Tag Archives: Bacon

Jan12

Pig Candy

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Pig Candy

Those two little words got your attention, didn’t they?? Well if they didn’t, try BACON candy!

I met Danielle (Diva Q) at the American Royal BBQ Contest last fall, and even sort of broke my way into the Traeger tent to get a pic snapped with her. (Pinned here: https://twitter.com/ConnieBeene1) I promptly put this recipe book on my Christmas list:

I made a couple of edits to the original recipe, cuz that’s what I always do, and I’m sharing it below. We made more today to share at work, but in actuality, not sure it’ll make it that far. Words of caution….super easy to burn it on the smoker (or grill), so keep it low and check it often. Diva’s original recipe says to use chipotle powder, but take it easy, because it’s POTENT! We used this on the batch today, and it came out delish also :

A delicious option from the Kosmos family of BBQ goodies

Mix it up a bit with your favorite spices — after all, it’s BACON!! Thanks for stopping by, and for more deliciousness delivered to your Inbox, click the Follow button! Enjoy!
~Connie Kaye

Pig Candy

  • Servings: 12
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

1 lb thin sliced bacon
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1.5 cups brown sugar
1 tbsp chipotle powder (or to taste), or your choice of BBQ seasonings

Directions

Place the bacon slices in a single layer on a large disposable, perforated aluminum pan. Brush each bacon slice with maple syrup. Sprinkle generously with brown sugar, then chipotle powder or your favorite BBQ rub/spice.

Place the pan on the grill (approx 350 degrees) and grill until the bacon has absorbed the brown sugar and is crispy, about 1 hour. Remove the bacon from the pan and place in a single layer on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Set aside at room temperature until the surface of the bacon is dry, or close to it. If you have any left at this point (doubtful), refrigerate in an airtight container with parchment paper between the layers and use within 1 week.

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Nov8

Shrimp BLT’s

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I mentioned recently that we had a shrimp boil, and from that I had a lot of boiled spiced shrimp leftover.  I found a recipe for Shrimp BLT’s, and almost chickened out before I made them.  Wasn’t totally sure about the cold shrimp on a piece of toast.  The hub and I decided that a little Old Bay on those babies, on the grill (tossed around in a grill pan) might just work.  WOW.  No other word can describe.  I’ve posted the recipe below and added avocado slices as well.  My friend Gina asked about adding cilantro to the mix, and I think that would be good as long as you don’t overdo it — maybe add a little to the aioli.

shrimp blt

the avocado is in there somewhere!

Beware….napkins are required as it got a little messy, but sooo worth it.  Enjoy!

~Connie Kaye

Shrimp BLT's

  • Servings: depends
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Ingredients:

Medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup mayonnaise
Cooked bacon
Favorite loaf of bread
Lettuce leaves
Sliced tomatoes
Sliced avocados

If you don’t have leftover shrimp, toss the shrimp with lemon juice and 1 tsp Old Bay.  Whisk the sour cream, mayo and remaining 1 tsp Old Bay in small bowl.  Set aside.

Cook bacon until crisp.  Remove to paper towel lined plate and discard all but 1 tsp bacon drippings in the skillet.  Return the skillet to medium-high heat.  Add the shrimp in a single layer along with the liquid.  Cook, flipping 1/2 way through, until opaque and cooked, 3-4 minutes.  Be careful, they don’t take long and will turn to rubber if overdone.

Toast the bread, and spread with aioli mixture.  Layer with lettuce, tomatoes, shrimp, avocado and bacon.  Devour!

Aug24

Hot breakfast in a flash!!!

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Now that the kids are back in school and everyone is running around the house all crazy-like, I wanted to share a scrumptious muffin recipe that can be made ahead and frozen, microwaved, has protein, and is customizable (is that a word?) for even the most finicky eater.  My friend Heather and her daughter Gabby whipped these up, and I think they’re gone already.

The supplies, and the finished product:

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After spraying your muffin cups, throw in whatever ingredients you wish — ham, bacon, spinach, onion, green pepper, sausage….you get the deal!  Oh yeah, and don’t forget the CHEESE!!!  Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder if desired, then add your beaten eggs.  They freeze well and are ready in a snap with the handy dandy microwave!  Enjoy!

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~Connie Kaye

Breakfast Muffins

  • Servings: 12
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Ingredients:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.

Assemble chopped veggies and meats, and your choice of grated cheese(s), and sprinkle in muffin tins. Beat desired amount of eggs and add to muffin tins.  Bake approximately 15 minutes or until centers are set.  Cool on wire rack.  Refrigerate or freeze for use later.  Microwaves well.

