Bacon Cannibalism (Fried Cabbage with Bacon and Onions)

So this exists...

...I wonder if it's better than mine...

Because it's cabbage season....

Fried Cabbage with Bacon and Onions

Ingredients
6 slices bacon, chopped
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large head cabbage, cored and sliced
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions
Place the bacon in a large stockpot and cook over medium-high heat until crispy, about 10 minutes. Add the onion and garlic.  Stir and cook until the onions become translucent and carmelizes; about 10 minutes.
Stir in the cabbage and continue to cook for 10 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer.  Stir occasionally for another 20 minutes or so until cabbage is tender.

Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Bacon (Bacon Cheeseburger Bombs & Cheesy Bacon Dip)

It's after Labor Day which means...cooler nights, pumpkin-flavored-everything and no more wearing white.  It's also time to bring out the apple cider, squash and hearty dinners.  Look forward to those ingredients being featured in the next few posts.

2 new epically bacon products are out there on the shelves.  Friends of mine found the Bacon Tape for me (to go along with the Bacon Duct Tape I buy in bulk) and I ran across the Bacon Rub at my local Wegmans.  (Who doesn't love Wegmans!)  So keep your eye out.  There's always something new out there in the Bacon novelty market.

We had a bonfire on International Bacon Day (the last Saturday before Labor Day).  What better way to celebrate than with a huge fire?  I made a really cheesy Bacon dip and Cheeseburger Bacon Bombs.  Both with my home-made bacon.  Both were nothing short of phenom-nom-nom-inal.

 

Cheesy Bacon Dip

Ingredients:

2 softened bricks cream cheese (8 oz. each)
4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
16 oz. sour cream
8-10 cooked bacon strips, chopped
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit.   

Combine all ingredients, except reserve a small amount of bacon for the top of the dip.  Mix well until well blended. Pour into a baking casserole dish and top with the remaining bacon.

Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes. 

 

Bacon Cheeseburger Bombs

Ingredients:

1 can (16 oz) refrigerated biscuits
16 frozen (thawed) cooked meatballs
1 block (8 oz) Cheddar cheese, cut into 16 cubes
16 slices bacon 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Separate dough into 8 biscuits. Cut each biscuit in half; take each half and make a small circle by gently pressing the dough out.

In center of each biscuit round, place 1 meatball and 1 cube of cheese. Wrap dough to completely enclose beef and cheese; pinch the seams to seal tightly.  

Place bacon on foil-lined cookie sheet with sides. Bake about 8 minutes to partially cook bacon. Wrap each stuffed “bomb” with 1 slice partially cooked bacon slice. Place bacon wrapped dough 2-inches apart on two foil-lined cookie sheets with dough seam side down. Bake 13 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Bacon Confessions (Cheesy Warm Bacon Potato Salad)

I've been avoiding writing this blog.  For weeks.  All because I have a confession to make.  Sigh.  Try not to think less of me....I don't like steak-cut bacon.  There.  I said it.  Sure, it's awesome, a really fat piece of bacon.  For some reason though, I prefer a slice of bacon to a slab of bacon.  I think it comes down to texture.  Part of what I love about bacon is the fact that it's both crispy and chewy.  You get a nice combination of some crispy edges and then get to bite softly through the fat.  It's a balance that only bacon can master.  So thumbs down for me on steak cut bacon, especially in a BLT and not served on a plate with a fork and knife.

This week, my cousin sent me the following picture...

...and while I can get on board with this idea, the thought of greasy bacon trying to hang onto my beer can had me concerned.  I know how this is going to end....wouldn't you know a true bacon koozie exists...

A friend from work reccommended this bacon recipe.  Warm Potato Salad had me intrigued, especially since the recipe calls for a half pound of cheese and 8 slices of bacon.  I made the dish with Maple Bacon I wondered aloud if it would taste better with a different kind of bacon, and my husband piped in and said I better make it again to test it out.  I think that's his way of approval, other than the cleaned plate, that is.

Cheesy Warm Bacon Potato Salad
Ingredients:
5 pounds of red potatoes, diced
1/2 cup mayonaise
1/2 pound Velveeta cheese, diced
1 small onion, diced
6-8 slices of cooked bacon, crumbled
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F degrees.  Place a cooling rack over a cookie sheet.  Place bacon on cooling rack.  Place in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until desired crispiness.  Remove from the oven and cool.  Once completely cooled, crumble the bacon and set aside. 

