161. PAPPARDELLE, BACON, and ZUCCHINI with WARM TOMATO VINAIGRETTE

serves 4 to 6


2 small shallots, minced
4 tablespoons sherry vinegar
2 cups tomato concasse (see note)
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for the zucchini
3 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
3 medium zucchini, 5-6 inches long, cut lengthwise into very thin strips
8 oz. pappardelle
4 to 6 slices bacon, cut in half lengthwise

Put the shallots in a medium bowl, pour the vinegar over them, and set aside for 15 or 20 minutes. Stir in the tomato concasse, season with salt and pepper, and stir in the olive oil and two tablespoons of the parsley. Taste, correct the seasoning, and set aside.

Fill a large pot two-thirds full with water, add a tablespoon of kosher salt, and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta, stir, and cook until al dente; check the package for the exact cooking time and taste during the last minute or so to determine exactly when the pasta is done. (If you are using fresh rather than dried pasta, do not cook it until the bacon is fried).

Meanwhile, set a ridged frying pan or a sauté pan over medium heat, brush the zucchini strips with a little olive oil, and fry them, turning once, for 6 to 8 minutes, until they are tender. Remove from the heat and keep warm.

Fry the bacon until it is just barely crisp. Drain it on a brown paper bag.

When the pasta is tender, drain it and put it into a wide serving bowl. Add the zucchini strips, bacon, and half the tomato vinaigrette, and toss together very gently. Spoon the remaining vinaigrette over the mixture, sprinkle the remaining parsley on top, and serve immediately.


courtesy of: The BLT Cookbook, by Michele Anna Jordan. New York: HarperCollins, 2003, pp. 106-107

160. BACON-SWISS CHARD STUFFING

Makes 4 to 6 cups


4 cups of stale white bread cubes (French or Italian Bread is fine)
3 slices bacon
2 tablespoons shallots, chopped
1/4 cup celery, chopped
1/4 pound Swiss Chard, chopped (about 1 cup loosely packed)
2 eggs, beaten
1 and 1/2 to 2 cups Game Bird Stock (or chicken broth or water) to moisten
Freshly ground black pepper
Salt if desired
Fresh grating of nutmeg

Place bread cubes in a large mixing bowl. In a skillet, saute the bacon, remove and break into small pieces. In the bacon drippings, saute the shallots and celery; add the Swiss chard and saute it to remove some of the moisture content; cool.

Combine bacon pieces and shallot/Swiss chard mixture with bread cubes. Add beaten eggs and enough liquid to moisten thoroughly. Season with pepper, salt if desired and the nutmeg.


courtesy of: Game Cookbook, by Geraldine Steindler. Stoegler Publishing, Maryland

159. BACON-CHEESEBURGER CALZONES

makes 4 sandwiches


2 slices bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1/2 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef
2 tablespoons dried minced onion
2 tablespoons chopped hamburger pickle slices
2 tablespoons ranch dressing
1 plum (Roma) tomato, thinly sliced, if desired
2 slices (3/4 oz each) cheddar cheese, each cut in half
1 can (8 oz) refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
1 egg, beaten

Heat oven to 375°F. In 10-inch nonstick skillet, cook bacon over medium heat 2 minutes. Add ground beef and onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until beef is thoroughly cooked. Drain if necessary. Stir in pickles and ranch dressing.

Unroll dough and separate into 4 rectangles; place on ungreased cookie sheet. Press each into 7x4-inch rectangle, firmly pressing perforations to seal.

Spoon about 1/3 cup ground beef mixture onto one end of each rectangle. Top each with tomato slices and 1 piece of cheese. Fold dough over filling; press edges with fork to seal (sandwiches will be full). Brush tops with egg.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until deep golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet. Serve warm.


courtesy of: Pillsbury®

158. BAKED BEAR and BACON BURGERS

1½ pounds chopped bear meat
½ teaspoon grated onion
½ cup water or tomato juice
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon chopped parsley
1 cup soft bread crumbs
1 teaspoon pepper
4 strips bacon
1 egg

Beat egg. Add other ingredients and mix well. Lay strips of bacon on top. Put into greased pan and back in moderate oven for 45-60 minutes.


courtesy of: Sara Sechrist, Reading, Pennsylvania / Pennsylvania Game Commission

157. CHIPOTLE-BACON CORN BREAD

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/3 cups fat-free buttermilk
2 tablespoons butter melted
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
1 large egg lightly beaten
3 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 425°. Combine first 7 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring well. Combine buttermilk, butter, chiles, and egg in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture; stir just until moist. Fold in bacon. Pour batter into an 8-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray.