Jun26

Bacon Jalapeno Deviled Eggs

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You’ve probably determined by now that we like fairly spicy food.  So, when I ran across an idea to incorporate bacon and jala jala’s into deviled eggs, I thought the idea sounded fab!  And I try new things at strange times of the year – for example, I believe I first made these at Christmas.  I think most normal people make deviled eggs for picnics or in the summer –  not me!  I cook things when the mood strikes!  With the 4th of July festivities approaching quickly, I thought this would be a great time to share.

One trick that you already probably know, when boiling eggs, is once they have finished the process, place them in cold water.  This makes the egg shell much easier to remove.  I actually continue with the cold water and then promptly remove shells.

Mix all ingredients together, then stuff your eggs.  I also like to sprinkle a little paprika very lightly for color when all finished. Refrigerate until ready to eat.  Yum!

bacon deviledd eggs

Photo courtesy food.com

~Connie Kaye

Bacon Jalapeno Deviled Eggs

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Ingredients

  • 12 large eggs, hard boiled and peeled
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1½ tsp rice vinegar
  • ¾ tsp ground mustard
  • ½ tsp sugar
  • 2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
  • 6 pieces bacon, cooked, crisp

Cook eggs, peel, slice in half and remove yolks.  Combine all ingredients and stuff eggs.

May10

Delicious cookies from a family friend! (with a smoked sausage surprise)

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Look at this delicious little morsel:

carrot cookies

Carrot cookies with orange icing!

When I met my husband, Mike, I didn’t realize how I was really getting the whole package.  By that I mean I gained a wonderful mother and father-in-law.  Two of the nicest people you will ever meet!  Over the course of the years, Debbie has brought some delicious treats to my house.  (One that we never let her forget is her homemade dinner rolls until now since I’ve stolen her Kitchen Aid :))  So back to the cookies — I didn’t realize that these yummy delights were the product of her friend, Betty.  Recently I had the opportunity to snarf a few of these and request the recipe.  Today is kind of a cooking day at the casa, because we are smoking a bunch of meat, so I thought I might brew up these cookies.

It calls for boiled, mashed carrots.   So, I started with boiling water and just threw in a whole bag of baby carrots.  What I didn’t use I ate:

carrots

I threw them in my (Debbie’s) 🙂 Kitchen Aid and within just a few minutes, they were ready for the oven:

carrots ready to bake

Don’t let the carrots scare you….there’s just a hint of taste and combined with the light flavor of the orange juice, they are delish!  A really nice light-textured cookie.  And, I SUCK at making cookies, pretty much, and these came out really good.

Also, I wanted to share a really yummy invention that we threw on the smoker, that’s super delicious EASY!  We buy the cheapest 1 lb. roll of breakfast sausage at the grocery store, and wrap it in thick cut bacon, securing with toothpicks soaked in water.  Next liberally douse it with a Wild Cherry Chipotle seasoning (we purchased at a grilling store) and throw on the smoker at 225-250 degrees for about 4 hours.  When it comes out, place on a rack to cool, then wrap it in plastic wrap, then foil and freeze it.  Once it’s frozen, it makes it easy to slice.  Just remove from freezer and let it defrost.  GREAT with cheese and crackers.  And, a word of advice:  be sneaky when it comes out and score a little piece of the bacon…WOWSER!  Here’s a pic:

sausage

Thank you, Betty, for the recipe, and Debbie for being a wonderful part of our family!

Enjoy,

~Connie Kaye

Carrot Cookies

  • Servings: 24
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Ingredients:

1 Cup shortening
3/4 C white sugar — mix these two together.

Add:
1 egg
1 C cooked mashed carrots
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Mix and drop by heaping teaspoonfuls on ungreased baking sheet.  Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes.

FROSTING
Mix the zest of 1 orange and enough orange juice with confectioners sugar to frosting consistency.

Apr29

Crescent Roll Ups – really easy and yummy!

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These delectable bites make an easy appetizer and are good right out of the oven, or even cold.  I highly recommend buying the whole crescent roll sheet as the first time I made them, it was a little sketchy.  However, things have improved:

spinach roll up

It took all of 10 minutes to put these together and another 15-20 in the oven.  I went a little easy on the ingredients, but next time I’m planning to use a little more mustard, green onions and maybe toss around some bacon bits.  The girls watching me make these turned their noses up at the spinach and onion idea, but you literally could put anything in these and they would be good.  If you have other fillings that are tried and true, please share in the comment section below!

