Here we are, bacon part two! If you missed last week’s bacon article this week should make up for it. Bacon recipes are in this week’s edition. It doesn’t get any better than this. Throw out those M & M’s in the candy dish and puts some fresh crisp bacon out! You’ll probably have more new friends pop in to visit than you’ve ever seen.
A couple of weeks ago I had baked some bacon in the oven. Delicious bacon smells were making their way around the house. UPS pulled up and I met them at the door. After I had opened the door they UPS guy handed me my box and said, “Man that smells great! Is that bacon?”.
Different ways to cook bacon
According to Cook’s Country June/July issue in the “Getting to Know Bacon” article by Scott Kathan, bacon should never be cooked to quickly or aggressively. The reason behind this is to give the fat on the bacon time to render.
Personally, I like to bake my bacon in the oven on a rimmed baking sheet. Turn my oven to 400 degrees F and while I wait for it to heat up I slowly arrange my bacon on the tray. To save cleanup time, you can place a sheet of aluminum on the bottom. But I don’t mind the cleanup, so I have never done that. I save the grease to fry eggs in or use to jazz up cornbread.
Baking bacon in the oven is great for large batches of bacon. I like to do large batches and then place some in a container to eat at breakfast throughout the week and then I freeze the rest. If I am freezing some of the bacon, I remove those pieces earlier before they get crisp. That way I can pop them in my skillet or on the griddle and finish frying them with my eggs or pancakes.
Scott Kathan recommends cooking smaller batches of bacon by using a skillet and just enough water to barely cover it. Bring your water to a boil over high heat, and then lower the heat to medium and cook until the water has evaporated and the bacon is crispy.
Fun bacon recipes!
We can’t start bacon recipes without listing bacon jalapeno poppers! This is an oldie but a goodie. How can you go wrong with bacon and cream cheese?!
Bacon Jalapeno Poppers
Ingredients- makes 12 poppers
- 12 slices thick-cut bacon
- 12 jalapeno peppers- a good size would be a 3-inch pepper
- 1/2 cup cream cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar or shredded Monterey jack
Directions
Turn your oven on to 400 degrees F and line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminium foil.
Before touching your jalapeno’s FIRST– put on food service gloves to prevent the oil from the jalapeno getting on your hand and then accidentally touching your face or eyes! Take your jalapeno peppers and cut them lengthwise, remove the seeds and membranes. I like to use the tip of a teaspoon to help scrape and remove.
Next, in a mixing bowl, mix together your cream cheese and shredded sharp cheddar until well blended. Take each jalapeno half and fill them with the cream cheese and cheese mixture. Put each half back together and then take a strip of bacon and wrap it around the jalapeno (it’s a bacon seat belt for all the delicious cream cheese) and lay them seam side down in the baking sheet. If your bacon isn’t holding well, take a toothpick and push it through the bacon into the jalapeno and back out the other side securing the bacon to the jalapeno.
Place your baking sheet of bacon jalapeno poppers into the 400-degree oven for 15 minutes, or until the bacon is crispy. Enjoy!
Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts – Julie Bahr
This is a great recipe from my old “Stampin Up!” demonstrator Julie Bahr… she has no idea her recipe is about to hit the newspaper!
Ingredients
- 3 cans whole water chestnuts
- 1 package hickory smoked bacon
- brown sugar
Directions
Drain the 2 cans of water chestnuts and set aside the juice and then drain and dispose of the juice from the 3rd can. Put the 2 cans of juice in a mixing bowl. Add just enough brown sugar to turn the juice a nice brown color. Add water chestnuts into the brown sugar mixtures. Marinate them overnight.
Take the bacon and cut into half or thirds depending on the size of the water chestnuts. Take each marinated water chestnut and wrap a piece of bacon around and stick a toothpick in to hold it. Place them on a broiler pan and broil them until they are nice and brown. Place broiled bacon-wrapped chestnuts in a slow cooker to keep them warm. Enjoy!
More Recipes to look up
There are many interesting bacon recipes… give these a try:
- https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/158764/grilled-bacon-wrapped-olives/
- https://thissillygirlskitchen.com/sweet-spicy-bacon-bombs/?utm_campaign=yummly&utm_medium=yummly&utm_source=yummly
- https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/236501/chef-johns-bacon-jam/
- https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/articles/50-things-to-make-with-bacon
Don’t forget, bacon is a wonderful meat moisturizer wrapped around chicken breasts, pheasant, and wild turkey. Basically, you just can’t go wrong with bacon.
Till next time friends, bacon in moderation! Here is to good food, good friends and a good life!
Michele Bruxvoort is sure to draw you in with her delightful sense of humor and love for living life. She enjoys reading, repurposing, as well as remodeling the family home with her husband. Drawing from her life experience as wife, mom, and follower of Jesus, Michele brings you a very honest and real perspective on life. When you don’t find her writing, you can find her mowing lawns, stocking shelves, taking care of her grandbaby and tackling her latest life adventure.
Wisconsin native and empty-nester, she now makes her home with her husband of 27 years in the South West Prairie plains of Minnesota.
