Get game day ready with this tasty appetizer! These Fried Green Tomato and Bourbon BBQ Crostini are perfect for a crowd-friendly basketball treat.

Name: Fried Green Tomato and Bourbon BBQ Crostini
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cup bourbon; 1 cup finely chopped onion; 1/2 cup water; 1/4 cup brown sugar; 1 ½ cups ketchup; 2 tablespoons tomato paste; 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar; 4 tablespoons molasses; 1/8 cup Worcestershire sauce; ½ teaspoon liquid smoke; 1 12 oz Container Curly’s Sauceless Pulled Pork; 2 large green tomatoes; Kosher salt; Freshly ground black pepper; 1 cup all-purpose flour; 2 large eggs; 2 tablespoons buttermilk; 3 cups panko Japanese-style breadcrumbs; 1-2 cups canola oil, for frying

Ask anyone from Kentucky what ingredient most closely represents our state and the answer you will get 100% of the time is bourbon. That’s why, for the current basketball season, I decided to share these Fried Green Tomato & Bourbon BBQ Crostini using Curly’s Sauceless Pulled Pork!

Another thing you may or may not know about Kentucky is that we’re all basketball-crazy people. Every year, we countdown the days until our teams are battling it out for the title. You see, we’re a big college basketball rival state, with half of the commonwealth devoted to the Kentucky Wildcats and the other half loyal to the Louisville Cardinals. To say that there are many homes that are divided would be an understatement. This means that parties are absolutely essential on game days. There has to be plenty of food, most of those being appetizers that you can hold in one hand so you can cheer with the other. It’s a science. These crostini are the perfect dish for representing our southern roots with a fun flair.

To save me a ton of time, I opted to use Curly’s Sauceless Pulled Pork instead of slaving over the oven to make my own. This way, I was able to create my own bourbon-spiked bbq sauce that everyone loves! I love Curly’s Sauceless Pulled Pork because it allows you to be creative with your sauces however you want. If you didn’t want to use your own sauce, you could also substitute one of Curly’s many delicious varieties of BBQ products. You can find the Curly’s Sauceless Pulled Pork as well as the other selections in the refrigerated meat case in your local grocery store! I always pick mine up at Kroger, but you can visit their website to see where you can purchase it closest to you!

One-Pot Cheesy Tortellini and Burnt Ends Bake!

Makes 12

Fried Green Tomato and Bourbon BBQ Crostini

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Ingredients

For the tomatoes

2 large green tomatoes
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons buttermilk
3 cups panko Japanese-style breadcrumbs
1-2 cups canola oil, for frying

For the Bourbon BBQ

1 cup bourbon
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 ½ cups ketchup
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons molasses
1/8 cup Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon liquid smoke
1 12 oz Container Curly’s Sauceless Pulled Pork

Instructions

For the tomatoes
Trim off the top and bottoms of the tomatoes and discard. Slice tomato into ¼-inch thick slices. Season tomato slices on both sides with salt and pepper. Set aside.
In a shallow dish or pie pan, add the flour. In a second shallow dish, whisk together the eggs and buttermilk until blended.
Spread the panko breadcrumbs in a third shallow dish.
Working with one tomato slice at a time, dip the tomato slices into the flour to coat evenly, shaking off the excess. Then, dip into the egg mixture, letting the excess drip back onto the dish. Then coat the tomato slices in the panko breadcrumbs, patting firmly to help the breadcrumbs adhere.
Heat 1 cup oil in a 10-inch non-stick or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Working in batches if necessary, carefully place tomatoes into the heated oil in a single layer. Cook until the undersides are golden brown, about 2 minutes. Turn the slices and fry until the other sides are browned, about 2 minutes more, adding more oil to the pan as necessary. Drain the fried tomatoes on paper towels.
For the Bourbon BBQ Sauce
In a 4-quart saucepan, bring the bourbon to a boil with the minced onions and simmer for five to ten minutes. Most of the bourbon will have evaporated at this point, leaving about two tablespoons of liquid and the onions.
Add the water and all of the other ingredients into the pan with the onions, heat, and simmer for 10-15 minutes until you reach a thick and smooth consistency.
Pour all of the ingredients into a high-powered blender and blend until smooth. Return to the pan you were cooking the sauce in.
Add the Curly’s Sauceless Pulled Pork to the pan and use a wooden spoon to break it up. Simmer over medium heat until the pulled pork is warmed through and the sauce is evenly distributed.
To Assemble
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a baking sheet with foil and place the baguette slices in an even layer. Brush the baguette slices on both sides with olive oil. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.
To serve, take one cooled baguette slice and top with a fried green tomato. Top with a spoonful of bourbon BBQ pulled pork and finish with a sprinkle of chopped parsley. Serve immediately.