Happy Hump Day!

~Connie

Easy Crescent Roll Ups

Ingredients:

Crescent roll dough (full sheet preferable)
Frozen spinach (thaw, drain and pat between towels to remove water)
Dijon mustard
Diced green onions
Shredded cheddar cheese
Crumbled cooked bacon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Unroll dough, and brush on dijon mustard.  Sprinkle with remaining ingredients.  Roll up starting with long edge.  Slice into 1/2″ to 3/4″ inch slices and place on baking sheet.  Bake 15 – 20 minutes or until lightly browned.   Eat up!

Apr25

Mike & Mike Jalapeno Poppers

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Mike & Mike Jalapeno Poppers

We like mexican food, and experimenting with recipes.  So, we’re always looking to invent new recipes and steal some from friends (thanks Heather & Mike).

MB (for you new followers, that’s the hubster, Mike) has a hankerin for making variations of jalapeno poppers, stuffed jalapenos, etc.  We had these recently and have made them a few times since.  I’m sharing the method and ingredients for this version but obviously you can change them up as desired.  (Note….I can hear MB sneezing outside as he is grilling, due to the fact that I think he inhaled a little too much jala jala while cleaning them, even though he had on Connie-Recommended cheap, but critical, plastic gloves.)   Here’s the ingredients, minus the bacon, which I’ll introduce to you in a sec:

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The making of the jala jalas!

I realized a little too late that I didn’t have any automatic (real) bacon bits, and knew we needed them, so I fried up a little bit of bacon, in my NEW GUY FIERI SKILLET.  @GuyFieri  I bought this little gem on the sale aisle while browsing on a weekend, and love it.  Bought a little bit bigger one also, and the first person that uses metal in one of these is MINE.  Well….in a nice way, of course.  Here’s the new addition to my cooking family:

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Sorry, I just don’t spend a ton of money on expensive cookware, and I really like this….nice and heavy and cooks amazing.  Am going back for more!  These are my jalapeno friends, headed outside for a nice evening on the new Weber:

IMG_0365

We also do several bacon wrapped versions, but these are a little easier and less messy (grease, etc.).   They key is the seasoning that Heather hooked us up with….McCormick’s Grill Mates Chipotle & Roasted Garlic seasoning salt.  Really good, and I’ve not tried it in other dishes, but I’m thinking some grilled chicken would be amazing!

IMG_0367

The delicious final product!

Enjoy and don’t hesitate to add your own personal touch, as we do!

~Connie Kaye

 

Heather's Famous Jalapeno Poppers

  • Servings: depends on number of jalapenos
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Ingredients:

1 Cup Whipped Cream Cheese Spread
1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp McCormick’s Grill Mates Chipotle & Roasted Garlic seasoning salt
1/8 cup (or more to taste) crumbled cooked bacon

Don some plastic gloves to wash, slice and remove veins and seeds from jalapenos.  Mix cream cheese and all other ingredients, then stuff jalapenos halves.  Place on grill proof baking sheet or foil pan and grill until cheese is melted and jalapenos are delightfully charred to taste.  Enjoy.

Apr22

A new twist on BACON!

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A new twist on BACON!

Everyone likes bacon, right???  Once in awhile for something different, or if having guests, I like to make this spiced bacon, and boy does it go over good!  You can even make it ahead and refrigerate, microwaving briefly when you’re ready to serve.  Adjust the cayenne to your liking, and voila, an easy and delicious treat!  Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or those times when breakfast seems like the perfect thing for dinner 🙂

Photo credit Food.com

Photo credit Food.com

~Enjoy!

Spiced Bacon Twists

  • Servings: 6-8
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Ingredients:

1 C. packed light brown sugar
2 T. dry mustard
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)
1 lb regular bacon (not thick sliced)

Mix dry ingredients together.  Press sugar mixture on both sides of each individual bacon strip, and twist several times.  Place on rack over foil lined baking sheet.  Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees.  Let cool on additional plate or rack.

Feb25

Blue Cheese Date Delights

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These little morsels have other names, but if you love blue cheese, as I do, you will love love love these!!  I know they sound weird, but hang in here with me, they are amazing.  In fact, I used my very favorite blue cheese, which is Maytag Blue Cheese, (thank you Gina Coffman) produced by http://www.maytagdairyfarms.com/.  However, I love gorgonzola and basically any blue cheese.   I am giving credit to my love and cooking partner hubster, Mike, because this is one that we re-created together, and he charges on with making them, once I brew up the cheese mixture.  We were introduced to these at a work Christmas party of his many years ago, and we think we’ve done a pretty good copycat job.  (yes, the cooking operation is a joint one at the Beene Ranch).

