3996. DIRTY CHAYOTE and RICE SOUP with BACON

Serves: 4


1T toasted sesame oil

2 small-medium chayote squash, peeled and cubed (about 1″)

1/4 lb good bacon, diced

1 medium onion, diced

4 cups chicken stock

1 bay leaf

1/2 cup uncooked quick-cook brown basmati rice

sea salt, to taste

Add sesame oil and bacon to a cold Dutch oven or soup pot and heat on a medium high flame until bacon is rendered and crispy, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add onion and chayote and sweat veggies until onions become translucent, 5-7 mins, scraping up bacony bits from the pan as you go. Add stock, bay leaf and uncooked rice. Bring to a rolling boil; then cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 30-35 mins or until chayote is very tender. Add salt to taste, if necessary.

bacon recipe source: Emily Stoffel, The Pig + Quill (@thepigandquill), December 20, 2012

3995. BACON and EGG YAKIUDON

serves 2


4 slices bacon, cut into 1 inch slices

1 brick frozen sanuki udon

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon dashi powder

1 teaspoon sugar

freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 soft boiled egg, cut in half

sliced green onions, to serve

Soak your frozen udon in a bowl of warm water making sure that all of the strands of noodles are separate. Drain and set aside.

Over medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp in a cast iron pan or heavy bottomed non-stick skillet. Drain off the majority of the fat and then add the drained udon noodles as well as the soy sauce, dashi powder, and sugar. Toss to coat the noodles and turn the heat to medium-high to slightly reduce the sauce, about 1-2 minutes. Turn the heat off, taste and season with freshly ground pepper to taste. Garnish with the sliced green onions and soft boiled egg.

bacon recipe source: i am a food blog, November 9, 2014

3994. MAPLE BACON MOCHI PANCAKE BITES

Makes around a 12-15 pancake bites, or one and a half pancake towers


For the pancake bites:

3/4 cup mochiko flour
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
3/4 cup milk
1 egg
3 strips of thick cut bacon

For the maple glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 1/2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp milk (if needed)

Cook the strips of bacon till crispy. Drain the excess oil, pat dry and let cool. Chop the bacon into very small pieces. Set aside.

Whisk together the mochiko and all purpose flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, lightly whisk the milk and egg. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well. If desired, sprinkle a few tablespoons of the bacon bits into the batter.

Heat a takoyaki pan over medium heat. Use a pastry brush to butter the pan. Pour the pancake batter into each hole, filling just to the top but not enough for the batter to overflow. The batter will rise, and some of the batter will spill a bit onto the sides around the hole. When the bites begin to bubble, use a wooden chopstick or skewer to test the doneness of the batter that spilled around the hole. If it feels hardened but still slightly tacky, use your skewers to flip the pancake bite over. Keep turning each bite in the pan until it is evenly golden brown. Transfer the bites to a plate and set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk the maple syrup into the powdered sugar, one tablespoon at a time. Pouring all the wet ingredients into the powdered sugar at once will cause the glaze to turn very runny. Once you have incorporated all the maple syrup, add in the milk if the mixture is still too thick.

For assembly, stack the pancake bites in a pyramid. I did this by placing 5 in a circle and adding one to the middle. Then add 3 more for the 2nd level, and one for the very top. Drizzle the pancake bites with the maple glaze and sprinkle the remaining bacon bits on top.

bacon recipe source: Courtney, Fork to Belly (@Cocobunniee), February 9, 2015

3993. BACON CHEESEBURGER POUTINE

4 pounds of French fries (about 8 cups)

6 strips thick-cut bacon
1 pound lean ground beef
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon dried parsley
3 cups beef stock
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups white Cheddar cheese curd
Salt
Pepper

Start cooking French fries, however you have decided to make them, from scratch or store bought.

Place bacon in a frying pan and fry over medium heat until crispy, turning regularly. When bacon is done, transfer to a plate lined with paper towel and place paper towel over top to blot grease. Then cut into large chunks.

Melt butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, add all-purpose flour and whisk thoroughly until all lumps are removed. Cook for five minutes while the roux is bubbling. This will give the gravy a darker colour and will also cook out the raw flour. Slowly add the beef stock to the roux, whisking as you do to avoid lumps from forming. Once the stock has been added, reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking, uncovered. You need to keep the gravy piping hot so it will melt the cheese.

Place olive oil in a large frying pan set over medium-high heat. When hot, add the beef, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to thoroughly combine all ingredients and continue to cook until beef is completely browned. Taste, and adjust seasoning if necessary.

To plate, set a large handful of French fries on a plate or in a bowl. Spoon about 1 cup of beef over top of beef and some of the bacon over top. Top with cheese curds and then generously spoon gravy over top.

bacon recipe source: Kate's Cuisine, September 5, 2015

3992. BACON HALLOUMI ROLLS with SAGE GREEN BEANS

serves 2


200g halloumi cheese

200g streaky bacon

2 tbsp fresh chives, chopped

200g green beans, ends chopped off

1 1/2 tbsp flaked almonds

2 leaves fresh sage

1 clove garlic, peeled and cut in half

butter (from your pantry)

salt and pepper (from your pantry)

Heat oven to 200ºC (400ºF).