Combine potatoes, mayonaise, cheese, onion, bacon in a bowl until mix thouroughly.  In a baking dish spoon potato mixture in, and then sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.

Bake at 350°F degrees for an hour or until the potatoes are tender.
 

Bacon Week (Crescent Bacon Breakfast Casserole & Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies with Bacon)

Next to Halloween and Christmas, my favorite holiday just occurred.  It was the Annual Breast Cancer fundraiser in Williamsville, NY called the BeerBaconBoobs Fest.  The food was pretty good, although the food truck I loved last year failed to make it this year.  A fantasy to repeat that awesome bacon-stuffed cheeseburger I had goes unsatisfied.  The Bacon Toffee makes up for it though.  The beer was good, the samples aplenty and the friends and company were great.  I'm already looking forward to next year!

 

In celebration of Shark Week, I think Bacon should have it's own week as well. 

I had a big week of bacon.  I made 2 dishes with bacon in them.   Sometimes I get inspired.  What can I say?

Crescent Bacon Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients
1 (8 ounce) package refrigerated crescent roll dough
6-8 slices of bacon
8 eggs, beaten
2 cups shredded cheese
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon dried oregano


Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F degrees.  Place a cooling rack over a cookie sheet.  Place bacon on cooling rack.  Place in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until desired crispiness.  Remove from the oven and cool.  Once completely cooled, chop the bacon and set aside. 

Lower oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.

Line the bottom of the prepared baking dish with crescent roll dough, and sprinkle with crumbled bacon. In a large bowl, mix beaten eggs and cheese. Season the mixture with oregano, and pour over the bacon and crescent rolls.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes in the oven.

 

Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies with Bacon
Ingredients
6-8 slices of bacon
2 1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup softened butter
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 package (4 oz. serving) instant chocolate pudding
2 eggs
1 package (12 oz.) chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F degrees.  Place a cooling rack over a cookie sheet.  Place bacon on cooling rack.  Place in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until desired crispiness.  Remove from the oven and cool.  Once completely cooled, chop the bacon and set aside. 

Combine butter, the sugars, vanilla and pudding mix in large bowl. Beat until creamy. Then beat in eggs. Gradually add flour, soda, chips and bacon. Batter will be stiff. Drop by teaspoonful, about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. 

Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes.

The Great Bacon Workout (Bacon and Tomato Cups)

I told my husband that I was going to go work out.  I changed into my yoga attire and here I sit.  Procrastinating.  I really do need to add a little cardio in today, to offset the Bacon, Egg and Cheese Breakfast Sandwich (...I devoured only like 2 hours ago, and still could totally eat another one...) I had.  Eating the bacon and talking about the bacon are always more fun than working off the bacon.

You may have heard that Bacon is great at fueling the body for a high intensity workout, but did you know that it was not so good for you after a workout?  Mens Fitness did a article on what to not eat after a workout, and our porky protein was regarded as a no-no.  Check out the full article here.

 Want to hear the nerd view on all that is bacon?  Check out the The Definitive Guide to Bacon

I whipped this week's recipe up after work, on my way to dinner at a friend's house.  They were super easy and for the most part, everyone loved them.  I'll be making them again in the future!

Bacon and Tomato Cups
Ingredients
(Recipe makes 30 mini muffins)
8 slices bacon
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
3 ounces shredded Swiss cheese
1/5 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup cream cheese, room temperature
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 (16 ounce) can refrigerated buttermilk biscuit dough


Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a mini muffin pan.

In a skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until evenly brown. Drain on paper towels. Crumble bacon into a medium mixing bowl; add chopped tomato, onion, Swiss cheese, mayonnaise, cream cheese and basil.
  
Separate biscuits into halves horizontally, and then half again, so you have 4 per biscuit.  Roll each piece into a ball, and then flatten into a small circle. Place each circle into prepared mini muffin pan. Fill each biscuit tin with the bacon mixture.

Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool slightly and enjoy.

Bacon Flip Flops (Bacon and Cream Chees Stiffed Mushrooms)

Coming off of Vacation mode is hard.  I'm thankful for the time I had off (mainly doing things around the house) and for all the extra time I got to spend with bacon, uh, I mean my family!  I spent the time off experimenting.  Delicious experiments!

