3557. CRISPY BACON CHILI

yields 10 servings


1 lb. bacon, chopped
2 lbs. ground beef
1 large red onion, diced
1 jalapeno, diced (optional)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons dried oregano
56 oz. canned fire-roasted tomatoes
15 oz. canned red kidney beans, rinsed (optional)

Garnish:
sour cream
cheddar cheese
scallions
diced red onions
hot sauce 

In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottom pot, render the bacon over medium heat until crispy (about 5-7 minutes). Remove bacon and reserve for garnish. With the bacon drippings in the pot, add the beef and season generously with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until dark brown and crispy (about 10 minutes). Push the meat to the side and toss in the onions, jalapenos, and garlic. Sprinkle in the seasonings and stir to coat. Cook for 2 minutes until softened then stir into the meat. Pour in the tomatoes and adjust seasoning to taste. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until mostly thickened. Stir in the beans to warm. Serve with your choice of garnish and reserved crispy bacon.


bacon recipe source: Clinton Kelly, The Chew, ABC

2825. BACON, ITALIAN SAUSAGE, and BEAN SOUP

makes 4 to 6 servings


4 slices bacon
2 links fresh sweet Italian turkey sausage, skinned and crumbled
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped carrot
1/4 cup chopped celery
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and 1/4 of them mashed with a fork
1 can (15 ounces) red kidney beans, drained and 1/4 of them mashed with a fork
1 can (14.5 ounces) reduced sodium chicken broth
1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup light sour cream
cilantro leaves, for garnish

Cook the bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, then remove it and set aside on paper towels to drain. Crumble the bacon. Add the sausage to the bacon drippings in the pan and cook until browned. Stir in the red pepper flakes. Remove the sausage from the pan and set aside. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic to the pan and saute for 3 minutes, or until tender. Remove the vegetables and set aside in a medium bowl. Wipe the pan and return the sausage and sauteed vegetables to it, along with the beans, broth, tomatoes, cilantro, tomato paste, lime juice, cumin, and cayenne pepper. Add the bacon and stir to combine. Bring the ingredients to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, or until thickened. Ladle the soup into bowls, then top each with a dollop of sour cream and garnish with cilantro leaves.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Charlene Chambers, Ormond Beach, Florida, second prize winner in the 2012 Bacon Recipe Contest, 2012 Old Farmer's Almanac; Yankee Magazine

2610. RED BEAN and BACON SOUP

makes about 12 cups, serving 6 to 8 1/2 pound lean bacon (about 8 slices), cut into 1/2-inches pieces 1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion 2 large garlic cloves 1 bay leaf 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cuminseed 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste 1 1/2 cups chopped celery 1 1/2 cups chopped carrot 1 pound red beans such as kidney or pinto, soaked in enough cold water to cover them by 2 inches overnight or quick-soaked (procedure follows) and drained 4 cups chicken broth plus, if desired, additional for thinning the soup a 28-ounce can Italian tomatoes, drained, reserving the juice, and chopped 1/2 cup medium-dry Sherry chopped scallion greens as an accompaniment sour cream as an accompaniment In a heavy kettle cook the bacon over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until it is crisp, transfer it to paper towels to drain, and reserve it. Pour off all but 1/4 cup of the fat and in the remaining fat cook the onion, the garlic, the bay leaf, the chili powder, the cuminseed, and the cayenne, stirring, until the onion is softened. Add the celery, the carrot, the beans, 4 cups of the broth, and 2 cups water and simmer the soup, covered, for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the beans are tender. Add the tomatoes with the reserved juice and simmer the soup, covered, for 20 minutes. Discard the bay leaf and force the soup in batches through a food mill into a large saucepan. Stir in the Sherry, salt and pepper to taste, and the additional broth or water to thin the soup to the desired consistency, simmer the soup for 5 minutes, and serve it with the reserved bacon, the scallion greens, and the sour cream. To quick-soak dried beans: In a colander rinse the beans under cold water and discard any discolored ones. In a kettle combine the beans with enough cold water to cover them by 2 inches, bring the water to a boil, and boil the beans for 2 minutes. Remove the kettle from the heat and let the beans soak, covered, for 1 hour. bacon recipe courtesy of: Gourmet, March 1991

