Apply Bacon Liberally (Bacon Breakfast Pizza)

I see this shirt as "Apply Bacon Liberty"....must do as shirt says.

In honor of St. Patrick's day, my friend Jan and I went out this weekend for a traditional Irish Breakfast.  Along with a nice Magners Cider we feasted on eggs, tomatoes, baked beans, blood sausage, Irish soda bread and bacon.  Alas though, the bacon, was American, not Irish.  The Irish use the loin cut, back behind the ribs, which ends up being more like our northern neighbors, the Canadians.  The first time I had it, we had been in Pasedena and found a local Irish Pub that served a traditional breakfast.  The Irish bacon they served, was amazing; simply better than most other bacon.  I haven't been able to find a decent Irish bacon since.

 "You don't know what you've got, til it's gone"...truer words were never spoken.  I'm talking about the delicious bacon breakfast pizza that my last office cafeteria made.  They recently moved my department at work to another building, one without a cafeteria.  It's been 2 whole weeks since I've had their delectibly-full-of-bacon breakfast pizza.  You couldn't bite into it without massive amounts of bacon falling off.  It was epic.  I miss it.  I was having bacon breakfast pizza withdrawal.  It's like craving Chinese or KFC.  I can usually talk myself out of it for a few days, but sooner or later you must succumb to it's siren calls.  So here's my take on breakfast pizza.  I ran out of flour yesterday, but I did have Crescent Dough in the fridge.  It was light and flaky, and I'm hoping for leftovers for tomorrow's breakfast!

 

Bacon Breakfast Pizza

Ingredients:

1 package of Crescent Roll Dough

6 slices of bacon

6 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons of butter

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Turn on  oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and immediately place bacon on a broiling pan or cooling rack over a cookie sheet and bake until bacon is done and crispy.  Approx 25 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool on a paper towel-lined plate.  Crumble and set aside.

Beat eggs, milk, salt and pepper in bowl until blended.  Heat butter in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Pour in egg mixture. As eggs begin to set, gently pull the eggs across the pan with an inverted turner, forming large soft curds.  Sprinkle in Parmesan Cheese.  Continue cooking - pulling, lifting and folding eggs - until thickened and no visible liquid egg remains. Do not stir constantly.  Remove from heat.

Lining a new cookie sheet with parchment paper or tinfoil, unroll crescent dough until you have one large rectangle, sealing the perforated edges so you have one sheet of dough.  Sprinkle 1/2 of the shredded cheddar cheese over the crescent dough.  Top with scrambled eggs, bacon pieces, and finish with the remaining cheddar cheese.

Bake pizza at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, until edges of the dough are turning golden in color.

The Great Bacon Awakening (Jack Daniels Cupcakes with Chocolate Caramel Frosting topped with Bacon)

Oscar Mayer has been hard at work, and you better prepare yourself for an awakening.  A Bacon Awakening that is...check out their newest product that they are currently beta-testing...The Bacon Alarm Clock Ap 

I'm a huge fan of Whiskey.  Especially Jack Daniels Green label.  (If you're looking for me to be more tasteful and tender, marinate me in whiskey.)  So when a friend posted this recipe on facebook, I immediately knew all I would have to do was to add bacon.  I hope that you try these out.  They are incredibly tasty.

Jack Daniels Whiskey Cupcakes with Chocolate Caramel Frosting topped with Bacon

Ingredients:

6 slices of Bacon

2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 cups brown sugar
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup strong coffee
1/2 cup Jack Daniels Whiskey
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 can of prepared frosting (I chose Chocolate Caramel)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.  Line slices of bacon on baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 17-20 minutes.  Place bacon strips on top of paper towels to drain.  Chop finely and set aside.

In a large bowl, stir the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, coffee, whiskey, buttermilk and oil. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and whisk until smooth. Spoon the mixture into prepared cupcake wrappers.

Bake for about 18-20 minutes until the tops spring back when lightly pressed. Cool completely on a wire rack.  Frost and top with chopped bacon!

Running for the (Bacon) Cure (And Bacon, Apple & Onion Stuffing in a Bacon Bowl)

Imagine being lied to as a child, and told that due to your family's predisposition to high cholesterol, your mother chose to tell you that you were allergic to Bacon.  Now.  Take that anger to which now fuels your desire for revenge, and focus it on how it would feel to taste bacon for the very first time again.  Check last week's episode of How I Met Your Mother.  And if that isn't enough for you, and you want more, check out this deleted scene I stumbled across.  (I wish all my doctor's appointments ended this way!)