While perusing the webs today I found not one,not two, not five, but over a dozen different bacon-themed flip flops.  Why shouldn't your little piggies be sporting piggies themselves?  Here's my top five favorites:

 

 With epic snack making abilities, comes epic responsibilities.  Like always making sure you have awesomely fresh ingredients on hand.  This recipe is simple and quick.  And delicious!  And it used 3 ingredients.  Seriously, can this get any easier?

Bacon and Cream Cheese Suffed Mushrooms
Ingredients
1/2 lb bacon
15-20 large mushrooms (I used button mushrooms)
8 oz cream cheese

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cook bacon in a pan or in the oven and remove to a paper towel-lined plate.  Cool and crumble.

Remove stems from mushrooms and mince.

Mix bacon, mushroom stems, and cream cheese.

Place mushrooms caps on baking pan covered with aluminum foil and fill with cream cheese mixture. Bake for 25-35 minutes.

Beer Bacon Boob Festival (Mississippi Sin Dip)

 Looking for a bacon gift? Here's 9 new products you might not know about...check it out.

Looking for something to do on August 2, 2014?  Are you in the Buffalo/Rochester area?  This is what I'll be up to this year...The Third Annual Beer Bacon Boobs Festival.  Tasting of local microbreweries, and food truck upon food truck offering bacon delicacies!

I really love this time of year.   With the exception of the heat and humidity, the long summer days are the best.  And the food...anything grilled is preferred.  What isn't preferred is a cold.  In the middle of summer.  It's just wrong.  On every level.  After a week of being under the weather I can finally get on and post about this awesomely devoured dip I made for a fourth of July party I had.  It's call Mississippi Sin Dip, and even cold, it was being eaten.  There weren't any leftovers...now that's a recipe!

Mississippi Sin Dip
Ingredients
16oz sour cream

8oz cream cheese, softened

2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 cup chopped cooked bacon

1 green onion, chopped

1/4 tsp hot sauce

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

salt

pepper

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F degrees.  Place a cooling rack over a cookie sheet.  Place bacon on cooling rack.  Place in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until desired crispiness.  Remove from the oven and cool.  Once completely cooled, chop the bacon and set aside.  

 

In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients, stirring until well blended.  Spoon mixture into a pie pan or small casserole dish, cover in foil.

Bake dip at 350° degrees for 1 hour. Serve with bread cubes, crackers, or chips.

 

Burning Down the House with Bacon! (Bacon Shortcake with Strawberries)

And this week in weird bacon news....A woman uses bacon in an arson attempt.  Yup.  Seriously, I can't make this stuff up.  Check out the news here.

Welcome to Summer, where it's 85 degrees with 95% humidity.  No one wants to be stuck in a hot kitchen.  Least of all, Me.  I melt.  Seriously.  There's no un-godly reason it should be this hot.  This is an east and relatively quick dessert.  Pick up your favorite fruit, like Strawberries and go to town with this Bacon Shortcake!

Bacon Shortcake with Strawberries

6 slices of bacon

1 pint strawberry, washed and sliced
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup Bisquick
2 tablespoons sugar 

1/3 cup milk
whipped cream

Preheat oven to 350°F degrees.  Place a cooling rack over a cookie sheet.  Place bacon on cooling rack.  Place in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until desired crispiness.  Remove from the oven and cool.  Once completely cooled, chop the bacon and set aside.  Change oven temp to 425°F.

Slice strawberries and mix with 1/4 cup sugar. Set aside.

Mix the Bisquick, 2 tablespoons sugar, milk and chopped bacon together in a bowl with a fork.  Do not over mix.

Drop onto a cookies sheet in four equal-sized cakes.

Bake at 425°F for 10-12 minutes, until lightly brown.

Split each cake in half, and spoon strawberry slices into the middle. Top with a few more strawberries and a drizzle of the strawberry and juices, followed by whipped cream.

Change is Good. Bacon is Better. (Bad Boy Billy's Bacon Pulled-Pork Potatoes)

I swear to god my cat Mojo looks just like this when begging for bacon in my house...looks like all I'll need now is a Bacon Rug...

I love it when I get posts on facebook regarding new bacon products...this week's winner is Ass Kickin Bacon Ketchup.  Giddy up! (Thanks Matt).

As an ultimate bacon consumer I think it's my mission to find these products and share them with you.  Mahatma Ghandi once said, "You must be the change you wish to see in the world."  I've had that as my personal email tagline for years actually, and thinking about it, I'd wish to see the world happy.  One of the things that makes me happiest is Bacon.  So, I'll change the world to happy, one piece of bacon at a time.