2402. ALL-DAY BAKED BEANS with BACON, RUM and HONEY

serves six


3/4 pound thick-cut bacon (8 slices), diced
1 pound Rockwell or red kidney beans, cooked until just tender
1/2 cup mild molasses
1/2 cup dark rum
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup spicy (such as fireweed or mesquite) honey, or to taste

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Place the bacon at the bottom of a large, heavy, ovenproof pot, such as a Dutch oven. Mix the beans, molasses, rum, mustard, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper to taste in a bowl, and pour on top of the bacon. Carefully add water to cover the beans to about twice their depth, and cook for 2 hours, uncovered. (The liquid should be at a bare simmer.) Stir, then continue baking, checking the beans every half hour or so and stirring any caramelized pieces back under, until the water is totally absorbed, the beans are plump and creamy and the top of the dish is caramelized, for at least 3 hours and up to 8 hours. (If the beans aren’t completely gooey and soft, add more water and keep cooking.) Season with honey and additional salt and pepper, if necessary, and serve hot. Beans can be made a day ahead and reheated before serving.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Edible Seattle, March/April 2010

2317. WHITE BEANS with BACON and ENDIVE

makes 8 (side-dish) servings


8 slices bacon, coarsely chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1 1/4- to 1 1/2-pound head curly endive, rinsed, leaves torn coarsely
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
2 15-ounce cans cannellini (white kidney beans), drained well
1/3 cup canned beef broth

Cook bacon in heavy large pot over medium-high heat until brown and crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels and drain. Set bacon aside. Add onion to drippings in pot and sauté until beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Add half of endive with water still clinging to leaves. Cover pot and cook until endive is wilted, stirring once, about 4 minutes. Add remaining half of endive and chopped garlic. Cover and cook until endive leaves are wilted but still bright green, stirring once, about 4 minutes. Add cannellini, beef broth, and bacon. Cook bean mixture until heated through, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Bon Appétit, April 2001

1521. PROVENCAL BEAN SOUP with BACON and a BASIL PISTOU

serves 6


For the soup
900 grams bacon
500 grams fresh haricot beans
500 grams fresh red kidney beans
500 grams large runner beans or large flat green beans
4 large courgettes (zucchini), diced (but not peeled)
4 medium-sized potatoes, diced
1 tomato, skinned and pipped, and cut into pieces
1 thinly sliced white onion
salt and pepper from the mill

For the pistou
2 to 4 cloves of garlic (according to taste)
leaves and tender shoots of 3 sprigs of basil
1 tomato, skinned and pipped, and cut into pieces
80 grams gruyère, finely grated
80 grams matured Dutch cheese, finely grated
olive oil

Shell the haricot and kidney beans and prepare and trim the flat green beans into inch-length sticks. Prepare the other vegetables. In a large pan put 2 litres of water to heat. If you have opted for the recipe with smoked ham or bacon, remove the rind from the bacon and cut into 6 or 12 equally-sized portions. Place the rind and the meat into the pan, bring to the boil and simmer for about 20 minutes. Remove any scum.

Add the three varieties of beans and continue to simmer for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. If you have added ham or bacon, take into account the salt which the meat will bring to the preparation. Then add the courgettes, potatoes, onion and tomato and cook for a further 20 minutes. At the end of this period, the soup should be nice and thick.

During this time, pound the garlic and basil leaves and shoots using a mortar and pestle. When thoroughly blended, add the tomato and continue the process, and then add the cheese. Finally, slowly blend in sufficient olive oil to obtain a smooth rich sauce. (This operation can be done in a blender if you prefer).

