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Simple Tip: Cook Bacon in the Oven

partysugar — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 10:15:14 -0800

A couple of years ago I watched the Barefoot Contessa roast bacon in the oven. She was making a BLT and didn't need the bacon fat. I had never thought to bake bacon, and the idea has changed my life! Now, I roast bacon all the time. It's an easy, convenient, and splatter-free way to cook it. Here's what you do:

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cover a large cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil.
Place the raw bacon in a row on the parchment paper.
Roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes until bacon is crisp and cooked.
Remove bacon to paper towel lined plates, pat dry, and use however you want.

Do you ever cook bacon in the oven?

Game Day Eats: Pimento Cheese and Bacon Bites

YumSugar — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 13:00:47 -0800

Still on the hunt for a finger food that'll complete your Super Bowl Sunday? Consider serving the sliders and wings with a cheesy, toasty Southern snack that'll please just about anyone. Seriously, it's melted pimento cheese, crunchy baguette, and crispy bits of bacon - how can you go wrong?

I love the worry-free factor of these bites. The pimento cheese can be made several days ahead, and the recipe can be halved and still turns out great. I don't have a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, so I hand-mixed the pimento cheese. Win over any Super Bowl fan when you read more.

Homemade Refried Black Beans

Yum Community — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 11:30:01 -0800

This story was written by member lauren and comes from the Kitchen Goddess group in the YumSugar Community.I love Mexican food but I must admit I have always bought canned refried beans. Feeling brave, I decided to try to make my own. The actual hands on time is pretty minimal but I did have to soak the beans and also cook them for nearly 2 hours. But the end result was delicious and well worth the wait. If you want to make them vegetarian you can easily substitute the bacon drippings for oil but boy does that bacon add a lot of flavor!

To get her recipe, keep reading.

Game Day Eats: Bacon-Wrapped Barbecued Shrimp

partysugar — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 09:00:46 -0800

When I think of a game day, it always involves food sensations. The scent of bacon wafting through the air, the sticky fingers that require licking clean, the lingering heat from a spicy sauce that causes lips to tingle. A dish that exemplifies these sentiments? Bacon-wrapped shrimp with spicy barbecue sauce. They are, as Guy Fieri would say, "a triple F" - filling, flavorful, and fun to eat - basically everything you could ever want in a Super Bowl snack. Not to mention that the recipe is easy and the sauce can be made in advance. To score big with these amazing skewers, get the recipe and read more.

Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp With Chipotle Barbecue Sauce
From Guy Fieri

Ingredients

20 strips bacon (about 12 ounces)
20 medium-large shrimp, shelled and deveined (about 1 pound)
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1/4 cup canola oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
3 tablespoons chopped chipotles in adobo sauce
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Freshly ground pepper

Directions

Soak 5 to 8 bamboo skewers in water for about 20 minutes to keep them from burning on the grill or under the broiler.
Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large skillet until halfway done, about 4 minutes. Drain and cool on paper towels.
Wrap a piece of bacon around the middle of each shrimp; skewer with bamboo through the point where the bacon ends meet to keep it from unraveling. Thread 3 to 5 shrimp on each bamboo skewer.
Puree the barbecue sauce, oil, lemon juice, mustard, chipotles, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper in a blender. Set aside half of the sauce for dipping.
Preheat a grill, grill pan or broiler. Grill or broil shrimp (on a foil-lined baking sheet, if broiling) for 5 minutes, basting with the sauce once they begin to turn pink. Flip, baste again and grill or broil until just cooked through, about 4 more minutes. Serve with extra sauce.

Serves 6.

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Soup's On: Easy White Bean Soup

partysugar — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 09:50:23 -0800

Since the majority of you prefer to stay in on New Year's Eve, I thought you might be looking for a delectable soup recipe. This white bean soup with bacon and goat cheese croutons is elegant and surprisingly easy to make. Serve it in shot glasses as an appetizer to a party or enjoy a large bowl with a green salad for a simple meal. Although it has a creamy texture, there's only a small amount of cream in the soup - the starch from the beans provides the thick richness. To make it vegetarian friendly, ditch the bacon and use vegetable stock instead of chicken broth. Learn how this scrumptious soup is done and read more.

