3956. CHARRED BRUSSELS SPROUT, BACON, and TOASTED SESAME SEED GUACAMOLE

6 ounces brussels sprouts, stems removed and cut in half

3 slices thick cut bacon, fried until crispy

1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toased

1/4 cup pomegranate seeds

2 large ripe avocados, cut in half and pitted

1 lime

1/4 cup red onion, diced

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1 small jalapeño, seeds removed and diced

1/2 teaspoon salt, more to taste if desired

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin, optional

Chop the rough ends off of the brussels sprouts, then carefully cut them in half. Set aside.

Place the bacon in skillet and cook over medium heat until crispy. Place the bacon on a paper towel lined plate; set aside.

Add brussels sprouts to the pan you cooked the bacon in, cut side facing down, and cook on medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, or until they have charred. Flip the brussels sprouts over, add a squeeze of lime to the pan (about 1 slice), and cook on the other side for one minute. Transfer the brussels sprouts to a cutting board. Let them cool for a few minutes, then, using a large sharp knife, roughly chop them. Set aside.

Roughly chop cooled bacon into small pieces. Set aside.

Add the sesame seeds to a large skillet over medium-heat; cook for 3-5 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally to move the seeds around a little.

Remove the seeds when they darken and become fragrant. Set aside.

In a large bowl combine the pomegranate seeds, pitted avocados, remaining lime juice, red onion, cilantro, jalapeño pepper, salt, and cumin. Smash until smooth, then stir in chopped brussels sprouts, bacon, and sesame seeds. Serve with chips!

bacon recipe source: Ashley, Baker by Nature (@BakerByNature), December 5, 2014

3932. CORN and BACON SOUP with JALAPENO CREMA

Servings: 6


10 medium ears of corn, shucked
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 ounces lean bacon, finely diced (1/2 cup)
1 celery rib, finely diced
1/2 cup finely diced onion
1/2 cup finely diced yellow bell pepper
3 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
Kosher salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1/4 cup sour cream
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, plus cilantro leaves, for garnish
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Freshly ground white pepper

Set a box grater in a wide, shallow bowl and coarsely grate 6 ears of corn; you should have 2 cups of grated corn. Cut the kernels from the remaining 4 ears; you should have 2 cups of kernels.

In a large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the bacon, celery, onion and yellow pepper, cover and cook over low heat, stirring a few times, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the grated corn, the milk and 1 cup of the heavy cream and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to moderately low and simmer, stirring often, until the soup is thickened, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and the cayenne pepper and keep warm.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil until shimmering. Add the corn kernels to the skillet and cook over moderately high heat, stirring a few times, until they are lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Season with salt. Stir the cooked corn kernels into the soup and keep warm.

In a blender, whip the remaining 1/2 cup of heavy cream to soft peaks, about 20 seconds. Add the sour cream, jalapeño, chopped cilantro and lemon juice and blend until thick. Season with salt and white pepper.

Ladle the soup into bowls, top with spoonfuls of jalapeño crema and cilantro leaves and serve at once.


bacon recipe source: Wolfgang Puck, Food & Wine, August 2007

3929. JALAPENO BACON HOMINY

Serves 6


2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves of minced garlic
2 tablespoons of flour of your choice
1 cup milk (can use heavy cream for thicker sauce)
8 ounces shredded white cheddar
4 slices bacon diced and cooked
4 ounces diced jalapeños
1 pound hominy

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In medium size saucepan melt the butter. Add the minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.

Stir in the flour stirring constantly until combined keeping the burner on low heat. This will create a thick paste. Continue stirring for 3 minutes.

Add in the milk or cream, whisking to combine, increase to medium heat. Stir frequently for 4-5 minutes until thick.

Add in the cheese slowly while stirring. Reduce to low heat. Stir until the cheese is melted.

Add the hominy into the saucepan to mix with the sauce. Add in the diced jalapeño and diced cooked bacon. Transfer to quart size baking dish. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for an additional 10 minutes.

