Mary Vickers Recipe

If you’ve ever walked into a proper southern gathering — and by gathering, I mean a loud, laughing, elbow-to-elbow kind of thing — chances are you’ve been handed a warm, cheesy, crispy little square that stopped you mid-sentence. That's Mary Vickers’ Appetizer. It’s not fancy food. It’s home food. And trust me, once you've had it fresh from a real oven, you’ll spend the rest of your life trying to recreate that first, perfect bite.

I’ve been baking these little beauties since my first church picnic in Beauford back in '89. Back then, my Aunt Vi would line up three trays before the noon bell, and I swear, they were gone before the choir finished the first chorus.

Over the years, I’ve tweaked, twisted, and frankly, overstuffed versions of this appetizer, but I always come back to Mary’s original idea: simple, rich, unforgettable.

Let’s roll up our sleeves.

What Exactly Is the Mary Vickers Appetizer?

At its heart, Mary Vickers Appetizer is a humble white bread strip, crusts shaved off neatly, slathered in a bacon-cheese-almond-mayo mix, and baked until you get that dreamland crossroad of gooey inside and toasty outside.

You might hear folks call it things like:

• "Cheddar almond toast squares"
• "Bacon cheese bites"
• "Southern baked cheese appetizers"
• "Those crazy good cheesy things"

And no matter what they call it — they all mean this recipe.

What Makes the Mary Vickers Appetizer Special?

• Texture: That first bite gives you a toasty crunch followed immediately by a melty bacon-cheddar hug.
• Flavor: Rich, smoky bacon, sharp cheddar, creamy mayonnaise, and the surprise nutty snap of slivered almonds.
• Make-Ahead Magic: They freeze like a dream. Assemble them, tuck them away, and pull out trays of instant greatness whenever the doorbell rings.
• Crowd Control: You’ll never have leftovers. Period.

I once made 96 pieces for a town hall potluck. Ninety. Six. Came home with not one crumb.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Here’s what you’ll want close by:

• Thinly sliced white sandwich bread (soft but not gummy)
• Sharp cheddar cheese (go bold — mild cheddar just tastes sleepy here)
• Bacon (cooked crisp, crumbled fine)
• Onion (tiny chop — don’t get lazy here or you’ll get soggy bits)
• Real mayonnaise (no miracle whip nonsense)
• Slivered almonds (the skinny kind that toast up like a dream)

A word on the bread: you need something cheap but sturdy. Think grocery store house brand, not an artisanal brioche that’ll fall apart on you.

How to Make Mary Vickers Appetizer (Like You Mean It)

You don’t need fancy gadgets here. Heck, Aunt Vi used to mix hers in an old blue Pyrex with a wooden spoon. Here’s how it goes down:

1. Preheat your oven to a hot, roaring 400°F.
2. In a big bowl, stir the cheddar, bacon, onion, mayonnaise, and almonds together till it looks like the inside of a sinful sandwich.
3. Trim the crusts off your bread. You can feed ‘em to the birds or your neighbor’s goats if you’re feeling neighborly.
4. Slather the mixture thick across each slice. No stingy thin spreads. Be generous — like it’s payday.
5. Cut the bread slices into strips or triangles — your call.
6. Arrange them on an ungreased baking sheet.
7. Bake for 10 minutes or until you see golden, bubbly goodness and smell that bacon lifting the roof off your house.

Servings

One standard loaf of white bread yields about 24 to 30 pieces depending on how greedy you get with cutting. I say cut triangles if you’re trying to stretch them. Cut strips if you’re feeding folks you love and don’t care if they eat half the tray themselves.

Tips and Tricks That Make All the Difference

• Freeze First: After assembling, freeze the appetizers flat on a sheet. Once frozen, bag 'em. Bake straight from frozen at 400°F — just add 2–3 minutes.
• Shred Your Own Cheese: Pre-shredded bags are dusted with cellulose and won't melt right. Take the extra 2 minutes to shred it yourself. Your future self will high-five you.
• Thin Bread Only: Thick bread throws off the cheese-to-crunch ratio. Think light sandwich bread, not your artisan sourdough.
• Fine Chop the Onions: Big chunks of onion won't cook through fast enough and leave harsh bites. Chop ‘em small enough that they practically melt into the cheese.

Swaps and Substitutions (and Why They Matter)

Look, life happens. Maybe you forgot something at the store. Maybe you’re cooking in a cabin with whatever you could haul up the mountain. Here’s what you can swap — but know the risks:

• Bread: Rye slices add tang but lose a little in the crispy department.
• Cheese: Monterey Jack works if you want mild and melty, but you'll miss that cheddar zing.
• Bacon: Turkey bacon works, but you’ll lose some richness. Add a pinch of smoked paprika to make up for it.
• Mayonnaise: No substitute. Period. If you’re out, you can try sour cream in a pinch, but it won't be the same.

How to Upgrade Mary Vickers Appetizer Without Ruining It

Tinker carefully, my friend. This recipe’s like a good country porch — improve it too much and you might just break it.

• Spicy Touch: Toss a few dashes of hot sauce into the mayo mixture.
• Herbaceous Lift: Finely chop a little fresh chive or parsley into the mix.
• Sweet Contrast: Drizzle a whisper of hot honey across the tops after baking.
• Extra Crunch: Add a sprinkle of crushed potato chips on top before baking for the over-the-top crunch lovers.

Serving Ideas

• Serve Hot: These bad boys don't wait. Right off the pan and into your face is the way.
• Pair With: Cold beer, sweet tea, or an icy gin and tonic.
• Plating: Stack ‘em loose on a rustic platter lined with a clean dishtowel. No fussy rows. Let them tumble into each other like cousins at a family reunion.

FAQs About Mary Vickers Appetizer

Can you make Mary Vickers Appetizer ahead of time?
Absolutely. I assemble and freeze them all the time. Life’s too short to be frantically scooping mayo at party o'clock.

Can I make these without almonds?
Sure, but they lose that nutty snap that makes people close their eyes when they chew.

Can I air-fry them?
You can try, but baking gives that perfect gentle browning. Air fryers tend to dry out the bread before the cheese even has time to sing.

How long will they last once baked?
Good luck having any left. Technically, they’ll keep about a day in an airtight container. Reheat at 375°F for 5 minutes to refresh.

Do they freeze well before or after baking?
Freeze them before baking. You want that fresh, hot-baked magic at serving time.

Remarks

I could sit here till sundown telling you how this little appetizer made me more friends than a whole trunkload of pound cakes. I could tell you how once, at the Carter wedding, I caught old man Winslow sneaking a dozen into his jacket pocket. (He said they were for "later" — sure, buddy.)

What I’m trying to say is: food like this doesn’t just feed a body. It feeds stories, memories, the whole damn soul of a place.

So don’t you dare call these just another cheese toast.
This is Mary Vickers Appetizer — simple food, made well, eaten laughing.

And if you ever show up at my back door with a pan of these still warm, you best believe you’re staying for supper.