Prescription Bacon and Bacon Dryer Sheets (Herbed Chicken and Tomatoes with Bacon)

This has been a crazy week.  Long hours at work, and not enough hours at home.  I'm tired, and cranky.  But you know what?... Bacon helps with that!  Bacon is a natural mood enhancer that helps encourage positive mental states. The umami, or savory taste in bacon is an addictive substance that can have a neurological effect on the brain.  A piece of bacon can help enhance mood and reduce stress levels within a short period of time.  I guess I just haven't had enough bacon this week...

Want your laundry to smell like Bacon?  Mine usually smells like bacon BEFORE I wash it... Sure it's a gag gift, but the joke's on them, I'd actually give it a whirl...Check it out here.

This weeks' recipe I found in a magazine devoted to Bacon, but a las, the recipe didn't have bacon in it...what's a girl to do?  Add Bacon, of course.

Herbed Chicken with Tomatoes and Bacon
Ingredients
4-6 slices of Bacon
8 ounces pasta, I used Rigatoni
1 1/2 teaspoons Basil Leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon Rosemary
3 tablespoons flour, divided 
1 1/2 pounds thin-sliced boneless skinless chicken breasts 
2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided 
1 small onion, finely chopped 
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) petite diced tomatoes, drained 
1 1/2 cups Chicken stock or broth
2 tablespoons fat free half-and-half or Milk

Directions
For the Bacon: 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. 

Cook pasta as directed on package. Drain well. Meanwhile, mix seasonings in shallow dish. Reserve 2 teaspoons. Stir 2 tablespoons of the flour into remaining seasoning mixture in dish. Coat chicken in seasoned flour. Discard any remaining seasoned flour. 

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in large nonstick skillet on medium heat. Add chicken in batches; cook 2 minutes per side or until golden brown and cooked through. Add additional 1 tablespoon oil as needed. Remove chicken from skillet; keep warm. 

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in skillet. Add onion; cook and stir 3 minutes or until softened. Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon flour. Add tomatoes, stock and reserved seasoning mixture; bring to boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 5 minutes. Stir in half-and –half or milk. Return chicken to skillet and add crumbled bacon; cook until heated through. Serve with pasta.

Bubba Bacon & Bacon Sprinkles (Oreo, Peanut Butter and Bacon Brownie Cupcakes)

I was watching "Forest Gump" last week and I got to thinking...I'm Bubba.  Much like Bubba loved himself some shrimp, I couldn't think of living without Bacon.  I must sound like a broken record to my friends and family, but I love the meat candy so much and it is so versatile.  I can make anything with bacon.  Bacon Brownies, Bacon Bread, Bacon Bourbon, Bacon Pizza, Bacon Eggrolls, Bacon Monkey Bread, Bacon Cookies, Bacon Shrimp, Bacon Meatballs, Bacon Pancakes...the list will keep going...

 

My AWESOME friend Jan found this sign for me on her last vacation.  It will be the first sign in my dream - a bacon business.  Love it!  Thanks again Jan!

What's missing from the Ice Cream topping market?  Are you thinking Bacon Sprinkles?!?  Well, this little Dutch Company was, and can you blame them?  They have a little kickstarter campaign, check them out....here.

This week's recipe came as a suggestion made by a family member...something along the lines of "....I bet you can add Bacon to these..." Challenge Accepted Scott.

Oreo, Peanut Butter and Bacon Brownie Cupcakes

Ingredients

1 box brownie mix, 8×8 inch size
24 Oreo Cookies
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
3 slices of bacon, cooked, quartered


Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place bacon on a broiler pan, or cooling rack over a cookie sheet and cook bacon 15-25 minutes or until desired crispiness.  Remove bacon from pan and drain on paper towels.  Quarter each slice of bacon.

Line a 12 muffin cup baker with paper liners.