Serve warm and enjoy!


bacon recipe source: Serene, House of Yumm (@houseofyumm), February 19, 2016

3916. BACON and EGG BREAKFAST ENCHILADAS

Servings: 8


2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
Pinch of crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
1 teaspoon sugar
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes  
1 pound thick-cut bacon
12 large eggs, slightly beaten
8 eight-inch corn or flour tortillas
8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese (about 2 cups) 
Minced green onions
sour cream

Preheat oven to 350º. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil. Cook the onion over moderate heat until soft and translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic, jalapeño, chili powder, cumin, crushed red pepper, paprika, oregano, sugar, salt and pepper and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes and remove from heat. Blend in a food processor or blender until smooth. Return it to heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

In a large skillet, cook the bacon over moderate heat until brown and crisp, about 7 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a cutting board and chop into 1-inch pieces. Reserve the fat.

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the reserved bacon fat (or olive oil, if desired) over moderate heat. Pour the eggs into the frying pan and cook, stirring with a rubber spatula until small curds form, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the skillet and season with salt and pepper.

Wrap the tortillas in a damp paper towel and warm them in a microwave oven until soft and pliable, about 1 minute.

Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish. Arrange the tortillas on a work surface. Spoon a heaping 1/4 cup of the egg mixture, 2 tablespoons of the cheese and 2 tablespoons of the chopped bacon onto each tortilla. Roll up the tortillas and arrange them in the baking dish. Top evenly with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle the top of the enchiladas with the remaining cheese. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Serve warm with sour cream and minced green onions. 


bacon recipe source: Molly Yeh, Food & Wine, November 2014

3912. HAVARTI BREAKFAST BISCUITS with JALAPENO, BACON and ARUGULA

Yield: makes about 16 biscuits


Biscuits
:
6 slices bacon

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped (you can leave some seeds if you want more heat)
3 cups all-purpose flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into tiny pieces

8 ounces havarti cheese, freshly grated

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1/4 cup heavy cream

For serving:

eggs, cooked to your liking

bacon slices

1 to 2 cups of arugula (depends on how many you're serving), tossed with salt, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat and add the bacon. Cook until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crispy. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel to drain the grease. Once it's cool, crumble into tiny pieces. In the same skillet, add the chopped jalapeno peppers. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes then turn off the heat and stir for another minute or so.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt. Using a fork, pastry blender or your hands, add the cold butter pieces to the flour and mix until coarse little crumbles remain. I use my hands and mix for almost 5 minutes. Add in the crumbled bacon, the peppers (a few spoonfuls of bacon grease with the peppers doesn't hurt) and the grated havarti. Make a well in the center and pour in the milk, stirring with a large spoon until just combined, not overmixing. Use your hands if needed to bring the dough together.

Pat the dough into a circle that is about 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick. Using a biscuit/cookie cutter, cut the dough into rounds and place on a nonstick baking sheet. You may need to bring the dough together and flatten it more to get the last few biscuits. Additionally, you could also just drop large spoonfuls of batter on the baking sheet and form them that way. Brush the top of the biscuits with the heavy cream.

Bake the biscuits for 10 to 12 minutes or until they are golden and high. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. While the biscuits bake, you can cook your eggs and fry any extra bacon!

To serve, add the arugula, bacon slices and egg on the biscuit.


bacon recipe source: Jessica Merchant, How Sweet It Is (@HowSweetBlog), April 15, 2015

3872. CHEDDAR, BACON and LEEK QUESADILLAS with TOMATILLO SALSA

Makes 32 slices and 2 cups of salsa


Tomatillo Salsa:

1/4 pound fresh green tomatillos, husked

1 small red bell pepper

1 clove garlic, peeled

2 Tablespoons chopped red onions

1/2 serrano chile, seeded and coarsely chopped

Juice of 1/2 lime

1/2 bunch of cilantro, thick stems removed, plus more for garnish

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Quesadillas:

8 strips bacon

2 small leeks (white and light green parts only), cleaned, thinly sliced

1 Tablespoon butter, unsalted

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

3 cups shredded Monterey Jack/Cheddar cheese

1/4 cup minced pickled jalapenos (optional)

Canola oil

8 (8-inch) flour tortillas

Tomatillo Salsa: Husk the tomatillos and blanch them in boiling water for 15 seconds (only). Immerse them in a bowl with ice water to cool them. Remove the core from each tomatillo. Puree tomatillos in a food processor. Roast the pepper over a flame or broil in the oven until charred. Put into a paper bag for 5 minutes then peel off the charred skin and remove seeds and stem. In the food processor, add bell pepper, garlic, chopped red onions, seeded serrano chile, lime juice, stemmed cilantro, sugar and salt. Puree until smooth. Transfer to a bowl with a small spoon for serving, and garnish with some cilantro.