Bake at 425° for 18 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack.


courtesy of: Donna Fales, Washington, D.C.

156. CHILE CHEESE EGG and BACON CASSEROLE

outstanding on a Sunday morning with mimosas


1 lb. Longhorn cheese, shredded
2 cans (or 1+ cup) chopped green chile
10 eggs, well beaten
8 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 cup Saltine cracker crumbs
2 cups milk

Spread chile on bottom of a greased 9x12 casserole pan. Sprinkle 1/3 of cheese over this. Pour eggs over cheese. Sprinkle bacon crumbs over the top. Sprinkle cracker crumbs over eggs and bacon, then gently pour milk over all of this. Sprinkle on the rest of the cheese, dot with butter, and bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes.

NOTE: You can also add other ingredients to this casserole to suit your tastes: mushrooms, broccoli, tomatoes, onions, etc.


courtesy of: Eric Witt, Santa Fe, New Mexico

155. BACON-WRAPPED, APRICOT-STUFFED PORK SAUSAGES

serves 3 to 4


8 large pork sausages
dried apricots
streaky bacon
French Mustard
cocktail sticks

Preparation: Slice the pork sausages down the middle about ¾ of the way down and open up. Spread French mustard into the sausage openings. Stuff the dried apricots into the sausages and squeeze back together. Wrap the sausages with the streaky bacon and fix with cocktail sticks.

Cooking: EITHER - Place on BBQ and cook until ready - OR - Place under a medium hot grill (broiler) and cook until ready - OR - Heat the oven to 180°C (360°F) or 160°C (320°F) for a fan assisted oven. Place in a dish in the pre-heated oven and roast for approx. 30 minutes until ready.


NOTE: Great BBQ starter, just remember that the cocktail sticks are in the sausages as the ends will burn away on the BBQ.


courtesy of: The Pig Site

154. BACON-WRAPPED EGGS with POLENTA

makes 8 servings


2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
1/4 cup minced green onions
3 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup polenta (coarse cornmeal)
1/2 cup (packed) grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme

20 thick slices applewood-smoked bacon
6 ounces extra-sharp white cheddar cheese, grated
6 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated
8 large eggs
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme


For polenta: Melt butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add green onions and stir until wilted, about 1 minute. Add 3 cups water and salt; bring to boil. Gradually whisk in polenta. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until thick and creamy, stirring occasionally, about 13 minutes. Stir in cheese and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Cool to lukewarm. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate; polenta will become firm.)

For baked eggs: Heat large skillet over medium heat. Add bacon; fry until beginning to brown but still pliable, about 4 minutes. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Cool slightly. Reserve 2 tablespoons bacon drippings for Spring Greens with Sherry Vinaigrette.

Line sides of eight 1 1/4-cup custard cups with 2 slices bacon each, forming collar. Place 1/2 slice bacon on bottom of each cup. Divide polenta among cups, about generous 1/3 cup each. Press polenta over bottom and up sides of bacon. Mix cheeses in bowl. Sprinkle 1/4 cup cheese mixture over polenta in each cup. (Can be prepared 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)

Preheat oven to 400°F. Crack 1 egg into center of each cup. Sprinkle eggs with remaining cheese, green onions, thyme, and black pepper. Transfer cups to rimmed baking sheet. Bake until egg whites are almost set, about 20 minutes. Let eggs stand at room temperature 5 minutes (eggs will continue to cook).