White Bean Soup
From Ted Allen

Ingredients

1/2 strip bacon, diced
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 shallots, chopped
2 15-ounce cans cannellini or other white beans, drained and rinsed
6 leaves fresh sage, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Kosher salt
3 slices crusty bread, toasted
2 ounces goat cheese, at room temperature
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Fry the bacon in a medium saucepan over medium heat until halfway done, 3 minutes.
Add the olive oil, butter and shallots and saute until soft, 6 minutes. Add the beans, sage, garlic and broth, bring to a simmer and cook 15 more minutes.
Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor in three batches and puree until smooth. (Be careful - hot liquids are prone to explode when whipped!) Return the pureed soup to the pan and add the cream, cayenne, and salt to taste. Keep warm.
Smear the toasted bread generously with goat cheese and cut into 3/4-inch croutons. To serve, ladle the soup into shot glasses or bowls, top with goat cheese croutons and sprinkle with black pepper.

Serves 4.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Bacon, Lettuce, and Egg Salad

partysugar — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 06:50:10 -0800

The classic flavors of a breakfast sandwich - bacon, eggs, toasted bread, and melted cheese - are transformed into a salad that's worthy of dinner.

The bacon is sprinkled with brown sugar and broiled until caramelized and syrupy. Thick slices of country bread are topped with jarlsberg cheese, and a fried egg finishes off the dish.

It's rustic and simple, but satisfying and decadent. Want the recipe? Read more.

Killer App: Sweet Potato and Bacon in Endive Boats

YumSugar — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 16:00:10 -0800

New Year's Eve is a time for celebrating, so I always like to keep the food simple and delicious - with lots of sparkling, of course. To avoid a bunch of cleanup after a party, I prefer to serve appetizers with no utensils required. An endive spear filled with sweet potatoes, bacon, crème fraiche, and a sprinkling of chives fits the ticket perfectly.

I experimented with these on Christmas to make sure they are perfect for New Year's Eve. The sweet potato and bacon I prepped the morning of, sautéing it until nearly finished. Just before my guests arrived, I reheated the bacon and sweet potato mixture in a pan and plated the dish. The bitter endive and peppery bacon balanced the sweetness of sweet potato. Each bite reminds me of a more complex baked potato with all of the fixings. Celebrate your New Year's with sweet potato endive spears, and get the recipe by reading more.

Taste Test: Bacon Ranch and Bacon Pop

YumSugar — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 13:00:45 -0800

When I tried Baconnaise for the first time last year, I declared it the best thing since sliced bread. Its savory roundness led me to ponder: if Baconnaise is this good, why buy regular mayonnaise ever again?

I knew, from the way bacon turned up in just about everything, that this was only the beginning for J&D's, the mastermind behind Baconnaise. The latest food concepts up the company's sleeve? Bacon Ranch and Bacon Pop - because, as the motto claims, "everything should taste like bacon." We put it to the test. Should everything really taste like bacon? Read on to find out.

Monday's Leftovers: Edamame Corn Chowder

YumSugar — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 08:00:10 -0800

I'm making tonight a laid-back Monday night by chilling in front of the tube with a bowl of homemade soup. I'll be giving an old Winter standby, corn chowder, a facelift with two ingredients that have been very big this decade: leftover bacon, for smokiness, and frozen, shelled edamame, to up the protein ante.

To turn this hearty stew into a weeknight feast, I'm going to serve it with some crusty garlic bread and a mixed green salad. The result is a satisfying meal that takes minutes to make. Interested? Then keep reading for the recipe.

Sunday Dinner: Bacon Fried Rice

YumSugar — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 06:30:00 -0800

Now that Christmas is over, take a break from your time spent in the kitchen in favor of some rest and relaxation with family. Tonight, piece together some pantry staples like eggs, bacon, and onions, to make an Asian takeout-inspired supper sans the grease.

Up the vegetable quotient by adding frozen carrots and corn. Or, to make it more substantial, serve this fried rice with a skillet-fried egg on top. For the recipe, read more.