Bake Bacon for Quesadillas: Place cooling rack over a sheet pan lined with foil. Lay bacon strips on cooling rack and bake for 10 minutes, until crisp. Cool slightly and cut bacon into 1/2 inch strips.

Clean Leeks: Keeping root on, split lengthwise and cut in half, then fan out in a bowl of water to remove sand. Stack the layers and cut into long strips.

Sauté Leeks: Melt butter in large skillet over medium-low heat. Add leeks and salt; sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Quesadilla Filling: Mix together the bacon, grated cheese, pickled jalapeno, and cooled leeks.

Make Quesadillas: Add 1 Tablespoon of canola oil to a non-stick pan over medium heat. Lay a tortilla flat in the pan. Place 1/4 cup of bacon/cheese filling on one side of the tortilla and then fold in half. Cook for a few minutes until golden, then turn and cook until toasty on the other side. Remove from heat. Repeat until all ingredients have been used.

Serve: Cut each quesadilla into 4 pieces, and serve with tomatillo salsa.




bacon recipe source: Parties That Cook® (@PartiesThatCook), San Francisco/Chicago

3871. CHARRO BEANS with BACON

serves 6


1 teaspoon lard or vegetable oil
4 slices bacon, minced
1 white onion, finely chopped
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup thinly sliced, peeled carrots
1 jalapeno chile, minced
8 ounces ham, diced
6 cups drained cooked pinto beans and 4 cups bean cooking liquid
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground dried Mexican oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (12-ounce) bottle or can Mexican beer (optional)

In a skillet, heat the lard over medium-high heat. Add the bacon, onion, celery, and carrots and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, until the onion is soft. Add the chile and ham and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat.

Place the beans and cooking liquid in a soup pot. Using an immersion blender or a potato masher, break up some of the beans to create a thick, chunky-textured soup. Add the cooked ham mixture, including some or all of the fat in the pan, and stir well. Then stir in the salt, oregano, and cumin. Place over high heat, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes to blend the flavors. Add either water or beer as needed to achieve a good soup consistency. Ladle into bowls and serve immediately.


bacon recipe source: Texas Eats: The New Lone Star Heritage Cookbook by Robb Walsh (Ten Speed Press, 2012)

3859. SMOKY BACON, BLACK BEANS and GREENS QUESADILLAS with PICO DE GALLO

Serves 4


6 slices smoky, meaty bacon, chopped, divided

1 large yellow or white onion, chopped, divided

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 bunch chard or flat kale (such as lacinato), stemmed and chopped (about 5 to 6 cups)

Salt and pepper

Olive oil or canola oil, for drizzling and brushing

2 jalapeños, seeded and chopped, divided

1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander (about half a palmful)

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin (about half a palmful)

A pinch of ground cinnamon

1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed

1/2 cup finely chopped red onion

3 plum tomatoes, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped

4 large, 10- to 12-inch whole-wheat tortillas

1 8-ounce brick pepper Jack or Monterey Jack, shredded (about 2 cups)

Sour cream


In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium-high, stirring often, until crispy, about 8 minutes. Add about three-quarters of the yellow onion and half the garlic; stir until the onion softens, 2-3 minutes. Add the greens and stir until wilted, 3-4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a bowl. Wipe the skillet clean and reserve.



In a small saucepan, heat a drizzle of oil over medium. Add the remaining yellow onion and garlic, and half the jalapeño; stir until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the coriander, cumin and cinnamon. Add the beans and season. Cover and keep warm over low heat.



For the pico de gallo, in a medium bowl, mix the remaining jalapeño, the red onion, tomatoes and cilantro; season with salt.



Brush the reserved skillet with a little oil; heat over medium-high. Add 1 tortilla to the skillet and cook until blistered, about 1 minute. Turn; cover half the tortilla with about 1/3 cup cheese, then top with a quarter of both the greens mixture and the bean mixture. Sprinkle with a few more tablespoons of cheese. Fold over and cook, pressing down and turning, until the cheese melts and the quesadilla is brown and crispy, 2-3 minutes per side. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and fillings. 