Once again, I make it to Saturday, with no idea what I'll be making for this week's blog.  A good friend Billy, stopped by yesterday morning, and was telling me all about these loaded salt potatoes that he threw on the grill with bacon and cheese and ranch and even pulled pork.  They sounded fantastic, and we were headed to the local public market to get some fresh produce, so this recipe was born.  It's a take on Billy's potatoes, and they were fantastic!

Bad Boy Billy's Bacon Pulled-Pork Potatoes
1 lb salt potatoes
3/4 cup salt
6 slices of bacon
1/2 - 1 cup shredded cheese
1/4 stick of butter, chopped
5-6 lb. pork shoulder/pork butt
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce

For Pulled Pork:
You'll want to start your Pork about 6-8 hours (on low) or 4-6 hours (on high) prior to your potatoes.  I prefer the crock pot method.  Place onion on the bottom of your slow cooker. Place pork shoulder, trimmed of any obvious excess fat, into slow cooker on top of onions.   Pour half of the sauce over the pork and cover.  Set remaining sauce aside.

Cook over low heat for about 8 hours (on low) or 4-5 hours (on high).  Remove pork to a large bowl and shred with two forks. Transfer meat back into slow cooker and cook for a few more minutes, until meat has soaked up the sauce. Pulled pork can be held on the “warm” setting in the slow cooker for serving.

For Bacon:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place a cooling rack over a cookie sheet.  Place bacon on cooling rack.  Place in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until desired crispiness.  Remove from the oven and cool.  Once completely cooled, chop the bacon and set aside.

For Potatoes:
Wash the potatoes and set aside. Fill a large pot with water; stir in salt until it no longer dissolves and settles on the bottom. Place potatoes in the pot and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender but firm, about 15 minutes. Drain. Cool slightly.

To assemble this bad boy, you'll take the potatoes and spread them out on a foil-lined cookie sheet.  With a potato masher, smash the potatoes.  Top with butter.  Sprinkle most of the shredded cheese on top and then top with bacon.  Place in a warm oven for 5 minutes, or until cheese has melted.

Serve the pulled pork on top of the potatoes and top with remaining shredded cheese. 




 
 

I Believe in the Bacon Fairy (Chocolate Coffee Cupcakes with Brown Sugar & Cinnamon Frosting with Candied Bacon)

I have no funny bacon anecdotes this week.  I must be losing my touch...or just preocupied with all of the other things going on around me.  Either way, I suckered you into reading another post about Bacon.  1 for Libby. 

For Father's Day this year, my husband wanted his Rochester-Favorite, Garbage Plate for his Father's day meal.  That got me out of cooking.  I couldn't let him down though and not make something with Bacon in it....This is a semi-homemade cupcake recipe.  Use a box.  Go ahead and cheat!  I doctor stuff all the time.  Sometimes, you just don't have to do it all the hard way.

Chocolate Coffee Cupcakes with Brown Sugar & Cinnamon Frosting with Candied Bacon
Ingredients
1 box of chocolate cake mix (I used Devil's Food cake)
1 1/2 cups cold coffee
6 slices of bacon
1/2 cup brown sugar (I use dark brown sugar)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 container of cream frosting

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place a cooling rack over a cookie sheet.  In a bowl, combine the brown sugar and the cinnamon.  Place bacon on cooling rack and sprinkle with brown sugar/cinnamon .  Turn bacon over and sprinkle on the other side.  Save 1/3 of the sugar mixture for the frosting, and set aside.  Place in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes.  (Keep an eye on the bacon as the brown sugar can burn if left unattended.)  Remove from the oven and cool.  Once completely cooled, slice the bacon in to small slivers or slices.  Set aside.

Make the cake batter according to the package directions.  When it asks for water, substitute coffee for the water.  I used small cupcakes, the mini size.  Whatever size cupcakes you are using, line the muffin tin with paper cupcake liners.  Spray nonstick spray in each paper.  Pour in batter into cupcake liners and fill about 3/4 of the way full.  

For 12-24 large cupcakes, cook 18 - 20 minutes, or until a toothpick placed in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.  
For 24-48 mini cupcakes, cook 12-14 minutes, or until a toothpick placed in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.

Let cupcakes cool before frosting.

Make Frosting!  Open your packaged frosting and in a medium size bowl, slowly blend in reserved brown sugar and cinnamon mixture.  Frost the cupcakes and top with sliced candied bacon!

 

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.