When you are ready to serve, check the seasoning of the soup and remove the bacon rind. Add the pistou to the soup, mix in thoroughly, and cook gently for another 2 minutes.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Philippe Broad, Culturekiosque, Euromedia Group Ltd., 164 Madison Avenue, 5th Floor, New York, New York 10016-5411

893. BACON and BEAN CHILI

serves 3


4 slices bacon
4 tablespoons sofrito
2 frozen ice cubes
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon chile powder ancho
14 1/2 ounces tomatoes chunky diced
15 ounces black beans canned
15 1/2 ounces kidney beans canned, light red
3/4 cup corn canned, drained
cheese cheddar — grated

Start by heating a large pot over medium-low heat. The 4 slices of bacon are held over the pot, without separating them, and sliced into about ½ inch slices with kitchen scissors. When all the bacon is in the pot, cook gently for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

When the bacon has rendered its fat and it is getting crispy, remove the pieces to a paper-towel-lined plate. Cover with another piece of paper towel and set aside. All but 2 teaspoons of bacon fat are poured out of the pot into an empty metal can. Add the sofrito. Start to break up the cubes with a wooden spoon. Cook for a couple of minutes until it is defrosted and fragrant.

Next, add the cumin and ancho chile powder and stir. Open the cans of tomatoes and beans and add the tomatoes to the pot. Strain and rinse the beans and add these to the pot along with the corn. Raise the heat to medium and bring the chili to a boil. When the mixture is boiling, lower the heat, partially cover it, and cook for about 15 minutes to meld the flavors.

Serve our chili with grated cheese, the bacon, and chips.


courtesy of: Triple "E" Cooks, a Family Cookbook, Chris and Robin Strom, Baltimore, Maryland

819. MINESTRONE SOUP with CHUCK ROAST, BACON and COCA COLA

yields 6 servings

2 1/2 lb. blade chuck roast or meaty soup bones
2 1/2 quarts water
2 teaspoons salt
1 small onion
1/2 cup celery leaves
1 bay leaf
2 slices bacon, diced
1 1/2 cups kidney beans
1/2 cup green beans, chopped
1/2 cup celery, diced
1/2 cup green peas
1/2 cup zucchini, thinly sliced
1/2 cup carrots, thinly sliced
1/4 cup onion, diced
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup (2 oz.) elbow macaroni
1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste
1 cup Coca-Cola
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Parmesan cheese, grated (optional)

In a large pan, place the meat, water, salt, small onion, celery leaves, and bay leaf. Cover and simmer about 2-1/2 hours until the meat is tender. Remove the meat. Strain the broth (should measure 2 quarts). Add ice cubes to the broth to harden the fat and remove the fat. Discard the fat.

Finely dice the meat, discarding any fat and bones (should be about 2 cups). In a 5 to 6 quart kettle or Dutch oven, combine the beef broth and the meat. Place over low heat while preparing the rest of the ingredients.

Pan-fry the bacon until crisp. Add the bacon and the drippings and all the remaining ingredients, except Parmesan cheese, to the broth. Cover and simmer about 30 minutes, until the vegetables and macaroni are tender. Serve sprinkled with Parmesan cheese, if desired. Makes about 3 quarts.


courtesy of: "International Cooking with Coca-Cola”, a give-away pamphlet from The Coca-Cola Company, 1981

466. SAVORY RED BEANS and RICE with BACON

1 slice bacon, chopped
1 cup onion chopped
1 14 ½ oz. can reduced-sodium chicken broth
¾ cup regular brown rice
¾ cup sliced celery
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon bottled hot pepper sauce
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 15 ½ oz. can dark red kidney beans
1 medium green sweet pepper, cut into bite-size strips

In a 10 inch skillet cook and stir bacon over medium heat until bacon is crisp. Reserve 1 teaspoon of the drippings in the pan. Drain bacon on paper towels. Cook onion in reserved drippings till tender, but not brown. Add bacon, broth, uncooked rice, celery, salt, hot pepper sauce and pepper. Bring to boiling, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 40 minutes.

Add the undrained beans and sweet pepper strips. Cover, simmer for 5 more minutes. Serve immediately. Makes 4 main dish servings or 6 side dish servings.

courtesy of: Better Homes and Gardens Magazine / HealthQuest, 900 SW Jackson, 920-N, Topeka, KS 66612, 785-296-4304

441. PORTUGUESE PEASANT SOUP

1 lb. dried red kidney beans, soaked overnight
3 quarts chicken stock (or more if necessary)
12 strips thick-sliced smoked bacon, diced
1 lb. chorizo, sliced
3 medium yellow onions, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 medium potatoes, scrubbed and diced
4 medium carrots, scrubbed and diced
4 medium turnips, scrubbed and diced
1 small cabbage, cored and chopped
4 bay leaves
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup chopped cilantro