Cut the quesadillas into quarters and top with the pico and sour cream.



bacon recipe source: Rachael Ray, Every Day with Rachael Ray, September 2015

3803. ZUCCHINI BACON FRITTERS with BASIL-MAYO DIPPING SAUCE

Makes about 40 fritters

For basil mayo:

1 cup basil

1 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

For fritters:

About 6 cups vegetable oil for frying

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

3 medium zucchini, chopped

1/2 fresh jalapeño, stemmed and minced (including seeds)

2 tablespoons finely chopped chives

1 large egg, lightly beaten

3/4 cup whole milk

6 slices crisp-cooked bacon, finely chopped

Equipment: a deep-fat thermometer

Make basil mayo: Purée basil with mayonnaise, water, and lemon juice in a blender. Transfer to a small bowl and chill until ready to use.

Make fritters: Preheat oven to 200°F. Heat 3 inches oil to 350°F in a deep 5-quart pot over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, whisk together flour, baking powder, cayenne, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Stir together zucchini, jalapeño, chives, and a pinch of salt in another bowl. Add egg, milk, and bacon to zucchini mixture and toss to coat zucchini. Stir in flour mixture until incorporated. Fry small spoonfuls of batter in batches of about 10, turning occasionally, until golden-brown all over, 3 to 4 minutes per batch. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet and keep warm in oven. Return oil to 350°F between batches.

Serve fritters with basil mayo.

bacon recipe source: Andrea Albin, Gourmet, July 2010

3761. BACON WRAPPED TERIYAKI HOT DOGS with PINEAPPLE SALSA

Yield 4 servings

6 hot dogs

6 slices applewood smoked bacon 

1 package hot dog buns

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce, homemade or store-bought

For the pineapple salsa

2 cups diced pineapple

1/4 cup diced red onion 

1 jalapeño, diced

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

Preheat grill to medium high heat. In a medium bowl, combine pineapple, onion, jalapeño, cilantro and lime juice; set aside. Wrap each hot dog in a strip of bacon. Add hot dogs to the grill and cook until the bacon is brown and crispy, about 4-5 minutes. To assemble the hot dogs, add the hot dogs into each hot dog bun. Top with pineapple salsa and drizzle teriyaki sauce on each hot dog. Serve immediately.

bacon recipe source: Chungah, Damn Delicious (@damn_delicious), January 21, 2013

3757. BACON and SMOKED GOUDA QUESO FUNDIDO

6 slices bacon, diced

3⁄4 cup red bell peppers, diced

1⁄2 cup jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced

1⁄4 cup red onion, diced 

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 1⁄2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1 1⁄2 cups smoked gouda cheese, shredded

1⁄2 cup mozzarella or Monterey Jack cheese shredded 

Cilantro, for garnish 

Pickled or fresh jalapeno slices, for garnish 

Tortilla chips, for serving 

Dice up the bacon into small squares. Saute the bacon on medium-low heat, for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. When it's nice and crisp, remove the bacon bits from the pan and drain them on a paper towel. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the bacon drippings. Wipe out the pan you cooked the bacon in, then add the reserved bacon drippings, and heat the pan to medium heat. Add the peppers, onions and chili powder, and stir to combine. Saute the veggies for 5-7 minutes, until tender but not browned. Remove the veggies from the pan and set them aside to cool slightly. Now, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. In an oven proof dish, add 1⁄2 of the cheese, half of the peppers, and  half of the bacon. Repeat, by creating a 2nd layer with the rest of the ingredients. Cover the dish with aluminum foil, then bake the dish for 10-12 minutes, until the cheese is just melted. Make sure you don't overcook it, or the cheese won't be as gooey. Garnish the hot dip with sliced jalapenos and chopped cilantro. Serve with tortilla chips.

bacon recipe source: Delish D'Lites (@DelishDLites), January 25, 2015

3750. MESQUITE-SMOKED JALAPENO CHEESE BACON-WRAPPED HOT DOGS

yields four stuffed hot dogs

4 100% all beef hot dogs

2 slices of cheddar cheese 

A large jalapeno pepper, sliced cross-wise slightly thicker than paper-thin, seeds removed
8 slices of thick bacon
1⁄2 large red onion, cut between the root and top (do not remove the root before grilling), and cut in half
wooden toothpicks (approximately 4 per hot dog)
hot dog buns
mesquite wood chips
Foil drip pan to fit under the grate OR a homemade drip pan made from heavy duty foil 

condiments, your preference 

Heat the gas grill to high until the grill temperature gauge registers temperature to 300 degrees. 