Cut the halloumi into sticks – about 1.5 cm wide. Lay the bacon slices out on a board and scatter with chopped chives and freshly ground black pepper. Roll the bacon around the halloumi in a spiral to cover the halloumi stick. Place the halloumi rolls on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes until the bacon browns and begins to crisp.

Bring a saucepan of lightly salted water to the boil. Add beans and cook for 2 minutes. Once cooked, drain in a colander and rinse under cold water. Set aside.

Place a small pan on high heat and dry toast the almonds until lightly browned - about a minute. Toss often to make sure they don’t burn.

Put a frying pan on medium to high heat. Add a few knobs of butter. When the butter has melted, add whole sage leaves and garlic and cook for about a minute. Now add the beans to the frying pan and mix through with the butter sauce. Scatter with the toasted almonds.

To serve, divide the beans between the plates and place halloumi rolls on top.

bacon recipe source: DailyDish (@DailyDishForYou), 13 Garnet Park, 6 Drill Avenue, Montague Gardens, Western Cape, South Africa, 7441

3991. ASPARAGUS, LEEK and BACON QUICHE

Yield: 6-8 servings


1 unbaked 9-inch pie-crust

6 oz asparagus, ends trimmed off

1 leek

3 slices bacon

3 eggs

5 oz freshly grated Monterey Jack cheese

1 cup milk

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil on the stove. Once boiling, drop in the asparagus and quickly blanch for 30 seconds until bright green. Quickly drain water and run cold water over asparagus. Set aside to cool.

Fry bacon crisp in a cast-iron skillet over low/medium heat. Once crisp, remove from heat and set the bacon to drain on paper towels but do not toss the bacon grease! Crumble or chop bacon once cool.

Now, thoroughly wash the leek under cold running water. To do this most efficiently, peel off the first two layers and let water run all through. After washing, thinly slice the white part only of the leek.

Reheat your bacon-greased skillet over medium high heat then drop in the thinly sliced leek. Sauté for about five minutes, until leek is soft and translucent. Remove from heat.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, pepper, crumbled bacon and sautéed leeks. Prick crust all over with a fork, then sprinkle evenly with the cheese. Pour the milk and eggs mixture over the cheese.

Slice the blanched asparagus into 1 1/2" pieces on an angle and scatter over the cheese in the unbaked pie crust.

Carefully place filled quiche on a sheet tray and into the oven for 1 hour.

After 1 hour, the quiche should be puffy and golden. Let cool completely before slicing.

bacon recipe source: Fresh Tastes, PBS Food (@PBSFood)  

3990. BOURBON BACON ROOT BEER FLOAT

yield: 2 cocktail floats


3 slices thick-cut bacon

1 Tbsp brown sugar

3 oz bourbon

1 ½ cups root beer

2/3 cup vanilla ice cream

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet and lay the slices of bacon on it. Cook bacon for 15 minutes and then remove from oven. Sprinkle the slices of bacon evenly with brown sugar and cook for an additional 5 minutes until crunchy. Remove from oven to cool.

Once the bacon is cool, chop into tiny pieces (almost like bacon sprinkles!). Set aside.

In a large measuring cup with a spout, add bourbon and root beer and stir to combine; set aside. Evenly divide the ice cream between two tall glasses. Fill each glass with half of the bourbon and root beer mixture. Sprinkle with the candied bacon bits and enjoy!

bacon recipe source: Meghan, Cake 'n Knife (@cakenknife), February 12, 2014

3989. SEARED SCALLOPS with CREAMY BACON GRITS

Makes 4 servings


1-1/2 lbs dry sea scallops

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped

For the grits:

1/4 lb thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

1/2 cup sweet onion, finely chopped

4-1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1-1/2 cups white (or yellow) corn grits

1-1/2 cups corn kernels (about 3 ears fresh corn)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Fry the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, drain all but 2 teaspoons of fat from the pan and reserve the remainder for later use.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion. Sauté until soft and just starting to turn golden. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.

Bring the chicken broth to a boil in a large saucepan. Stir in the grits and immediately reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring continually, until the liquid is absorbed and the grits are tender, 4 to 5 minutes.

Add the butter, reserved bacon, sautéed onion and corn. Combine well and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and set aside to keep warm.

Note: Grits will stiffen up a bit as they sit, so you may want to stir in a little warm milk or water just before serving to restore the creamy texture.

Pat the scallops dry with paper towels and arrange them in a single layer on a large plate. Combine the salt, sweet paprika, black pepper and sugar in a small bowl. Sprinkle the mixture lightly over the scallops, turn and repeat on the second side.