Ok, some of you run.  For fun even, not because you are being chased by anything.  If you're like me, and prefer to get your cardio in other ways, would you be persuaded to run for bacon?  That's what Atlanta is doing this year on March 22, 2014, and Chicago on June 7, 2014.  Run for the Cure- The delicious brown sugar maple cure! (And St. Jude's Children's Hospital)  So if you're looking for your next 5K, and are in those areas, check it out.

It was time to test out the impulse buy. And of course I'm a sucker for  "As Seen on TV"....After careful testing, I have concluded this of the The Perfect Bacon Bowl is a win.  All future bowls need to be made of bacon, from here on out!

Bacon, Apple & Onion Stuffing in a Bacon Bowl
Ingredients:
4 slices of Bacon
1 medium apple
1 White onion
1 package of stove-top stuffing

Directions:
Roughly chop bacon and in a large saucepan, over medium heat, cook bacon until crispy.  Drain all but 1 teaspoon of bacon grease from the pan and remove bacon and set aside on a paper towel to  drain away excess grease.

Chop onion and apple into a small dice, add to 1 teaspoon of reserved bacon grease and cook until onion is translucent and apple is soft, roughly 6-8 minutes.  Remove onion and apple from pan and set aside.

Prepare stuffing as package directions state.  Fluff with a fork once stuffing is completed, and then add in the apple and onion, and sprinkle with reserved bacon.

How to make multiple bacon bowls:

Muffin tin
Aluminum foil
Rimmed baking sheet
3-4 strips of uncooked bacon per bowl

Place the muffin tin upside down on the baking sheet (be sure to choose a baking sheet that is larger than the tin to catch drippings. Cover the muffin tin cups with foil. Wrap each cup with strips of bacon, by either layering them across, wrapping them around the tins or weaving them, as instructed in the microwave bacon bowl directions. Bake at 350 F for 30 to 40 minutes or until the bacon is crisp. Once the bacon and pans have cooled, turn the muffin tin right side up to release the cups.

Bacon Fairytales: Attack of the Bacon Bowl (And the 7-Layer Magic Bacon Bars)

I had to...it was on sale...

 

What better way to share Bacon with people, but a bake sale?  I've been in the kitchen all afternoon working on 2 bacon items for tomorrow's sale.  Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies with Bacon and 7-Layer Magic Bacon Bars.  Sharing bacon makes me happy.  

 

This week's recipe is the Truly Magical 7-Layer Bacon Bars.   My only hope is that both go early during tomorrow's Bake Sale.  That's the best compliment one can receive.  

7-Layer Magic Bacon Bars
Ingredients:
5 slices of thick-cut bacon
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 6-7 full sheets)
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 1/2 cup shredded coconut
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.  Line slices of bacon on baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 17-20 minutes.  Place bacon strips on top of paper towels to drain and set aside.
   
Lower oven heat to 350.

Melt butter in a microwave-safe bowl and add graham cracker crumbs to butter and mix with a wooden spoon.

Spray a 13×9″ pan with cooking spray and spread graham cracker crumbs on the bottom.

Once bacon has cooled, break into small crumbles or pieces.  In a mixing bowl, toss the bacon, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and coconut together and spread over graham crackers.

Spread the condensed milk over the top.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until graham cracker crust is golden brown.  Allow bars to cool completely before cutting into squares and serving.

Be My Bacon Valentine (Rigatoni with Bacon and Green Onions)

There was bacon to be had this Valentine's Day!  The Food Network Magazine released it's Bacon Issue.  It's like they knew what my heart longed for.  It's chock full of useful recipes including 50 Bacon Appetizers.  I read it like the next Harry Potter Book...

This week's recipe is an adaptation from the Food Network's magazine.  Wegmans, of all places, was out of leeks.  So I picked up some green onion instead.  It's in the same family, not quite the same flavor, but sometimes you have to improvise.

Rigatoni with Bacon and Green Onion

Ingredients
Kosher Salt
12 ounces of rigatoni (or a short pasta)
6 slices of bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 bunches of green onion, green parts only, thinly sliced
Fresh ground pepper
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping

Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add the pasta and cook according to packaging.  Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water; drain the pasta.

Meanwhile, cook bacon in a pan or in the oven on a broiling pan or a cooling rack set on top of a cookie sheet, set to 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until desired crispiness. Drain on a paper towel and crumble fine.  Set aside. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the bacon grease and place in a pan.

Add the green onions and cook until warmed.  Add a little pinch of salt and pepper.  Add the heavy cream and cook until it begins to thicken, about 2 minutes.