Preparing the stuffed hot dogs: Using a sharp kitchen knife, cut the length of each hot dog almost all the way through. Cut the cheddar slices so that they are the length of the hot dog and stick up over the top only slightly; insert a double layer of the cheese slices. Cut the jalapeno slices in half or thirds to allow the 1⁄4 of the slices to fit between the slices of cheese inside the hot dog. 

Wrapping the hot dog with bacon: Hold one end of a piece of bacon across one stuffed end of a hot dog.Securethebaconby inserting a toothpick through the end of the bacon through the hot dog and through the bacon on the opposite side of the hot dog. Holding the bacon strip taut, wrap the bacon slice around the hot dog, slightly overlapping the prior wrap to cover. Insert toothpicks to secure as needed (approximately 4 per hot dog). For a regular size hot dog, two strips of bacon will be required. 

Once at temperature, turn off all burners except one on the outside of the grill (based on a 4 burner grill). Clean the side of the grill with burners off with a wire brush. On this same side, carefully lift the hot grate with grill tools and deposit the drip pan underneath the clean grate. Rub the grate with oil and a folded paper towel. 

Place a piece of heavy duty foil over the ignited burner and add a few handfuls of mesquite wood chip on top of the foil. Once the chips begin to smoke, add the prepared hot dogs to the clean, oiled grill (with burners of) and close the grill. Check the grill periodically, ensuring a 300 degree temperature and adding more mesquite chips as needed to keep the smoke going. Hot dogs will be cooked in 25-30 minutes and will have a golden hue as well as the bacon will become hard (not crisp in the traditionally way). If desired add hot dog buns to the grill for a few minutes to warm and get grill marks. 

Grilling the Red Onion: After the hot dogs have been smoking for 15 minutes, lightly brush the cut sides of the 2 quarters of the onion and place on the side of the grill with the mesquite chips (over the ignited burner). The root left intact will hold the onion together until after it has grilled. Check frequently, until the onion softens, the color becomes lighter and grill marks appear. Remove after about 10 minutes. Allow the onion to cool until able to be handled, but off the root end and slice to add to the hot dog. 

bacon recipe source: Toni Dash, Boulder Locavore (@BoulderLocavore), Colorado, July 5, 2015

3747. BACON-WRAPPED CORN ON THE COB with CHARRED LIME CREMA

serves eight

3 lb. sliced bacon

1 bunch basil, leaves only, torn

2 jalapeño peppers, thinly sliced

8 ears corn, shucked

Charred lime crema (recipe below)

Charred lime crema (makes 8 servings)

½ cup crème fraîche or sour cream

1 cup heavy cream

4 oz. cream cheese, diced

1 lime

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

Let the crème fraîche or sour cream, heavy cream and cream cheese sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. 

Meanwhile, heat a grill or grill pan to high. Use a wand-style grater to remove the zest from the lime. Reserve the zest. Cut the lime in half, then grill the halves, cut sides down, until a deep black crust forms, about 10 minutes. Remove the lime halves from the heat and let cool slightly. Juice the charred lime over a mesh strainer set over a large bowl. Discard any solids in the strainer.

Add the lime zest, crème fraîche or sour cream, heavy cream, cream cheese and salt to the lime juice. Use an electric mixer on medium-low to mix until combined. Increase the mixer to high and beat for two to three minutes, or until light and fluffy. Transfer to a container, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Corn on the cob: Line a baking sheet with kitchen parchment.

Lay a 13-by-18-inch sheet of kitchen parchment on the counter and lay six or seven slices of bacon on it alongside each other, slightly overlapping, fat side against meat side, to form a rough rectangle that is as wide as an ear of corn is long. Cover the bacon with a second sheet of parchment and pound lightly with a meat mallet or small saute pan to flatten the bacon and press it together.