Run small sharp knife around edge of cups; tilt cups and slide bacon, polenta, and egg onto plates and serve.


courtesy of: Bon Appetit, April 2005

153. KYLE'S "NUTRITIOUS" BACON SANDWICH

makes one serving


bacon (any quantity)
2 slices of bread
barbeque sauce

Put bacon on one slice of bread, and a bunch of barbeque sauce on another slice of bread. Put them together.


courtesy of: Kyle Maynard, Virginia

152. WILTED LETTUCE with BACON

5 slices bacon
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 teaspoon chopped onion
2 tablespoons sweet or sour cream (optional)
lettuce leaves, washed, dried well and torn into serving-size pieces

Fry bacon until crisp. Remove from pan, drain, crumble and set aside. Leave drippings in pan. Add to drippings the vinegar, onion and cream, if used. Heat all gently, pour over lettuce leaves, added the crumbled bacon. Toss together and serve at once.


courtesy of: How to Cook a Pig and Other Back-to-the-Farm Recipes by Betty Talmadge. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1977, p. 75.

151. FILET of BEEF BOURGUIGNON with BACON

serves 6 to 8


1 3-pound filet of beef, trimmed
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 pound bacon, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups good dry red wine, such as Burgundy or Chianti
2 cups beef stock
1 Tbs. tomato paste
1 sprig fresh thyme
1/2 pound pearl onions, peeled
8 to 10 carrots, cut diagonally into 1-inch-thick slices
3 Tbs. unsalted butter at room temperature
2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced 1/4-inch thick (domestic or wild)

With a sharp knife, cut the filet crosswise into 1-inch-thick slices. Salt and pepper the filets on both sides. In a large, heavy-bottomed pan on medium-high heat, sauté the slices of beef in batches with 2 to 3 tablespoons oil until browned on the outside and very rare inside, about 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Remove the filets from the pan and set aside on a platter.

In the same pan, sauté the bacon on medium-low heat for 5 minutes, until browned and crisp. Remove the bacon and set it aside. Drain all the fat, except 2 tablespoons, from the pan. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

Deglaze the pan with the red wine and cook on high heat for 1 minute, scraping the bottom of the pan. Add the beef stock, tomato paste, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil and cook uncovered on medium-high heat for 10 minutes. Strain the sauce and return it to the pan. Add the onions and carrots and simmer uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes, until the sauce is reduced and the vegetables are cooked.

With a fork mash 2 tablespoons butter and the flour into a paste and whisk it gently into the sauce. Simmer for 2 minutes to thicken.

Meanwhile, sauté the mushrooms separately in 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon oil for about 10 minutes, until browned and tender.

Add the filet of beef slices, the mushrooms, and the bacon to the pan with the vegetables and sauce. Cover and reheat gently for 5 to 10 minutes. Do not overcook. Season to taste and serve immediately.


courtesy of: Barefoot Contessa / Ina Garten

150. BOW WOW BACON BALLS

for the Witt, a.k.a. Whizzle, on his last day as a man among men

makes 32-38 treats


1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
3/4 cup unprocessed wheat bran
1 lb. bacon
1 large egg
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup water

Cook bacon until crispy; crumble into bit-sized pieces. Place flour, wheat bran, and crumbled bacon in a medium mixing bowl -- blend with a whisk. Add egg, oil and water. Mix. Dough will be sticky. Shape dough into balls the size of small pecans (or smaller balls for smaller dogs.) Place on sprayed baking sheet. Bake at 325 degrees F for 30 minutes.


courtesy of: Recipe*zaar.com

149. FILLET of MOI (THREAD FISH) with BACON, CELERY ROOT PUREE and FRICASSE of FENNEL, PARSLEY ESSENCE

2 pieces moi, thread fish, fillet, scales on
1 piece celery root, peeled, cleaned, diced
1 cup milk
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 Maui onion, finely sliced
1/2 cup slab bacon, cut into fine julienne
1/2 cup white wine
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 bulb fennel, finely sliced
1/2 cup parsley, curly, leaves only
sea salt & pepper, to taste

On low heat, sautee the moi in olive oil on the skin side for 5 minutes. Then turn the heat up until the scales become crispy. Sautee the moi on the other side for 30 seconds. Do not overcook the fish. Season to taste.