Wipe out the pan you cooked the bacon in and heat the butter along with about 1 tablespoon of the reserved bacon fat over medium-high heat. Add the scallops in a single layer and sear until they develop a pale golden crust on the outside, a maximum of 1-1/2 minutes per side.

Scallops need about 3/4-inch of space between them in order to sear properly, so if the pan seems overcrowded, cook them in 2 batches.

Transfer the cooked scallops to a plate and cover loosely with foil to keep warm. Reserve the pan juices for serving.

To serve, plate individual portions of grits, top with scallops and spoon some of the pan juices over all. Garnish with a sprinkling of chopped parsley and serve immediately.

bacon recipe source: Lynne Webb, MyGourmetConnection (@gourmetconnect) 

3988. CABBAGE with BACON and ROOTS

Serves 6


large knob of butter
100g smoked streaky bacon, cut into small pieces
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
few thyme sprigs
1 celeriac, cut into batons
2 carrots, cut into batons
1 Savoy cabbage, shredded
small glass (125ml) white wine

In a large pan melt the butter. Add the bacon and sizzle for 5 mins until golden. Add the garlic and thyme to the pan and stir for 1 min. Take the pan off the heat, remove the bacon mixture and reserve.

Add the celeriac and carrot batons into the now empty pan with a little of the bacon-flavoured butter. Gently cook for 10 mins until soft, then add the cabbage and cook for 5 mins until it starts to soften. Add the bacon and garlic back to the pan, then add the white wine. Allow the wine to evaporate for a few mins then season the mixture and serve. This can be made ahead and left in the pan, then reheated.

bacon recipe source: Matt Tebbutt, Good Food Magazine, February 2010

3987. SWEET POTATO, BACON, EGG BREAKFAST SKILLET

Serves: 4


1.5 lbs multi colored sweet potatoes, diced

1 lb smoked bacon

2T ghee

1-2T chipotle seasoning

4 eggs

Place bacon on baking sheet and put in oven at 425*F for approx 15-20 min. Set aside in paper towels. Meanwhile, heat a cast iron skillet over med-high with ghee and add diced the potatoes. Season with chipotle seasoning. When potatoes can be softly pierced with a fork, approx 10-15 min, add in half of your cooked bacon, chopped, and crack 4 eggs over top. Cook on stove or in oven until egg whites are set. You may put a lid on to help steam. Sprinkle more chipotle.

bacon recipe source: Natasha Gildea, The Feisty Kitchen (@FeistyKitchen)

3986. CHIPOTLE BACON SLIDERS (GLUTEN & GRAIN FREE)

Serves: 9 small burgers


1 large yellow onion, sliced into thin rounds

2 TBS butter, ghee, or coconut oil

1 pound ground meat

4 strips of precooked bacon

1 tsp unrefined salt

½ tsp chipotle chili powder

½ tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1 TBS butter, ghee, or coconut oil for cooking burgers

1 avocado

lime juice

unrefined sea salt

OPTIONAL:

a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce

lettuce for garnish

TO MAKE CARAMELIZED ONIONS: Melt the ghee, butter, or coconut oil on medium heat. Add onion rounds and saute slowly until golden brown. Push the onions around a bit to make sure they cook evenly. You can add a tablespoon of water if they begin to stick to pan. Mine usually take 20-25 minutes.

Mash together avocado, lime, and salt in a small bowl. Add optional hot sauce for some heat. Set aside.

Combine ground meat, chopped bacon, salt, and spices in a medium bowl. Mix to combine. Form into 9 small patties.

Heat 1 TBS of fat of choice in skillet on medium to medium high heat. Cook patties 4-5 minutes on each side, or until cooked the way you like it.

Serve over a bed of fresh lettuce. Top with caramelized onions and avocado.

bacon recipe source: Katja Heino, Savory Lotus

3985. BACON and EGG POTATO SKINS

4 eggs

2 potatoes

2 pieces bacon

4 small rectangular slivers of cheese (to fit into the potatoes)

Salt & Pepper

Olive Oil

Parsley or cilantro to garnish

Optional toppings: chili flakes, salsa, avocado

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Microwave the 2 potatoes till cooked and cut them in half. Scoop out the insides of the potatoes - making little "potato boats" in the process. Add a sliver of cheese in each potato half and place potatoes on a baking tray. Brush potatoes with olive oil. Break an egg into each potato half and bake for 18-20 minutes. Cook strips of bacon and drain well on paper towels. Take the eggs out of the oven - making sure the whites are set. Sprinkle the potato skins with bacon and salt and pepper and parsley and chili flakes; avocados and salsa would make some super tasty toppings too.

bacon recipe source: Shashi, Runnin Srilankan (@RunninSriLankan), June 10, 2015

3984. BACON WAFFLES with PEANUT BUTTER-HONEY GLAZE

Makes 8 - 4" waffles


WAFFLES:

1 Package Bacon (about 10 slices)

2 Eggs, separated

1½ cups Buttermilk

2 Tablespoons melted Butter, cooled

1 cup All-purpose Flour

1 Tablespoon Yellow Cornmeal

1 teaspoon Granulated Sugar

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

½ teaspoon Baking Soda

½ teaspoon Salt

GLAZE:

¾ cup Honey

¼ cup Creamy Peanut Butter

WAFFLES: Cook bacon according to directions on the package. Once it's cooked & slightly cooled, crumble or chop into bite sized pieces (about ½").