Remove the top sheet of parchment. Top the bacon with 10 to 12 small pieces of basil and a few slices of jalapeño pepper. Lay one ear of corn across the bottom of the rectangle and roll the corn up in the bacon, using the parchment to help. If the bacon is particularly long, trim the excess. Transfer the bacon-wrapped corn to the prepared baking sheet, laying it seam side down. Repeat the process with the remaining corn.

Cover the corn with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least eight hours and up to 24 hours.

When ready to cook, heat the grill to medium.

Grill the corn, starting with the bacon seam side down. Give each ear a quarter turn every five minutes until all of the bacon is crisp and caramelized and the corn is tender, 15 to 20 minutes total. Alternatively, you can lay the bacon-wrapped corn on a rack set over a rimmed baking sheet and cook it in a 350 F oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Serve with charred lime crema.

bacon recipe source: The Seattle Times, June 30, 2015; adapted from Home: Recipes to Cook with Family and Friends, by Bryan Voltaggio (Little, Brown, 2015)

3729. BACON-CHILE RELLENOS

yields 16 servings

4 jalapeño chiles (about 3 inches long)

1/3 cup Boursin cheese with garlic and herbs

8 slices bacon, halved and cooked

1 can (8 oz) refrigerated crescent dinner rolls 

½ cup salsa, if desired

Heat oven to 375°F. Carefully remove stems from chiles; cut each in half lengthwise and again horizontally to make 4 pieces. Remove and discard seeds. Spoon about 1 teaspoon cheese into each chile quarter. Wrap half slice of bacon around each.

On cutting board, unroll dough; separate dough into 8 triangles. From center of longest side to opposite point, cut each triangle in half, making 16 triangles. Place chile, cheese side down, on dough triangle. Bring all points of triangle to center of top; press lightly to seal. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet. Serve with salsa.

bacon recipe courtesy of: Pillsbury.com, Pillsbury, General Mills, Inc., P.O. Box 9452, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55440

3724. MANGO BACON GUACAMOLE

serves six


2 slices thick-cut bacon
3 ripe avocados
1 small plum tomato, diced
1 ripe mango, peel removed and diced
¼ cup diced red onion
½ of a jalapeno pepper, ribs and seeds removed and diced
Juice from 1 lime
Kosher salt, to taste

First, cook up your bacon in a skillet. After your bacon is done, mash the avocados in a large bowl to desired consistency. Gently fold in the tomato, mango, red onion, and jalapeno. Dice your bacon and fold that in as well. Squeeze the juice from 1 lime over the mixture, then mix to combine. Taste and add kosher salt as desired.


bacon recipe source: Megan Green (@baconwrappedmeg), My Bacon-Wrapped Life, June 8, 2014

3667. TEXAS-STYLE BACON, BEANS and EGGS: BLACK BEAN CHILAQUILES

yields four servings


12 corn or flour tortillas, cut into strips

Cooking spray
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
8 slices smoky lean bacon, sliced across the strips 1/2-inch long
1 red onion, peeled, quartered and sliced
2 Fresno or jalapeno chiles, sliced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (28-ounce) can black beans
1 tablespoon cumin (a scant palmful)
1 rounded tablespoon chile powder (a healthy palmful)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup beer (recommended: Negra Modelo)
1 (14-ounce) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
Small handful fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1 1/2 to 2 cups shredded hot pepper sharp Cheddar cheese or Pepper Jack cheese
4 eggs, to prepare any style (1 per person)
Ripe avocado, halved, pitted and diced
Lime, cut into wedges

 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Cut tortillas into strips and spray with cooking spray. Bake 12 to 15 minutes until crisp. Arrange in casserole dish.

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Add bacon and brown then remove with a slotted spoon. To the skillet, add the onions, Fresno peppers, and garlic and saute a few minutes.

Add the beans and season with cumin, chile powder, salt, and pepper, stir in tomatoes, cilantro, and beer. Thicken 1 minute, then adjust seasoning and arrange on top of tortillas, and scatter in bacon bits and cheese.

Cool and store for make-ahead meal.