Gather whipped cream cheese, the blue cheese of your choice, some patience, dried dates, bacon and you’re on the road to yummo!    I took this pic while making these, and cannot tell you why the buttermilk is in the picture….I didn’t use it, but apparently I thought about it.  (welcome to my world of cooking)  (I promise pics will get better…remember, I’m NOT a blogger nor am I a photographer)

 Ingredients

I will go ahead and admit now that if you are looking for a lot of specific measurements, you’re in the WRONG place.  If you grow up in the restaurant business, with parents that are good cooks, you’ll find that things aren’t typically measured.  My husband gives me a LOT of grief about not following recipes.  I feel that a recipe is just an outline…kinda like you had to write in Public Speaking 101 in college.  Between outline topics, you ad lib.  I can tell you that if you just hang in there and give it a little KANSAS CITY CHIEFS kc try, you’ll be able to enhance your creativity and cooking skills!!!

Warning:  my dishes don’t ALWAYS work out.  Seriously.  Some stuff I’ve made is not good (and I probably should have used a recipe or measured ingredients).  If I’m at the lake, I just toss it in – figure the fish will like it.  Speaking of the lake, and cooking, don’t par boil jalapenos in the cabin of a boat.  It doesn’t work out.  At.  All.  Those ended up in the lake too, and not at my friends Dee & Betty’s party – I couldn’t stand the fumes.

So, let’s focus.  Mix the whipped cream cheese with blue cheese to taste, slit the dates open, stuff them with blue cheese mixture, and wrap with 1/3 piece of bacon.  Secure with toothpicks that have been soaking in water this entire time.  Now I will tell you that some people make these and pre-cook the bacon a little bit.   I think that’s a great idea, and haven’t tried it, but I plan to.  Will make it much quicker since the bacon will crisp up more pronto.  Place on a baking rack and dream about deliciousness.   These  need about 30 minutes or so, but if you try the pre-cooking bacon suggestion, should be less.    Anyhoo, this is what they look like, and eat some before your guests arrive, or you may not get any.

The only other thing you might do is to let someone try them who despises blue cheese — oh crap, that’s funny.  🙂    Try to have your phone camera ready.

blue cheese dates

Enjoy!

~Connie

 

Blue Cheese Date Delights

  • Servings: a hungry crowd
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Ingredients:

1 pkg dried, pitted dates
4 oz. container of crumbled blue cheese
Small container of whipped cream cheese
1 lb. bacon, slices cut in thirds

Preheat oven to 375.  Line baking sheet with aluminum foil, and place baking rack on foil (spray with nonstick cooking spray)

Mix cheese together to taste.  Slice the date along the side and stuff with blue cheese mixture.   Make sure that the slit is completely covered and bacon overlaps.  Wrap with bacon, securing with toothpick and place on baking rack.    Bake for approximately 20-30 min or until the bacon is crisp.  Good warm or cold.

Feb22

Bacon Wrapped Club Crackers

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So we all know that EVERYTHING is better with bacon, correct?  This recipe is one that I found that originally had brown sugar on the cracker, but I thought I’d mix it up a bit and try a little parmesan cheese.  Well, turns out it wasn’t a bad idea at all 🙂

You will need a box of club crackers, a package of bacon (cut the slices in thirds) and shredded parmesan cheese (the fresher the better).

bacon inged - Copy

Place a little pile of the cheese on each cracker, wrap the bacon around it, lay the little morsel of deliciousness on a baking rack, and about two hours later, heaven will be ready for your consumption!

bacon cracker prep - Copybacon cracker - Copy

Like all my recipes that I love to make, super fast, super easy and your guests will chomp them up (if you leave any for them).

Enjoy these, and let me know if you try them with brown sugar – bet they’re good also!

— Connie

Bacon Wrapped Club Crackers

  • Servings: a hungry crowd
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Ingredients:
1 box of Club crackers
1 package of bacon, pieces cut in thirds
Freshly shredded parmesan cheese

Line a broiler or jelly roll pan with foil. Place wire baking rack on top of it and I recommend spraying baking rack with non-stick spray. Place small pile of cheese on each cracker and wrap bacon around the cracker, placing on rack, seam side down. Bake at 250 degrees for a little over an hour (maybe 1 hr, 30 or so).  Check on crackers at 1 hour to make sure cheese isn’t burning or overdone.  If the cheese is getting too overdone, cover with foil and continue cooking until bacon is at desired crispness.