Add the cooked pasta to the skillet along with the Parmesan cheese, 1/2 of the crumbled bacon, and another pinch of pepper; toss to coat, adding enough of the reserved pasta water to loosen.  To serve, top with the remaining bacon and more Parmesan.

Pork Chops and Bacon, My 2 Favorite Animals (Pork Cordon Bleu with Bacon and Gruyere)

 Check it out!  Science is finally backing bacon!  Of course, I've been told that I should live forever now...Study Shows Eating Bacon Will Make You Live Longer!

I don't need to announce when I'm cooking bacon.  It's almost a guarantee that on the weekend I'll be cooking bacon for some purpose or recipe to try out.  Last night, while preparing the bacon for the sinful dinner of Pork Cordon Bleu with Bacon and Gruyere, my 5-year old came into the kitchen, looked at me and asked me where the bacon was.  He said he could smell it from the living room and that I needed to give him some right away.  Uh-oh.  I think the apple fell TOO CLOSE to the tree.

Just a spin on the classic Chicken Cordon Bleu, substituting piggies for chicken.  It was exceptionally delicious and devoured in minutes!

Pork Cordon Bleu with Bacon and Gruyere

Ingredients
2 thick cut pork chops
2 slices Gruyere cheese
4 slice cooked bacon
3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
1 egg
2 tbsp milk
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions
Cook bacon in a pan or in the oven on a broiling pan or a cooling rack set on top of a cookie sheet, set to 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until desired crispiness. Drain on a paper towel and break in half.  Set aside.

Slice pork chops horizontally throughout the middle almost all the way through.  Insert slice of Gruyere cheese and 2 slices of bacon.  Seal edges with toothpick.

Combine together egg and milk in bowl large enough to dip pork chops in.  In separate bowl add Panko bread crumbs.  Salt and pepper pork chops, then lightly dust with flour.  Dip into egg mixture, immediately dip into panko bread crumbs and press the pork chops into the breadcrumbs.  Transfer to a foil-lined cookie sheet and bake in oven at 400 degrees until done. Approximately 20- 30 minutes (depends on thickness of your pork chops. Use a meat thermometer and cook until internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit).

Super-Bacon-Bowl (Bacon-Wrapped Meatballs & Chicken, Bacon and Waffle Sliders)

Happy Groundhog/Super Bowl Sunday.  6 more weeks of winter...like there's ever really another option...

Today is the day.  I've been thinking about this day for weeks.  Not because of the football.  Not (entirely) because of the commercials, but mostly because this is THE day.  The Be-All, End-All Day for Epic Snacks.  It's a Bacon-Lovers Paradise, that's what it is!  And can I let my friends down? No way!  I got this!

Today's recipes, I have a feeling, will be requested again and again.  Are you ready? Wait for it...(oh, like you don't already know if you read the blog title...play along here)...

Bacon-Wrapped Meatballs & Chicken, Bacon and Waffle Sliders

Known as MOINKs (Moo + Oink), these Bacon-wrapped Meatballs will surely be a hit.  In fact, I've already received a request for some leftovers.  The Super Bowl Party hasn't even started yet.  


Bacon Wrapped Meatballs

Ingredients
    1 bag Frozen Meatballs
    1 pound Thin Sliced Bacon
    ¼ cups Your Favorite BBQ Dry Rub
    1 cup BBQ Sauce
    Toothpicks


Directions

Defrost frozen meatballs and cut package of bacon in half.

Sprinkle bacon generously with dry rub.

Wrap each meatball with a 1/2 slice bacon, secure bacon with a toothpick, and set on a baking rack over a pan to catch bacon drippings.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until bacon is cooked the way you like it.

Brush with BBQ sauce and cook for another 5 minutes.

Let cool slightly on rack, serve warm or cold.

I ran across this below recipe on Facebook.  I've been saving the recipe for a month, just waiting to make them.  I'm drooling.

Chicken, Bacon & Waffle Sliders

Ingredients
1 box of frozen mini waffles
10 chicken tenders, cooked and chopped in half
1/2 package of bacon, cooked and divided into half
maple syrup
toothpicks

Directions

Cook bacon in a pan or in the oven on a broiling pan or a cooling rack set on top of a cookie sheet, set to 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until desired crispiness. Drain on a paper towel and break in half.  Set aside.

Slice your cooked chicken fingers into 3-4 pieces each. Break your cooked mini waffles apart.

Sandwich 1 piece of chicken topped with 2 bacon halves between 2 mini waffles. Secure with a toothpick. Drizzle with maple syrup and serve warm.