Cover the celery root with milk and simmer for 15 minutes, season the process in a blender until smoother consistency. Add 2 Tbs. of olive oil and season.

Sautee the julienne of bacon until crispy, add the onion, the fennel and fennel seeds, sautee until translucent, add the white wine and simmer for 8 minutes. Season and reserve.

In the food processor or a blender, blend the parsley to a smooth paste, add the olive oil, salt and pepper and process together for 2 minutes.

On the center of the plate arrange 1/2 c. of celery root then the sauteed fennel, put 2 fillets of moi per serving on the top. Surround with the essence of parsley.


courtesy of: Chef Mavro of Chef Mavro Restaurant, Honolulu, Hawaii

148. BROWN FIELD PEAS with RICE and BACON

a.k.a. "Hoppin' John"

makes 8 servings


1 cup raw cow (field) peas
4 cups water
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup raw rice
4 slices bacon fried with:
1 medium onion

Boil peas in salted water until tender. Add peas and 1 cup of the pea liquid to rice, bacon (with grease) and onion. Put in a rice steamer or double-boiler and cook for one hour or until rice is thoroughly done.


courtesy of: Mary Royall Barnwell, Charleston Recipes, collected by the Junior League of Charleston (1950).

147. RACLETTE with BACON

a.k.a. Raclette Artisanal

for Christine Bown

serves 6


18 fingerling potatoes
1 tablespoon fine sea salt
12 oz. Raclette, sliced and brought to room temperature (see note)
1 tablespoon gros sel (coarse sea salt or kosher salt)
12 slices smoked bacon, cooked till crisp
black pepper to taste

NOTE: Raclette substitutes: Gruyère, Appenzeller or Beaufort

Preheat the broiler. Place the potatoes in a pot and cover with cold water. Add the fine sea salt and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until fork tender (about 20 minutes). Drain and keep warm. Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise. Arrange 6 halves like the spokes of a wheel on ovenproof plates. Arrange the cheese slices evenly over the hot potatoes. Place the plates in the broiler for approximately 2 minutes until the cheese melts. Sprinkle an equal amount of the gross sel, plus 2 turns of the peppermill, on each plate, then arrange two slices of bacon on top of the cheese and potatoes. Serve, with a salad, gherkins, and pickled onions.


courtesy of: Artisanal Cheese Center, 500 West 37th Street, New York City, info@artisanalcheese.com

146. BACON-WRAPPED GRILLED OSTRICH LOIN

for Elizabeth Sanger


4 8-ounce pieces ostrich loin
4 ounces bacon
Salt and pepper to taste
4 ounces lingonberry jelly
4 ounces chicken glaze
3 ounces minced shallots
4 sprigs rosemary

Wrap a bacon slice around each ostrich loin, sandwiching in the rosemary twig. Skewer with a wood toothpick. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Sear the loin off in a hot skillet, then place into a 375 degree oven. Cook until medium, no more.

Brown off the shallots in the searing pan and add the lingonberry jelly and chicken glaze.

After removing the loins from the oven, remove the bacon and slice loins down into very thin strips.

Top with lingonberry glaze.


courtesy of: Three Chimneys Inn, Durham, New Hampshire

145. GERMAN POTATO SALAD with BACON

a.k.a. "Nuremberg Potato Salad"

serves 6


2 lb. Red Bliss potatoes

Dressing:
3/4 cup diced bacon (1/4 lb.)
3/4 cup minced yellow onion
1 1/2 teaspoons flour
4 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 to 1/3 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh curly parsley
1 teaspoon celery seed

In a heavy saucepan that accommodates the potatoes without crowding, place the potatoes , water to cover, and about 1 teaspoon salt per quart of water. Cover partially, bring to a boil, and cook until tender when pierced, 20 to 25 minutes after the water has returned to a boil. Drain the potatoes in a colander. When cool enought to handle, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices. Place in a bowl.

Meanwhile, make the dressing: in a small skillet over medium heat, fry the bacon until just crisp, 5 to 6 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the onion and saute until just tender but not brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.

In a small bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, salt, and pepper. Stir in 1/4 cup of the vinegar and the 1/2 cup water until smooth. Taste and add more vinegar if the mixture is not tart enough. Add the flour mixture to the bacon, then simmer over low heat, stirring, until slightly thickened, 4 to 5 minutes.