Bake in the hot oven until bubbly and hot, top with fried eggs (as soft or hard as you like), diced avocado and lime wedges.

bacon recipe source: Rachael Ray, "It's a Breeze," Rachael Ray's Week in a Day, Food Network

3567. BACON GAZPACHO

serves 4-6


about 2¼ pounds tomatoes, chopped
12 ounces applewood smoked bacon
2 limes, juiced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large cucumber, peeled and diced
1 avocado, cut in half and divided
½ of a large red onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded or unseeded depending on desired heat
½ cup (lightly packed) fresh cilantro
2 cups water
1 tablespoon bacon grease

Cook bacon until crispy, drain, reserving 1 tablespoon grease, set aside. Chop all vegetables and divide in half. Cut avocado in half and rub one half with a piece of lime, dice the other half. Crumble bacon.

Add half of the chopped vegetables, half the crumbled bacon, half of the chopped avocado, lime juice, and cilantro to a food processor and process until vegetables are fine. Pour processed vegetable mixture into a mixing bowl, then add remaining vegetables, most of the bacon (reserve some for topping), and avocado. Stir in water and bacon grease, refrigerate for at least one hour. Ladle into bowl, top with bacon and diced avocado from remaining half , if desired. Serve well chilled.


bacon recipe source: Bernadette Martin (@BernadetMartin), Rants from My Crazy Kitchen, August 12, 2014

3565. BACON JALAPENO NACHOS

Bacon Jalapeno Nachos
4 cup tortilla chips
2 cup shredded cheddar cheese mix
1 cup creamy jalapeno sauce (recipe below)

 

Creamy Jalapeno Sauce

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

¼ teaspoon salt

pepper, to taste

1½ cup milk

8 oz. jalapeno cheddar cream cheese

1 cup chopped, cooked bacon

optional: additional jalapeno slices, chopped

 

Bacon Jalapeno Nachos: Spread tortilla chips into a small baking pan. Top with cheddar cheese. Bake at 375 degrees 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven. Top with hot creamy jalapeno sauce

 

Creamy Jalapeno Sauce: Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour, salt & pepper. Add milk and cook, stirring, until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Continue stirring and cook 1 minute more. Remove sauce from heat and stir in cream cheese until it is completely melted. Add bacon and stir to combine. Optional: top with additional jalapeno pieces

 

 

bacon recipe source: Stacey, Real Housemoms (@RealHousemoms), November 13, 2013

3538. JALAPENO EGG BURGER with BACON AIOLI

serves four

Jalapeno egg burger:

4 (1/4 pound) hamburger patties

seasoning salt

4 eggs

2 tablespoons butter

1 jalapeno, sliced

4 hamburger buns

Bacon aioli:

3 slices bacon 

1/2 cup mayonnaise 

1 tablespoon lemon juice 

1 tablespoon olive oil 

2 garlic cloves, minced 

salt and pepper

Make aioli first. Cook bacon over medium heat until cooked through. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to cool. Once cool dice into small pieces. 

In a bowl whisk together mayonnaise, lemon juice, olive oil and garlic. Stir in bacon. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. 

Season both sides of hamburger patties with seasoning salt. Cook until cooked through. 

While hamburgers are cooking, melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Cook eggs 1-2 minutes on each side, white should be set but yolk soft. 

Toast hamburger buns. 

To assemble a burger: Place hamburger on bottom bun, top with fried egg and sliced jalapenos. Spread bacon aioli on top bun. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Serve.

bacon recipe source: Deseree Kazda, Life's Ambrosia (@LifesAmbrosia), February 2015

3633. BACON-WRAPPED SALSA-STUFFED CHICKEN

serves four


Chicken:
4 chicken breasts
12 slices of bacon
toothpicks

Salsa:
3 plum tomatoes, peeled and seeds removed, chopped
2 green onions, sliced
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic
zest and juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced

Preheat your oven to 400° F. Combine all the ingredients for the salsa in a bowl and mix well. Cut the chicken breasts in half horizontally, so that you can open them up like a book. Flatten them out with a rolling pin. Fill each chicken breast with an equal amount of the salsa mixture and close them up. Roll the bacon strips around the chicken, and pin them in place with the toothpicks. Once the chicken is wrapped, place it in a baking pan and bake 30 to 35 min or until a meat thermometer reads 170 F. Then broil 5 to 6 min or until the bacon is nicely crisp. Serve with salsa.


bacon recipe source: Paleo Leap (@PaleoLeap)