile and hope you don't wander upstairs to see the piles of clothes outside the laundry room that I washed days ago and haven't put away yet.
Or the pile of the kids shoes and jackets I tossed onto the downstairs closet floor from their normal resting place of ALL over the kitchen.
Yup, just another real life person here.
But happy to share this trick so we can all enjoy more time with friends this holiday season. And spend less time worrying about what to make or how to get a delicious appetizer together at the last minute.
Enjoy!
XO,
Kathryn
Easy Microwave Baked Brie
Ingredients
- 1 (15 oz.) wheel of brie cheese
- ½ cup apricot jam
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, roughly chopped
- ½ cup crumbled, cooked bacon (about 5 slices)
Instructions
- Use a small paring knife to remove the top rind of the brie cheese to within ½ inch of outside edges.
- Spoon apricot jam into center circle of brie and sprinkle with chopped thyme.
- Place on a microwave-safe serving platter and microwave for 1 ½ to 2 minutes, until brie softens.
- Top with crumbled, cooked bacon and serve immediately with crackers and/or fruit.
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says
I am obsessed with brie cheese, especially during the holidays.. I mean, it's just not a holiday party without a big ole wheel of brie, right? I've never tried warming it in the microwave, so I'm completely intrigued! Such a clever idea to free up coveted oven space! I LOVE the apricot and bacon toppings, Kathryn! I could definitely eat that entire wheel!! Pinned! Cheers, friend!!
Kathryn says
Absolutely - a holiday party must have brie! And this is such a quick + easy way to whip something up! XO
Dawn @ Girl Heart Food says
Sounds like you had a lovely weekend! I love doing my nails, both toe and finger. It's relaxing and a little 'me' time which we all need 🙂
This recipe is SO perfect for the holidays when unexpected guests come over and you wanna wear your fancy pants. I would never have thought to microwave brie. How brilliant. I'm a huge lover of brie. That stuff is insanely good and you have the perfect sweet/salty/savoury combo on the go with the bacon and apricots. Good stuff! Pinned, of course. Have a wonderful week, my friend. XOXO
Kathryn says
Haha, wanna wear your fancy pants 😉 So true! XO
Tara | Treble in the Kitchen says
Brie from the microwave!? Genius!!! Pinning for my next holiday gathering 🙂
Kathryn says
Thanks Tara! It's such a useful little hack for the busy holiday season!
Karly says
I just can't seem to leave this page alone!! I mean, come on, how could anyone leave when there's microwave brie at stake! This is a game changer!
Kathryn says
Haha, thanks Karly! That melty, yummy brie is definitely hard to resist - and this makes it so quick + easy to fix! 😊