Pour the hot dressing over the potatoes and add the remaining 1/4 cup onion, the parsley, and the celery seed. Toss the salad by pouring it from one bowl to another until the potatoes are well coated.

Serve the salad immediately, or let cool, cover, and refrigerate overnight, then serve cold.


courtesy of: Mary Ellen Shields, The Manor on Golden Pond / from Potato Salad: Fifty Favorite Recipes, by Barbara Lauterbach. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2002, p. 90.

144. EGGPLANT with BACON and CARAWAY SEEDS

4 slices bacon, cut up
1 medium onion, diced
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
2 teaspoons vinegar
1 small regular eggplant, peeled and cubed

In 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat, cook bacon, onion and caraway until onions are light brown. Drain most of the fat. Reduce heat to medium; add vinegar and eggplant. Cook, covered, 5 to 7 minutes until eggplant is tender, stirring occasionally.


courtesy of: Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook, 1989 edition

143. SAVORY CREPES with MUSHROOM and BACON FILLING

makes 12 crêpes, serving 6 as a lunch main course


For crêpes:
1 large egg
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
vegetable oil for brushing pan

For filling
6 slices bacon
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced thin
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves

Make crêpes: In a bowl whisk together egg, milk, butter, and parsley until combined well. Add flour, salt and pepper and whisk until smooth. Heat a 6- to 8-inch crepe pan over moderately high heat until hot. Brush pan with oil and heat until hot but not smoking. Remove pan from heat. Stir batter and half fill a 1/4-cup measure with it. Pour batter into pan, tilting and rotating pan quickly to cover bottom with a thin layer of batter, and return any excess to bowl. Return pan to heat and loosen edge of crêpe with a spatula. Cook crêpe until underside is lightly browned. Turn crêpe and lightly brown other side. Transfer crêpe to a plate. Make more crêpes with remaining batter, brushing pan lightly with oil as necessary. (Crêpes may be made 1 day in ahead and chilled, stacked and wrapped well in plastic wrap.)

Make filling: In a large heavy skillet cook bacon over moderately high heat until crisp and transfer to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet and chop bacon. To fat remaining in skillet add mushrooms and 1 tablespoon butter and sauté over moderately high heat, stirring, until liquid mushrooms give off is evaporated, about 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat.

Preheat oven to 200°F..

In a heavy saucepan melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter over moderately high heat and whisk in flour. Cook roux, whisking, 3 minutes. Add milk gradually, whisking constantly, and cook. stirring, occasionally, 5 minutes or until thickened and smooth. Add mushrooms, cream, parsley, bacon, salt and pepper to taste and simmer 10 minutes, or until very thick. Cool filling slightly.

Spread each crêpe with about 1/4 cup filling and fold in quarters, transferring crêpes as filled to an ovenproof platter. Heat crêpes in oven until heated through.


courtesy of: You Asked For It; Rothay Manor, Ambleside UK / Gourmet, November 1996

142. BACON and BOURSIN CHEESE PUFF PIZZA

makes 18 appetizers


1/2 package (17.3-oz.-size) frozen puff pastry
1 package (5.2 oz.) garlic and fine herbs cheese, softened (such as Boursin) or 2/3 cup garlic and herb cream cheese
1 tablespoon milk
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
3 tablespoons sliced green onion

Thaw puff pastry for 40 minutes. Preheat oven to 400º. Unfold pastry on lightly floured surface. Roll into an 18x9-inch rectangle. Cut into 18 (3-inch) squares. Press squares into 3-inch muffin cups that have been coated with cooking spray; set aside. In mixing bowl, stir together cheese and milk until smooth. Spoon a rounded teaspoonful into each pastry shell. Top with pieces of bacon and green onion. Bake for 15 minutes or until pastry is golden brown.


NOTE: Boursin, a French triple crèmes cheese, is a rich, soft, uncured mild cheese that has been infused with garlic and herbs. It can often be found in the deli section of larger supermarkets.


courtesy of: National Pork Board.