Simmer the beans in the chicken stock for about 2 hours, or until they are just tender. In a soup pot, saute the diced bacon until it has rendered its fat. Add the chorizo, onions, garlic and saute until they begin to color. Add the diced potatoes, carrots, turnips, cabbage, bay leaves, and kidney beans. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer and cook for another 1/2 hour, until the vegetables are tender. Add cilantro just before serving.


courtesy of: The Bean Book by Roy F. Guste. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 200o

408. CALICO BAKED BEANS with HAMBURGER and BACON

1 can tiny butter beans
1 can green beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can pork and beans
1/2 lb. hamburger
1/2 lb. bacon
1 sm. onion
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup catsup
1 teaspoon mustard (not dried)

Drain butter beans, green beans and kidney beans and mix with pork and beans. brown and crumble hamburger with onion. Fry the bacon a little and crumble with other ingredients. Mix brown sugar, catsup and mustard and mix with the bean mixture. Bake in a long casserole dish at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes.


courtesy of: Pam Beaver / S. Wallace Edwards & Sons, Inc., 11455 Rolfe Highway, PO Box 25, Surrey, Virginia, 23883

313. PORTUGUESE PEASANT SOUP

1 lb. dried red kidney beans, soaked overnight
3 quarts chicken stock (or more if necessary)
12 strips thick-sliced smoked bacon, diced
1 lb. chorizo, sliced
3 medium yellow onions, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 medium potatoes, scrubbed and diced
4 medium carrots, scrubbed and diced
4 medium turnips, scrubbed and diced
1 small cabbage, cored and chopped
4 bay leaves
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup chopped cilantro

Simmer the beans in the chicken stock for about 2 hours, or until they are just tender. In a soup pot, saute the diced bacon until it has rendered its fat. Add the chorizo, onions, garlic and saute until they begin to color. Add the diced potatoes, carrots, turnips, cabbage, bay leaves, and kidney beans. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer and cook for another 1/2 hour, until the vegetables are tender. Add cilantro just before serving.


courtesy of: The Bean Book by Roy F. Guste. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2000

267. VENETIAN BACON and BEAN SALAD

serves 4


6 slices bacon, cooked and coarsely chopped
1/2 7-ounce jar roasted red pepper, drained & coarsely chopped
3 4-cup cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters
1 pound Swiss chard, trimmed and coarsely chopped (or 12 ounces fresh spinach leaves)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 crushed garlic clove
1 15-ounce can cannellini (white kidney) beans (or Great Northern beans), rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons chopped basil leaves

In small bowl, toss together the bacon, red pepper, and tomatoes; set aside. In large skillet heat olive oil over medium-high heat; add the Swiss chard and sauté until almost limp (2-3 minutes). Add garlic, sauté 1 minute; add beans and stir to heat through. Add vinegar, salt, pepper and sugar; stir for 30 seconds and remove from heat. Place mixture on a serving platter, garnish with bacon mixture and herbs. Serve warm or at room temperature. Serve with wedges of focaccia.


courtesy of: Iowa Pork Producers Association, PO Box 71009, Clive, IA 50325, 515/225-7675 FAX: 515/225-0563

207. CALICO BEAR with BACON

1/2 lb. bacon, cut crosswise into postage-stamp sized pieces
1/2 lb. bulk pork Sausage
1 lb. ground bear
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 cup catsup
2 to 4 Tbs. cider or wine vinegar
2 Tbs. yellow mustard
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup dark molasses
1 Tb. Chinese brown sauce
1/4 tsp. Tabasco® Sauce
1 can butter Beans
1 can kidney Beans
1 can pork & beans
1 can lima beans
1 can great northern beans

In big skillet, fry bacon, sausage and bear until done. Remove from pan and add onion to drippings. Cook onion till soft and remove. In crock pot, combine meats, onion, catsup, vinegar, mustard, sugar, molasses, Tabasco sauce, and Chinese brown sauce. Drain all beans in colander, rinse if desired. Add to crock pot. Taste for salt and seasonings. Cook on low for several hours.


courtesy of: Lynn in Fargo, North Dakota, lynncgiff@aol.com