Beat egg yokes, buttermilk and butter together in a large bowl. Set aside.

Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl. Gently add dry ingredients into the wet, mixing until just combined (do not over mix, there will be lumps).

Beat egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff peaks (if you turn the bowl upside-down, they should stay put). Gently fold bacon pieces (leaving some aside for garnish) and egg whites into batter until just combined (there can still be lumps in the batter).

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Then preheat your waffle maker & follow the waffle maker instructions to cook, as each one is different. Pour the appropriate amount of batter into preheated waffle maker and cook until golden. After the first batch is done, place them on a rack or cookie sheet in the warmed oven in a single layer. Keep all cooked waffles in the oven while you finish the rest and then make the glaze. Don't stack the cooked waffles or they'll lose their crispness (unless you plan on re-heating them in the oven).

GLAZE: Combine honey and peanut butter together in a small bowl. Microwave for about 20 seconds and stir (if it's not warm enough, microwave it again for 10-15 seconds at a time, checking and stirring it each time).

Whisk until smooth and pourable (you can add more honey or maple syrup also). Top waffles with glaze.

bacon recipe source: The Blonde Buckeye, September 18, 2013

3983. MAPLE and CANDIED BACON BLONDE BROWNIES

Makes 1–8 brownies, depending on how you cut them


2 1/4 cups blanched almond flour

1 cup (6oz) maple granulated maple sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sustainable palm shortening or ghee
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup pecans, finely chopped

3-4 pieces of bacon
About 1/3 cup maple syrup

For the candied bacon: Make the candied bacon before starting the brownies as it will need to cool down before breaking it up into tiny pieces for the topping.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

On a parchment paper lined rimmed cookie sheet, lay out the strips of bacon. You want the rim so that your bacon grease doesn’t run down into oven and start a grease fire.

Using a pastry brush, sweep a generous amount of maple syrup over each piece of bacon. You could also sprinkle maple sugar instead of using syrup, but I find that it takes less syrup and it goes on smoother and faster.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from oven and flip the bacon over. Brush the other side with maple syrup and return to the oven for another 8-10 minutes or until dark and caramel-y. Watch the bacon closely toward the end, it burns fast. Times will vary from oven-to-oven. For best results use an oven thermometer.

Remove from oven and cool.

Cut or break the bacon into small pieces. If they are too large the brownies will be difficult to cut later.

For the brownies:

Grease and line a 8×8 inch cake pan with parchment paper, leaving flaps on two sides of the pan for easy brownie removal. You don’t have to lay parchment paper both ways, just one set of flaps will suffice.

In a blender or coffee/herb grinder, pulse the maple sugar a few times to make it a finer grind.

Using a small sauce pan over medium heat, melt the palm shortening/ghee till it just becomes liquid. You don’t want it to be hot, just liquid. Remove from heat and let cool.

While the fat is cooling, combine the almond flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Now add the eggs and vanilla extract to the liquid shortening/ghee and lightly beat together.

Combine the egg/fat mixture with the almond flour mixture, mixing till combined and there are no lumps in the batter. Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan and smooth the batter out as best as you can.

Sprinkle the bacon and pecan pieces evenly over the top of the batter and bake for 22-25 minutes.

When they’re finished cooking, remove the pan and allow the brownies to cool. Slice into squares.

bacon recipe source: Jenni Hulet, The Urban Poser (@TheUrbanPoser), June 21, 2013

3982. BEER and BACON CHEESE DIP

Approximately 16 servings


2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

⅓ cup beer

1 (1-ounce) package ranch salad dressing mix

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

¾ cup fully cooked bacon pieces

Pretzels

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, beer and ranch dressing mix until well incorporated. Add cheddar cheese and bacon pieces and stir well with a large spoon to combine. Serve with pretzels.

bacon recipe source: Amy Brinkley, The Blond Cook (@theblondcook), January 10, 2016

3981. BAKED EGGS with BACON-BRAISED BLACK-EYED PEAS

Serves 4


2 cup black-eyed peas

3 slices applewood-smoked bacon cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 small diced yellow onion

1 cup salsa

1/2 cup chicken broth (low-sodium)

4 large eggs

2 tbsp parsley freshly chopped for garnish

hot sauce for garnish

Bring a medium sized pot of water to a boil and season with salt. Add the fresh black-eyed peas and boil for 10 minutes, or until just tender. Drain and discard the water.