Prepare brownie mix according to package directions. For each cupcake cup spread 1 teaspoon of peanut butter over 2 Oreo cookies.  Place a slice of bacon on top of one of the oreos and then stack the other oreo on top of the bacon. Spoon 2 Tablespoons of brownie batter over each stacked oreos and let it run down the sides of the cookies.  Bake brownies for 18 to 20 minutes, until brownies are cooked through. Let cool completely then serve.

Makes 12 servings

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.

Johnny Wants Bacon (French Toast Napoleon With Grilled Bananas, Bacon and Nutella with Maple Rum Syrup)

One of my friends told me about Ritz new product, Bacon flavored Ritz. Not only are the smoky with a black pepper kick, they were also really good in crumb form, over the Macaroni and Cheese I made as a side for dinner last night. *Note: There’s no actual bacon in the new cracker, just the essence of bacon via a dry seasoning blend.

I have a Bacon-a-Day desktop calendar (I know, shocking, right?).  In a Bacon Cook-Off Challenge, the winning recipe was French Toast Napoleon, made with rum, and topped with Nutella, grilled bananas, artisanal bacon and whipped cream.  No recipe was included, so I had free reign to experiment.  It was later described as "I will not lie. It was flavor carnival in my mouth!".  (Yes! I was the one who described it!  When am I wrong about Bacon?)

French Toast Napoleon With Grilled Bananas, Bacon and Nutella with Maple Rum Syrup

Ingredients:
6-8 slices of bacon
4 eggs
1 cup half and half (or milk)
1 tbsp vanilla
3/4 tsp cinnamon
4 slices thick cut bread
1/4 cup melted butter
3 cups sliced bananas
1 cup whipped cream
1 jar of Nutella
1 cup maple syrup
1 shot of rum


Directions:
For the Bacon: 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.
For the egg batter: Put the Eggs, half and half (or milk), vanilla and cinnamon into a bowl and whisk until smooth.
For bananas: Heat grill or broiler to medium and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Slice bananas in half lengthwise and sprinkle with cinnamon. Grill for 4 minutes on each side until marks form. Remove from heat and slice each half into 3 sections. Set aside.
For Rum Syrup: Combine rum and syrup in a small saucepan and let come to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium low for a slow boil for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.


Dip the bread in French toast egg batter. Gently squeeze the bread slices in several different spots (especially near the edge/crust) to help absorb the batter. Allow the batter to absorb into the bread while it rests for 10 minutes.
Drizzle melted butter onto a pancake grill or large saute pan. Place the soaked egg bread onto the oiled grill and cook until golden brown on both top and bottom (approx. 4 minutes per side)
When the French toast is done, place one side on the plate. Using a large spoon, sprinkle a little of the nutella, making sure to spread it close to the edge all the way around. Place sliced bananas over the top of the toast.
Sprinkle some bacon on top and all around the plate. Garnish the French toast with some whipped cream. Serve warm maple-rum syrup on the side.

Makes 2 servings.

Boo Boo Bacon Bunny (And Easter Egg Salad Sandwiches with Dijon and Bacon)

I wish I lived closer to New Jersey.  I never though I would actually say that, but there's a chocolate shop there that sells Boo Boo Bacon Bunny, a solid chocolate Easter bunny filled with pieces of cooked bacon.  Um, yes please!  Check it out!

So, I'm gonna take a stab in the dark here, but you probably have an abundance of hard-boiled eggs right about now?  I love a good Egg Salad Sandwich, so I thought I'd take a little spin on an old favorite.  Add a little onion, a lot of Bacon and some Dijon mustard.  Say hello to a new egg salad!

 

 Egg Salad Sandwiches with Dijon and Bacon

6-10 hard-boiled eggs

6 slices of crispy cooked bacon, chopped fine

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup chopped onion

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp honey mustard

1 tbsp chives

1/2 tsp dill

1/2 tsp bacon salt or seasoned salt

1 tsp lemon juice

Bread or rolls

Mix eggs, bacon, mayonnaise, red onion, Dijon mustard, honey mustard, chives, lemon juice, dill, and bacon or seasoned salt in a bowl; spread onto bread or rolls to serve.