September 18, 2008 by Marianne

September 18, 2008 • Filed Under: Bacon Reviews , Bacon, Bacon Freak, Bacon Recipes, Breakfast

As I mentioned during the Bacon Day posts, Rocco from BaconFreak gave us A LOT of bacon. We had already purchased many pounds of bacon ourselves, so were not able to use it all on Bacon Day. Fortunately, this means that we get to sample it at our leisure and tell you about each one individually.

Last week my husband and I busted out the Coastal Caliente Smoked Jalapeno Bacon. This appealled to my husband immediately because he loves everything to be spicy. The bacon is rubbed with a dry spice mix and dry cured. The spice mixture was pleasant and not too spicy, but then again we eat a lot of hot foods at our house. For those with a more sensitive palate, it might seem muy caliente. I tend to be boring when it comes to bacon, avoiding even maple flavoring and sticking with just a strong smoke flavor. My husband, however, loved this spicy new taste and was more than happy to snag the last slice in the pan.

A few days later, we made some white bean chili. I usually start my chilis (and almost everything I make) with a few slices of bacon, so we decided to try it with the jalapeno variety. It was fabulous! I usually put lots of chili powder and cumin and other spices in the mix, but the bacon took care of all that. A little black pepper and crushed chili flakes and the flavor was perfect. My husband called it the best we’ve ever made. So there you have it: from the breakfast table to the stock pot, jalapeno bacon is a great way to add some spice to your life!

September 17, 2008 by Marianne

September 17, 2008 • Filed Under: Bacon Recipes , Bacon, Bacon Recipes, Breakfast

OMG! These look so good, and so easy to make. The brilliant Mr. B over at Bacon Today came up with this crafty idea, and I cannot wait to try it. Basically, you buy a tube of pre-made cinnamon rolls, unroll each one, place a strip of bacon inside and roll it back up. Cook according to the instructions on the tube and you’re done!

Skulls and Bacon had the same question I did: was the bacon done enough? Mr. B says he was fine with the bacon as it was, although he admits he’s not necessarily a crispy bacon guy. I have a feeling I would want to pre-cook the bacon just a little. Also, one of his readers tried the recipe and found that she had a hard time unrolling the rolls. Be sure you get a nice big can of high-quality dough to make your job easier. That said, I say we all go out and try it this weekend!

September 15, 2008 by Marianne

September 15, 2008 • Filed Under: Bacon Recipes , Bacon, Bacon Recipes

The October ‘08 edition of Bon Appetit magazine has this wonderful looking recipe for Cornish game hens with a corn bread and sage stuffing. Coincidentally, my husband had the urge to buy Cornish game hens over the weekend, so I’ll get to try this recipe in the coming days.

In preparation for said bird stuffing, I made cornbread on Saturday so it could dry out for a few days before use. Just before I started, my husband had the brilliant idea of adding bacon to the cornbread, which I immediately promised to do. (You can see why I love this man. Culinary genius.) Upon further reflection I thought I may as well add some of the sage while I was at it, since sage is such a integral part of the whole project.

I started with a single box of Jiffy cornbread mix, the only cornbread I ever really use. It’s so darn easy and doesn’t make a huge amount, which is essential when cooking for only one or two. I diced and fried five slices of bacon, and set aside to drain. I then chopped up a handful of sage, probably about a tablespoon. When all my ingredients were ready, I made the cornbread batter according to box directions and added bacon and sage. And voila! Ready for the oven.

I baked the whole concoction for 25 minutes at 400 degrees. I used a loaf pan, but an 8″x8″ would have been better, and probably taken 5 minutes less to cook. Of course I had to taste a slice, and I don’t know if I will ever make cornbread without bacon again. The sage I could take or leave…it might have been nice if I had fried it a bit before use. But what I will do next time is add a handful of sharp cheddar cheese. Maybe serve it with chili on a cold fall evening. At any rate, if the game hens come out as tasty as the cornbread did, I’ll be a happy camper.

September 2, 2008 by Marianne

September 2, 2008 • Filed Under: Bacon Recipes, International Bacon Day , Bacon Chocolate, Bacon Recipes, Bacon Wrapped Asparagus, Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Popper, Bacondoodles, International Bacon Day

Bacon Day gave us a great excuse to try and share some of the recipes we’ve talked about on this site. The first, which I believe may be entirely original to Royal Bacon Society, was the Bacondoodle. It began with this basic Snickerdoodle recipe, but in place of the butter I used bacon grease. I also took about 5 slices of cooked bacon and ground them up in my mini-processor and added that to the batter. I also cooked a batch of regular Snickerdoodles for comparison.

I was really excited about this new recipe, and was a little let down by the results. First of all, the Bacondoodle took a little longer to cook than the Snickerdoodles and didn’t flatten out as much. That was no big deal, but then I tasted one while it was still warm and was disappointed by the lack of bacon flavor. I mean, it was there, but very subtle. If you didn’t know you were eating a Bacondoodle, you wouldn’t notice it. On the bright side, our friends said it was more moist than the Snickerdoodle, and a couple people thought it perfectly complemented the Bacon Bourbon. So all in all, a success.

My favorite recipe of the day was the Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Popper. So delicious and relatively easy to make, despite the hours of burning under my fingernails. (I recommend gloves when seeding the jalapenos.) I loved these babies so much that after several glasses of wine I promised to make them every single time any of the guests came to my house for dinner for the rest of their lives. I’m sure that won’t come back to bite me in the butt.

Finally, we had some simple bacon-wrapped asparagus. I blanched the asparagus for one-minute in boiling water, then wrapped each 5 spears in a half slice of bacon and baked at 350 for about 30 minutes. I really should have pre-cooked the bacon about half way so that the asparagus could have spent less time in the oven. Their little heads got a bit over-cooked, but it wasn’t the end of the world.

Even Kindergartners agree: Bacon is worth celebrating!

August 27, 2008 by Marianne

August 27, 2008 • Filed Under: Bacon Recipes , Bacon Recipes

Labor Day weekend is fast approaching…kids are getting ready for another school year, parents are thanking heaven that summer is finally over, and we’re all planning our BBQ menus. For an added bonus, Saturday, August 30 is International Bacon Day! (Visit this link for good ideas on how to celebrate.) So clearly, all grill-related cooking should celebrate the wrappable pork product that makes our lives so meaningful.

My brother-in-law Sean first introduced me to this recipe, but I was able to find it on the web at My Wooden Spoon, complete with step-by-step photo instructions. It is my belief that every recipe worth trying should have step-by-step photos. It is Sean’s belief that every BBQ should begin with this tasty treat.

Basically, you cut your jalapenos in half and scoop out all the seeds and membrane. Fill with cream cheese, wrap with bacon, hold together with toothpick and grill (or bake in oven as the recipe suggests). Amazingly easy, incredibly delicious. These would make a great party appetizer or could be served right alongside the main dishes.

If anyone has any other great recipes to share for International Bacon Day, please send them our way! The more we share, the better a holiday it will be!