In a medium-sized sauté pan, cook the bacon over medium heat until the fat has rendered and the bacon is just crisp.

Remove the bacon pieces from the pan and add the onion to the bacon fat. Sauté the onion until tender and caramelized, about 10 minutes, stirring often.

Add the cooked black-eyed peas and sauté for 3 minutes more. Add the salsa to the pan along with the chicken broth and stir in the cooked bacon. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, uncovered, to meld the flavors.

Preheat the oven to 375°.

Coat 4 gratin dishes with cooking spray. Divide the black-eyed pea mixture evenly among dishes and make a small indentation in the center for the egg to rest in.

Crack 1 egg into a small bowl and gently pour it into a gratin dish. Repeat with the remaining eggs.

Place the gratin dishes on a baking sheet and tent the baking sheet with foil. Bake until the egg whites are cooked through, about 10 to 15 minutes. Serve garnished with parsley and hot sauce, for those that like it hot.

bacon recipe source: La Victoria (@LAVICTORIAbrand), MegaMex Foods, LLC, Consumer Response, 1 Hormel Place, Austin, MN 55912

3980. CURRY CARROT SOUP with CANDIED DOUBLE SMOKED BACON GARNISH

Serves up 8.


Curry Carrot Soup
2 tbsp butter

1 med size sweet onions cut in chunks

½ cup celery preferably the heart with leaves cut in chunks

5 pound peeled carrots cut in chunks

2 bay leaves

1 tbsp dijon

1 cup white wine

1 tbsp coarse sea salt

1 tbsp pepper

2 tbsp curry powder

4 cups vegetable stock

water (just to cover vegetables)

2 cups 35% cream

Candied Double Smoked Bacon

2 oz. minced red onions

1 pound bacon

¼ cup maple syrup

Curry Carrot Soup 

In a medium size pot melt the butter and sauté the onions and celery for 3 to 4 minutes; deglaze with white wine.

Add the carrots, vegetable stock, bay leafs, Dijon, salt, pepper, curry powder and add water to cover vegetables.

Bring to a boil; then simmer all ingredients till soft. Approximately 45 minutes.

Remove 2 bay leafs.

Puree in a blender till smooth consistency and finish with the cream.

Candied Double Smoked Bacon

Cut 1 pound bacon in lardon; ½ inch squares and sauté them in a frying pan on high heat; let sit till they start to brown then turn on all four sides.

Place the cooked lardon on paper towel to absorb the grease, wipe your pan dry then bring the bacon back to the pan.

Once they start to heat up again pour ¼ cup maple syrup and bring to a boil; then let reduce slowly so it coats each peace.

Let cool on parchment paper. Use as a garnish for the soup.

bacon recipe source: The Kilted Chef Alain Bosse, NovaScotia.com

3979. SPINACH SALAD with MUSTARD CURRY VINAIGRETTE and BACON

1 – 10 Oz. Package Washed Baby Spinach

1 Recipe Candied Pecans (recipe below)

1 Recipe Mustard Curry Vinaigrette (recipe below)

12 Strips Bacon

Fry the bacon until crisp and lay it out on a paper towel. Pat the excess fat with more paper towels. Keep in a warm place until ready to serve.

Place the spinach attractively and evenly onto salad bowls. Top the salad with salad dressing, to taste. Sprinkle the candied pecans evenly over the salads. Cross two pieces of warm bacon on top of each of the salads. Serve while bacon is still warm.

CANDIED PECANS

1 Cup Pecan Halves

¼ Cup Brown Sugar

1 tsp. Butter

Heat the brown sugar and butter until it is very hot and starts to bubble. Add in the pecans. Shake and toss the pecans in the sugar mixture until coated evenly and most of the mixture has disappeared. Pour the nuts onto a buttered piece of parchment. Separate the nuts with a spoon while they are still very hot.

MUSTARD CURRY VINAIGRETTE

1 tsp. Dry Mustard

2 tsp. Dijon Style Mustard

1 Tbsp. Honey

1 Tbsp. Water

1 Tbsp. Madras Curry Powder

⅓ Cup Red Wine Vinegar

⅔ Cup Olive Oil

Whisk together the dry mustard, dijon mustard, honey, curry powder and water. Whisk the red wine into the mixture. Whisk the olive oil into the mixture.

bacon recipe source: Euphemia Haye Restaurant & Haye Loft (@EuphemiaHaye), 5540 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key, Florida 34228

3978. CHOCOLATE COVERED BACON CHOCOLATE KISS COOKIES

makes about 40


1/2 pound unsalted butter, browned

2/3 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

pinch salt

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

2 1/2 cups All Purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

12 pieces Chocolate Covered Bacon, chopped (see note)

1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

40 unwrapped Hershey’s Kisses

Preheat oven to 325. Line 2 baking sheets with a SilPat or parchment paper.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the browned butter for 3 minutes to cool, then beat butter with the sugars, salt, and vanilla, about 2 minutes. Add in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition.

