Cheese Straws with Bacon (Canadian)

canadian-cheesestrawsbacon Cheese straws are a classic appetizer. This simple take uses frozen puff pastry and Canadian Bacon. Better make a double recipe.

1 sheet frozen puff pastry
½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
½ cup Gruyère cheese, freshly grated
1/8 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
½ cup Canadian Bacon, minced
1 tsp. poppy seeds (optional)
¼ tsp. coarse sea salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper, freshly cracked
fresh herbs, such as parsley, basil or rosemary, minced (optional)

To Serve:
Honey Mustard Dip

To thaw frozen puff pastry, let sit in refrigerator overnight or on counter for 30-60 minutes.

In small bowl, combine parmesan, shredded cheese and cayenne pepper. Sprinkle working surface with cheese mixture; place puff pastry sheet on top. Roll puff pastry to 10x13" rectangle. Rolling dough will press puff pastry into cheese mixture.

Sprinkle top of puff pastry with minced Canadian Bacon, poppy seeds and salt then gently roll dough with rolling pin so Canadian Bacon, poppy seeds and salt are slightly pressed into dough.

Use pastry or pizza cutter to cut puff pastry into ¾" strips, trimming edges.

Carefully pick up each end of pastry strip and twist in opposite directions into a "straw" or tight corkscrew shape. Place cheese straws on prepared baking sheet 1" apart. Repeat until all straws are made. Transfer trays to refrigerator for 15 minutes. Adjust one oven rack to upper-middle and one to lower-middle.

Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C/200°C fan, Gas Mark 7). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats.

After cheese straws have chilled, transfer baking sheets to oven and bake 8-13 minutes or until golden brown and puffed. Switch and rotate trays halfway through baking.

Let cooked cheese straws cool on baking sheet. If desired, serve with honey mustard sauce or dip of your choice.

Cooled cheese straws can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days. If desired, reheat, uncovered, in 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4) oven for 5 minutes before serving.

Cook's Notes:

To Bake Later: wrap each baking sheet tightly with plastic wrap - refrigerate for up to 3 days.
To Freeze and Bake Later: cover baking sheets with plastic wrap and two layers of aluminum foil. Transfer baking sheets to freezer for up to 1 month. When ready to bake, thaw on trays, still covered, on counter for about 2 hours, bake as directed.