December 17, 2018

One Response to “Candied Maple Bacon”

1. Brad Jones Says:

   
   December 25, 2018 at 9:33 pm

   Here are recipes if you might want to post them. Many are Celtic. This is a cook book I wrote as a give away for my Parish’s October Fest. You do not need to mention me if you do want to post any of them. The inspiration for the title of this book comes from a comment made by a former co-worker. While we were waiting to start our staff Christmas party, he said he was too hungry to wait much longer. I offered him a piece of the pie I had brought in. He said he “wanted real food, not some fufu pie”. I explained that it was an Italian Easter pie and described the ingredients. His response was “Oh you mean man pie”. Yes, this book is packed with recipes that use bacon or sausage. They are recipes that we have found enjoyed over the years. We don’t make them daily but we do enjoy them on a regular basis. It is also done to poke fun at people who think men can’t cook and only want dishes that have one of those ingredients in them. And yes, I do plan on writing this book in the style of Jeff Smith, the Frugal Gourmet. Almost every recipe has a story and family memories attached to it. Last, while I have found these recipes in many places, I always follow the saying “Never leave well enough alone”. So none of these are like the original.

   Breakfast
   Toad in the Hole
   Breakfast Burritos
   Eggs in Salsa
   Bacon Explosion
   Bacon Egg Pie
   Welsh Eggs
   Scottish Eggs
   French Toast Casserole

   Lunch and Supper
   Sausage Spaetzel Bake
   Italian Easter Pie
   Steak and Mushroom Pie
   Chicken Pot Pie
   Quesadilla Pie
   Burgundy Beef
   Cheating Chili
   Sausage Barley Soup
   Corn Fritters

   Appetizers/Side Dishes
   Chicken Dip
   Warm Bacon Cheese Dip
   Bacon Asparagus
   Bacon Wrapped Scallops

   Breakfasts

   Over the years we have found we can make most fast food breakfasts at home cheaper and of better quality that what you can get at the drive through. We started a tradition that has been handed on down of making our “drive through food”, getting in car and then enjoying them while we were on the road for our trip. For our children it was just as much fun as using a fast food drive through.

   Toad-in-the-Hole

   My family and I like to find and make recipes from our cultural heritage (Celtic). This is one that has a fun name and makes very good breakfast “muffins” that can be eaten on the go or as an easy brunch food.

   Ingredients:
   1/2 pound (250g) pork link sausages cut into pieces or bulk sausage
   1/2 pound bacon, chopped into pieces
   3/4 cup flour
   One and a quarter cups milk
   Two large eggs
   Half cup grated strong Cheddar cheese
   2 tablespoons chopped parsley (optional)
   Pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

   Brown sausage and bacon, drain off excess fat. Sift flour and a pinch of salt into a mixing bowl and stir in the grated cheese. In a smaller bowl, beat milk, eggs, and parsley, and season generously with salt and pepper. Stir a small amount of milk mixture into the flour to make a smooth, very heavy batter and let stand 5 minutes before stirring in remaining milk mixture. Mix in the sausage and bacon. You may either now pour it into your cast iron skillet or spoon it into 12 muffin cups. We prefer the later. Bake at 400 degrees until puffed and brown, 15 minutes in the muffin tin and 30 minutes in the cast iron skillet. This recipe can easily be doubled and cooked in a 9×13 cake pan or 24 muffin tins.

   Breakfast Burritos

   This is the one of the easiest fast food recipes we ever recreated. My daughter and son in law made these when we took his nephew to the Cleveland Zoo. As we were driving to the zoo he announced they were better than anything he has ever had at McDonald’s. They can also be frozen and reheated later in an oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

   Ingredients
   1 pound bulk sausage
   1 red pepper
   10 eggs
   1 to two cups of sharp cheese
   10 medium soft flour tortilla shells

   Chop the red pepper into medium to fine dice and set aside. Brown the sausage and drain well. Add the red pepper and continue to fry until done to your liking. Beat the eggs and pour into the skillet. When eggs are almost set add the cheese and cook until it is melted. Put about 1/8 of a cup of filling in the center of each tortilla shell and rollup. At this point they can be wrapped in foil and kept arm in the oven until you are ready to eat or leave on your trip.

   Eggs in Salsa

   Ok, so this is totally a take off from Huevos Rancheros. Frankly I think it is easier and tastes just as good.