In a separate bowl, whisk the flour and baking soda. Add to the other ingredients on low speed, until just combined. Stir in the bacon and chocolate by hand. Chill dough for 10 minutes.

Portion out the cookies onto the baking sheets, roughly 12 cookies per sheet (I used a cookie scoop). Cookies will spread a bit, but not much. Allow 1-2 inches between cookies.

Bake for 12 minutes, or until lightly browned around the edges. Remove and press a Hershey Kiss into the center. Return to oven for 2 minutes. They will likely not LOOK done, but they will be. Remove from oven and cool for 2-3 minutes on the pan, then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely. Store in an air-tight container.

Serve and enjoy!

Notes:

These cookies appear undone at 14 minutes, but will be very light brown on the edges. They are done! Do not overbake.

To make chocolate covered bacon, you really only need two things: chocolate, and, um, bacon.

You can either use pre-cooked, store-bought bacon (that’s the easiest), or, you can bake the bacon until crispy, let it cool, and then pat the excess grease off of it.  From there, simply melt some dark chocolate and spoon it on to the bacon, thoroughly coating it.  Allow it to dry, and voila – chocolate covered bacon.

bacon recipe source: Susan Whetzel, DoughMessTic.com (@doughmesstic), February 18, 2013

3977. CLAM CHOWDER with BACON and CROUTONS

Yields 6 servings

1/4 cup (60 mL) butter

2 onions, finely chopped

1/4 cup (60 mL) all-purpose flour

4 cups (1 L) milk

3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced

1 tsp (5 mL) dried thyme

1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt

1/4 tsp (1 mL) pepper

2 cans (5 oz/142 g each) clams with juices

Garnish:

6 slices bacon, cooked crisp and chopped

1/2 cup (125 mL) bread croutons

3 green onions, chopped

Melt butter in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Add onions. Cook until fragrant but do not brown. Add flour. Cook over medium low heat, stirring, for 5 min. Cool slightly.

Whisk in milk. Bring to a boil. Add potatoes, thyme, salt and pepper. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until potatoes are tender (about 20 min).

Add clams and juices and heat thoroughly. Do not boil. Taste and add seasoning, if necessary.

Serve garnished with green onions, bacon bits and croutons.

bacon recipe source: Dairy Goodness (@100CanadianMilk), 1801 McGill College Avenue, Suite 700, Montreal, QC, H3A 2N4

3976. KUNG PAO BACON

Serves 4


12 ounces bacon, cut into large bite-sized pieces

8 to 10 dried red chilis

5 scallions

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon minced or grated ginger

1 red bell pepper, diced

¼ cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts

Sauce

1 tablespoon Chinese black vinegar, or substitute good-quality balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon hoisin sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon ground Sichuan pepper

Prepare the sauce: In another bowl, combine the vinegar, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, sugar, cornstarch, and Sichuan pepper. Stir until the sugar and cornstarch is dissolved and set aside.

Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat until a bead of water sizzles and evaporates on contact. Add the bacon and cook until crisp on the outside and cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.

Drain all but 1 tablespoon of bacon grease from the pan. Add the chilis and stir-fry for about 30 seconds, until the chilis have just begun to blacken and the oil is slightly fragrant.

Add the scallion whites, garlic, and ginger, and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the red bell pepper and stir-fry for another 30 seconds. Return the bacon to the pan. Pour in the sauce and mix to coat the other ingredients. Stir in the peanuts. Transfer to a serving plate, sprinkle the scallion greens on top, and serve.

bacon recipe source: Diana Kuan (@dianakuan), Appetite for China, June 24, 2013

3975. BACON, CHILI and PECORINO SPAGHETTI (PASTA ALLA GRICIA)

Servings 4

375 g (¾ lb) spaghetti

115 g (¼ lb) bacon, chopped

30 ml (2 tbsp) olive oil

1 clove garlic, chopped

5 ml (1 tsp) crushed chili pepper flakes

125 ml (½ cup) white wine

375 ml (1 ½ cups) grated Pecorino cheese (or Parmigiano Reggiano cheese)

Salt and pepper

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the spaghetti al dente. Keep 250 ml (1 cup) of the cooking water. Drain and lightly oil the pasta.

In a large non-stick skillet over high heat, brown the bacon in the oil. Season with pepper. Add the garlic and pepper flakes and cook for 2 minutes. Deglaze with the wine. Reduce the liquid for 1 minute.

