Bacon Belting (And Naan Bacon Pizza)

After a night out, I ended up at a bar 2 blocks from home.  I now know I am in the right neighborhood as I am living with like-minded people.  I am sure it wasn't just the beer talking, but the Bacon Dogger sounded fantastic.  (I saw this, of course, AFTER I had ordered.)  The Rammer (..."I don't even know her") and the Slim Jim (..."that's what she said") also are on my list.  I think it's now a little dangerous that I live only 2 blocks away...

Pinterest is a great site that can give you inspiration for a project, recipe, or just about anything you are avoiding work to look at.  Bacon Duck Tape exists!  Not only does it exist, but I use it (::shock::) whenever I can.  I use it in batching up bacon treats for others, when packaging my homemade bacon or any repair around the house.  This week I found inspiration on making a Bacon Belt.  Huh.  I can do that....so I did.  Took me less than 10 minutes...Check out the directions here.  Now I'll really be cool with my bacon t-shirts and bacon belt (...she tells herself).

When friends visit, I'm obligated to make something new and interesting.  However, everything I wanted to make required an ingredient I didn't have, cause low and behold, it was the day before I was going grocery shopping.  So this was thrown together, with ingredients I had on hand.

Non (Naan) Bacon Pizza
Ingredients:

1 pkg of Naan Bread
6 slices of Bacon, diced
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup parmesean cheese
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1-2 tsps extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat
oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until cooked but not crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove to paper towels to drain.

Place naan on a large cookie sheet.  Brush with olive oil.  Sprinkle onion and garlic powder, basil and oregano on the bread.  Top with Parmesan cheese, then cheddar cheese and then finish with bacon.

Bake for 5-8 minutes or until cheese has melted and desired crispness of bread has been met.

I Love Mom, More Than Bacon (Bacon Pull-Apart Bread)

I hope you all have reasons to celebrate your mothers today.  For me, I had a bacon-filled weekend and a wonderful morning full of hand-crafted Kindergarten presents, flowers and a nice dinner to look forward to.  Most importantly, it's a dinner I won't have to cook.

I had some great friends come over a couple nights ago for a long-planned game night.  I couldn't disappoint them, so I whipped up some Bacon Pull-Apart Bread.  They didn't want to disappoint me, and they brought the best Bacon Rice Krispy Treats I have had in a long time.  It was a night full of laughs, drinks, card playing, and Bacon.  What more could I ask for?

 

Bacon Pull-Apart Bread

Ingredients

12 bacon strips, diced
2 tubes (12 ounces each) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 tablespoon Italian salad dressing mix
2 teaspoons olive oil

Directions

In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until cooked but not crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove to paper towels to drain. Separate biscuits; cut each biscuit into quarters.

In a large bowl, combine the cheese, dressing mix, oil and bacon. Place half of the biscuit pieces in a greased 10-in. fluted tube pan; sprinkle with half of the cheese mixture. Top with remaining biscuit pieces and cheese mixture.

Bake at 375° for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes. 

Things That Should Not Be (Pasta Carbonara)

Correct me if I am wrong, but companies that claim their product tastes like something, it should actually taste like the flavor they are claiming.  It's just another example of the almighty bacon, and it's unending power of luring consumers in.  It is my duty, as a patron to all that is Bacon, to make this Public Service Announcement...Pringles Bacon flavored chips, do not, I repeat, DO NOT taste like Bacon!

As you can see, no where in the ever-lengthening list of ingredients does it list bacon of any sort.  Coffee is listed, but not delicious meat candy.  Fail.

 

This week's recipe came from a glorious 3/4 pounds of fresh-sliced Italian Herbs Bacon, that came from a local deli.  I mentioned it to a friend and fellow baconphile and he suggested Poor Man's Pasta, and walked me through it.  I thought it was delicious.  And I was picking pieces of  crisped bacon out of the bottom of the pan, once it was gone.

Pasta Carbonara

Ingredients
12 ounce preferred pasta, I used angel hair
3 large egg yolks
1/2 cup(s) grated Parmesan or Romano,  plus more for sprinkling
6 ounce(s) sliced bacon (7 slices),  cut into 1/4-in. pieces

Directions

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Reserve 3/4 cup of the cooking water and drain the pasta.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, Parmesan, and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper. Gradually whisk in 1/4 cup of the warm reserved cooking liquid.

Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the pasta to the skillet and toss to coat.

Transfer the pasta and bacon to the bowl with the egg mixture and toss until the noodles are coated (if the mixture seems dry, stir in additional reserved pasta water 2 Tbsp at a time). Serve immediately and sprinkle with additional Parmesan and pepper, if desired.