2179. LEEK and BACON CHALLAH BREAD PUDDING

2 cups leeks, 1/2 inch slices rinsed and cleaned white and light green bits only
6-8 strips of bacon, chopped
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
fresh ground black pepper
Kosher salt
1 large loaf of Challah bread (about 10 cups), cut into 1" cubes
1-2 teaspoons fresh chives chopped
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
3 large eggs
3 cups heavy cream
a pinch of fresh nutmeg (1/8 teaspoon of less)
1 cup shredded emmenthaler or comte cheese

Place a large saute pan over medium high heat and add the bacon bits and leeks. Cook them gently for 2-3 minutes, until the leeks have softened. Reduce the heat to low, add the butter, some salt and pepper, and cover the pan. Allow the leeks and bacon to caramelize together over the heat for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. The leeks will be very wilted and the bacon will be soft, but cooked through.

Meanwhile, if your bread is not a day-old, slightly stale loaf, now is a good time to toast the bread and dry it out - put it in a 350 degree oven for 5-7 minutes and it'll be crispy, as though stale. Leave the oven on. When the leeks are cooked through and the bread is dried out nicely put them aside. Find the biggest bowl you have, add the bread cubes to that bowl, add the leeks/bacon saute mix, thyme, and chives to the bread cubes. Toss well.

In a separate medium sized bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, eggs, nutmeg, and some salt and pepper. Line a 13"x9" baking pan with some parchment paper, or at least grease it lightly. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of cheese into the bottom of the pan evenly. Spread 1/2 the bread mixture over the cheese, spread another 1/4 cup of cheese on this, then the other 1/2 of bread and another 1/4 cup of cheese.

Add enough of the milk/egg mixture to cover or nearly cover the bread. Press on this gently with your hands and let it sit for 15-20 minutes. Pour the rest of the milk/egg mix over the bread, sprinkle it with some salt and the rest of the cheese. Cook at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 1/2 hours, until the top is a deep golden brown and bubbly.

Let the pudding sit for 10 minutes before eating. Eat it while it's still warm.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Kathy Day, Kathy Can Cook | The Clean Plate Club, April 4, 2011

2114. FOUR CHEESE and BACON CAVATAPPI

5 slices bacon, cut into ¼-inch pieces
1 pound cavatappi (corkscrew) pasta

1 tablespoon bacon drippings
1/3 cup onion chopped fine
3 tablespoons white wine or dry Vermouth
1 stick butter
¼ cup flour
1½ cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¾ teaspoon black pepper
1 cup Gruyère cheese, grated
1 cup fontina cheese, grated
1 cup Emmentaler cheese, grated
1 cup New York sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 tablespoon green onions, sliced

1¼ cup panko bread crumbs
¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
½ teaspoon paprika
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
¾ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons bacon drippings
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook bacon, drain pieces and save drippings. Cook pasta according to directions on package.

Place a tablespoon of bacon drippings in a 4-quart saucepan on medium; add onions. Sauté until soft. Add wine and reduce by 80 percent. Add butter and flour to make a roux ; cook 6-7 minutes. Add milk and cream; bring to a slight simmer, stirring frequently. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Reduce the heat to low and add cheeses; fold until all are melted. Add sliced green onion. In a large mixing bowl, combine cheese sauce, macaroni and bacon. Pour the mixture into a greased 13x9 baking dish.

Put the bread crumbs in a mixing bowl and add Parmesan cheese, parsley, paprika, salt and pepper. Mix until well blended.

Mix the melted butter and bacon drippings together and pour over top of dry mix and stir until mixture is well coated. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the top of the pasta mixture. Bake 30 minutes.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Martin Tomek, Humble, Texas | Houston Chronicle, March 2, 2010

1535. GARLIC CHICKEN with BACON and BRIE

serves one


1 chicken breast
butter
garlic
smoked bacon
brie
tagliatelle, a flat pasta like linguini, but wider
Jarlsberg cheese (or Emmenthal)
cream
2 teaspoons green pesto
1-2 glasses white wine

Take the chicken breast and unfold the gujon (the strip underneath). Put in a thick slice of brie and fold back. Paint the chicken breast with garlic butter, then wrap the chicken in some smoked bacon. Try to lay the bacon so the chicken is well covered. Then place in an oven at 180 degrees C. (350 degrees F.) for 45 minutes. While this is cooking, gently fry some crushed garlic in butter, add 1-2 glasses of white wine and allow to reduce. Put the tagliatelle on to cook, add the cream to the garlic and white wine mix. When this thickens, add 2 teaspoons of Pesto. Add this sauce to the cooked and drained pasta. Finally mix in grated jarlsberg to the pasta to taste.
Serve a bed of pasta on a plate, and place the chicken parcel on top. Pour some of the sauce from the chicken pan over the chicken, and enjoy!!


bacon recipe courtesy of: Hamish Redpath, NetCooks.com, United Kingdom, cooking@netcooks.com

1058. APPLE RINGS with EMMENTAL CHEESE and BACON

2 medium sweet apples (enough for 4 apple rings)
8 rashers unsmoked back bacon
Emmental cheese, sliced
black pepper
2 spring onions, finely chopped
1 large tomato, finely chopped and deseeded
1 tablespoon butter

Grill the bacon until really crisp. Chop bacon up into small pieces and put into a bowl. Cut four good rings from the apples, leaving the peel on. Remove the core from the four rings. Gently fry the apple rings in the butter until they are lightly colored and slightly soft. Add to the bacon the tomato and spring onions. Season with black pepper. Place the apple rings on a greased, shallow oven proof dish. Pile the bacon mix in the center of each apple ring. Top with several thin slices of Emmental. Put under a hot grill until the cheese melts and colors slightly. Serve with a crisp green salad.


courtesy of: The Green Chronicle: Organic Recipes, Food, Gardening, Health & Beauty

852. BACON and EMMENTAL CHEESE SALAD with CREAMY MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE

serves 4


For the salad
1 teaspoon olive oil
7¾oz smoked bacon lardons
4 Little Gem lettuces
7¾oz Emmental cheese, cut into small cubes or slices

For the vinaigrette
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
splash of white wine vinegar
salt and freshly ground pepper
pinch sugar
dash double cream
2fl oz olive oil
½ banana shallot, or small shallot, finely chopped
a few fresh chives, finely chopped

For the croutons
½ small baguette
olive oil, to drizzle
1 garlic clove, peeled

Heat the olive oil in a non-stick frying pan and fry the bacon lardons for a few minutes, or until golden. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Pull off the outer leaves of the lettuces and cut each one in half lengthways, then again crossways. Arrange on four serving plates.

For the vinaigrette, combine the mustard, vinegar, salt, freshly ground black pepper and sugar in a bowl and whisk together. Gradually whisk in the cream and just enough olive oil to emulsify the dressing. Stir in the chopped shallot and chives, and adjust the seasoning to taste.

To make the croutons, cut the baguette at an angle into thin slices and drizzle the slices with a little olive oil. Heat a large non-stick frying pan and, when hot, toast the bread slices on each side until golden-brown and crisp. Remove the croutons from the heat and let them cool before rubbing each piece with the garlic to flavour them. Place the croutons around the salad leaves.

To serve, scatter the bacon and Emmental cheese on top and drizzle with the vinaigrette.


courtesy of: John Burton Race, from "Kitchen Criminals," BBC-Food