Add the spaghetti, cheese and half the cooking water. Stir and cook over low heat for 1 minute or until the sauce thickens and sticks to the pasta. Adjust the seasoning. Add cooking water, if needed. Serve immediately.

bacon recipe source: Ricardo Cuisine (@RicardoRecipes)

3974. BACON and GRATED DAIKON

1 serving


1 slice bacon

about 3 cm daikon radish

a small amount green onion

a small amount tempura crumbs (optional)

a small amount umami seasoning

soy sauce, to taste

Cut the bacon into 2 cm pieces. Top with grated daikon radish, green onion and tempura crumbs, and it's done. Drizzle with soy sauce.

bacon recipe source: yakopuyo (member), Washoku.Guide (@washokuguide)

3973. BACON and CURRANT PORK BURGERS with SPICY ORANGE DRESSING

1 lb ground pork

¼ cup dried currants

8 strips bacon, diced

1 orange, peeled and diced

1 8oz can green chiles

½ 7oz can coconut milk

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon ground mustard

¼ teaspoon paprika

salt and pepper to taste

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon fat of choice

First, heat up your grill. If you are not using a grill, forget this step.

Now dice up your bacon. Maybe to 1 inch long strips/rectangles and throw them in a deep frying pan over medium-high heat.

While the bacon cooks, add your ground pork, currants, and spices to a bowl and mix together. Once the bacon is done cooking, add the cooled bacon to the mixture and mix all together.

Form into patties, however big you would like, and throw those little suckers on your hot grill. If you are not using a grill and just want to use your frying pan, pour the excess bacon fat into a jar/can to use later and add your pork burgers directly to that hot pan. They will need to cook for about 5-6 minutes/side depending how thick you made them and where you decide to cook them.

While the burgers cook on grill or pan, pull out a smaller saute pan, and add your fat of choice along with your minced garlic clove and heat up under medium-high heat.

Once the garlic smell fills the air, add your coconut milk, oranges, and green chiles to the mixture.

Add a bit of salt and pepper to the mix and stir. Turn the heat down low and let simmer for about 3-4 minutes.

Once the burgers are cooked through, top them off with the spicy orange dressing.

bacon recipe source: Juli Bauer, paleomg.com (@paleOMG), June 20, 2011

3972. SAVOURY CHEDDAR, ONION and BACON FINGERS

Makes: 12 finger biscuits


2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup butter
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
4 slices of cooked bacon, chopped
2/3 cups milk

Preheat oven to 450ºF (230ºC). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in large mixing bowl.

Cut in butter with pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse meal.

Stir in cheese, onion and bacon, mixing well.

Add milk all at once to dry ingredients stirring with a fork to make a soft dough.

Turn out onto floured surface and knead 8 to 10 times.

Roll out to an 8" (20 cm) square. Cut in half crosswise, then cut each half into 6 finger-shaped biscuits.

Transfer to prepared baking sheet.

Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until light golden.

Serve warm.


bacon recipe source: Robin Hood Flour, Smucker Foods of Canada Corp., Consumer Services Department, 80 Whitehall Drive, Markham, ON Canada L3R 0P3

3971. BACON SMOKED CHICKEN

Serves: 4


6 chicken legs

¼ cup strained bacon grease

½ cup BBQ spice or Cajun spice blend

2 tablespoons salt

1 cup BBQ sauce of your choice

Heat your smoker to 200 degrees. You can use an indirect heating method if you are using a bbq grill. You will want you smoker/grill rolling with heat before you put the chicken inside.

Amply rub each chicken leg down with the bacon grease.

While rubbing, coat the chicken leg with the BBQ seasoning.

Lightly season with salt unless your BBQ seasoning already contains salt. In that case, omit the extra salt. If you are unsure, taste the BBQ seasoning before using it. If it tastes salty then you probably shouldn’t add extra.

Place the chicken in the smoker/grill.

Keep the temperature around 200 – 225 degrees.

Flip the legs after 2 hours.

Cook for another 2 hours.

Brush the BBQ sauce on each side of each leg and allow them to cook for another 30 minutes.

Pull the chicken legs from the grill and brace yourself for the awesomeness which is soon to ensue.

bacon recipe source: The Unmanly Chef (@theunmanlychef), September 4, 2014

3970. ONE-POT PASTA with CHICKEN, BACON and BBQ SAUCE

Makes 6 servings

1 tablespoon bacon fat or olive oil

1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast half

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 strips bacon, diced

½ medium onion, diced

1 garlic clove, minced

2 cups bone broth (see Notes)

1 15 oz. can stewed tomatoes, diced

½ cup milk

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

¼ teaspoon dried chili flakes

3 cups tricolor radiatori or other short pasta

⅓ cup BBQ sauce (homemade or store-bought)

½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Warm bacon fat or olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper and place in the pot. Cook until golden brown without turning, 6-8 minutes. Flip and cook for another 6-8 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate. Let cool for 5 minutes and then dice; it's OK if the chicken is raw in the middle as it will continue to cook when it's added back to the pot.

In the same pot, cook bacon and onion on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until bacon crisps and onion starts to brown, 8-10 minutes.

Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add bone broth, tomatoes with juice, milk, thyme, chili flakes, pasta and diced chicken. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

Uncover and continue simmering until pasta is cooked and liquid reduces, about 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in BBQ sauce and cheese. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Notes: Bone broth is made by simmering meaty bones for hours until they break down and release vitamins and minerals.


bacon recipe source: Alison Strickland (@AlisonTCG), Two of a Kind, June 2, 2015

3969. MUSTARD, BACON and CARAMELISED ONION SCONES

Makes 12


2 rashers streaky bacon, rind removed

450g/1lb self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting

generous pinch salt

pinch baking powder

1 tsp English mustard powder

110g/4¼oz unsalted butter, diced

1 free-range egg, lightly beaten

50ml/2fl oz double cream

2 tbsp ready-made onion marmalade, plus extra to serve

200ml/7fl oz full-fat milk

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Preheat the grill to a medium-high setting. When the grill is hot, grill the bacon for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until crisp and golden-brown. Set aside on a plate lined with kitchen paper. When cool enough to handle, crumble into small pieces. Set aside until needed.

Sift the flour, salt and baking powder into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the mustard powder.

Add the diced butter to the bowl, then rub the butter into the flour mixture using your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

Make a well in the centre of the dry mixture and add the beaten egg and cream, gradually drawing the dry mixture into the wet mixture using a wooden spoon.

Stir in the onion marmalade and reserved bacon pieces, then gradually stir in enough milk to make the mixture come together as a soft dough. (The mixture should not be sticky.)

Dust a clean work surface with a little flour. Turn the dough out onto the work surface and roll it out to a thickness of 2.5cm/1in. Stamp out twelve 5cm/2in rounds from the dough using a cookie cutter, placing them onto a non-stick baking sheet as you go.

Bake the scones in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until risen and golden-brown. Set aside to cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before serving.

bacon recipe source: Ainsley Harriott, Great British Food Revival, BBC Food

3968. EGG and BACON PASTA NEST

Serves 6


8 ounces spaghetti noodles
8 slices bacon, halved and sliced lengthwise
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, smashed
7 eggs, divided
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
3/4 cup white cheddar cheese, shredded
Fresh parsley

Heat oven to 400 degrees (F). Cook pasta according to package directions; drains.

Grease 6 (10-ounce) ramekins or custard cups. Set aside.

Cook bacon until lightly brown; drain. Heat olive oil and garlic in a skillet over low heat about 2 minutes or until fragrant. Remove and discard garlic.

Whisk together olive oil, 1 egg, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt and ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper. Add pasta and bacon, toss until coated.

Twirl 1 cup pasta-bacon mixture using a fork; place in a ramekin. Create an indent in the center of each twirled nest. Repeat. Bake 5 minutes in oven.

Divide cheese among ramekins. Crack 1 egg into center of each ramekin. Return to oven.

Bake about 20 minutes more until egg yolks are set and egg whites are firm (do not overcook). Let stand 2 minutes. Remove from ramekins. Top with parsley.

bacon recipe source: San Antonio Express-News, February 9, 2016; Hali Ramdene for Better Homes and Gardens

3967. BACON WRAPPED EGGPLANT FRIES

Yield: 12


12 strips of regular sliced bacon (avoid thick-cut as it will be too hard to wrap)

1 medium eggplant, slices into spears about 4 1/2 inches in length

For the glaze:

2 tbsp of honey

2 tsp of sriracha hot sauce

Preheat oven to 425F. Take one slice of bacon and wrap around eggplant fry, starting at one end and working to other end, allowing the bacon to overlap halfway with each new layer, and securely tuck in end piece. Repeat with remaining fries and place onto baking sheet. Bake for about 15-25 minutes or until bacon reaches desired crispness.

In a small bowl, mix the glaze ingredients. Remove fries from oven and quickly brush with glaze. Raise oven temperature to 450F. Place fries back in oven and cook for about 5 minutes or until bacon starts to blister, but make sure to constantly check on the fries so that the bacon does not burn. You can serve with a dipping sauce of your choice.

bacon recipe source: Kirbie's Cravings (@kirbiecravings), January 22, 2015

3966. SPINACH, GRAPES and BACON

Makes: 4 servings


8 slices bacon

4 cups grapes

1/4 cup raspberry vinegar

1 tablespoon packed brown sugar

Dash each salt and ground black pepper

6 cups baby spinach

4 ounces dilled havarti cheese, shaved

Pecan halves (optional)

In a 12-inch skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towels reserving 3 tablespoons drippings in skillet.

Meanwhile, halve 2 cups of the grapes.

Add vinegar, brown sugar, salt and pepper to skillet. Heat 30 seconds just until warm.

In a large bowl combine spinach, and halved grapes; add warm drippings mixture. Toss to coat. Divide among 4 plates. Top with cheese and bacon. Serve with remaining grapes and pecans.

bacon recipe source: Better Homes and Gardens (@BHG)