   Ingredients
   6-12 oz of the salsa of your choice
   4 to 8 eggs
   2 to 4 soft flour tortilla shells, warmed
   1/4 to 1/2 cups of cheddar cheese

   This can either be made in a cast iron skillet or 9 inch Pyrex pie plate. Heat oven to 350 degrees. If using skillet, use entire jar of salsa and 8 eggs. If using pie plate, use 1 /2 jar and four eggs. Pour salsa into the baking dish of your choice. Gently place eggs on top of salsa. Bake in oven until whites are set. Sprinkle cheese over top and return to oven until melted. Place two eggs and some salsa on tortilla shells and serve.

   Sausage Bacon Explosion

   This recipe initially came from an article I found on the Internet. Once you have made the explosion you may either eat it as is or use it to create your own breakfast sandwiches. My nephews enjoyed it that way when we made English muffin egg and cheese sandwiches to eat like drive through food on our way to Niagara Falls.

   Ingredients:
   2 pounds thick cut bacon
   1-2 pounds Italian or any breakfast sausage

   Use 1 lb. of bacon to create a square bacon weave. Make sure your weave is tight and that you end up with a nice square shape to work with. Take the sausage and layer it directly on top of your bacon weave. Be sure to press the sausage to the outer edges of the bacon creating a patty that is the same thickness all the way across. Most grocery stores carry loose sausage, so just pick out one you like. Next up is bacon layer number two. Take the remaining bacon slices and chop them into medium to small and fry them up the same way you would for breakfast. Place the cooked bacon on top of the sausage layer. Very carefully separate the front edge of the sausage layer from the bacon weave and begin rolling backwards. You want to include all layers EXCEPT the bacon weave in your roll. Try and keep the sausage as tight as possible and be sure to release any air pockets that may have formed. Once the sausage is fully rolled up, pinch together the seams and ends to seal all of the bacon goodness inside. To complete the construction process, roll the sausage forward completely wrapping it in the bacon weave. Make sure it sits with the seam facing downward to help keep it all sealed up. You may now either place you roll in a smoker at 225 degrees or bake in an oven at the same temperature until your meat thermometer gives an internal temperature reading of 165 degrees. Normally this will take about 1 hour for each inch of thickness. Slice the Bacon Explosion into quarter to half inch rounds to serve. If your roll was good and tight, you should now see a nice bacon pinwheel pattern throughout the sausage.

   Bacon Egg Pie
   Ingredients:
   Two pie crusts (use store bought)
   6 slices of back bacon, cut into pieces
   3 eggs
   1/2 cup milk
   Finely chopped parsley
   Salt and pepper

   Line your pie plate with the bottom crust. Lay the bacon in the pastry case and sprinkle with the parsley. Beat the eggs into the milk and pour over the bacon. Season. Cover with the remaining piecrust. Make a hole in the center of the lid. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes.

   Welsh Eggs

   I made up this recipe. When my children asked what it was I made up the name on the spur of the moment.

   Ingredients
   1 pound bulk sausage of your choice
   6 eggs

   Divide the sausage into six portions. Using a six-cup muffin pan, push the sausage into each cup and up the sides to create a little sausage cup. Bake at 350 degrees until the sausage is almost cooked through (about 10-15 minutes). Drain off the grease. Place an egg into each sausage cup and return to the oven until the eggs are set. If you want you may top with a little shredded cheese of your choice.

   Scotch Eggs

   This one is an authentic Scottish recipe. I like to serve them standing on half of a bagel.

   Ingredients
   8 hard boiled eggs
   1/4 cup of flour
   1 1/2 pounds of sausage divided into eight portions
   1 cup dry bread crumbs
   2 eggs beaten
   Oil for deep frying

   Coat hard boiled eggs in flour. Wrap sausage patty around each egg. Dip in beaten egg and coat with bread crumbs. Fry eggs four at a time for 7 to 8 minutes. Serve warm.

   French Toast Casserole

   One of our Christmas traditions is to have this for breakfast.

   Ingredients
   1 loaf white bread slices, cubed
   8 oz. (or more) cream cheese diced (optional)
   10 eggs
   1 1/2 C. Half & Half
   1/3 C. maple syrup
   1 stick of butter, melted

   In a greased 9″x12″ pan place 1/2 of the bread cubes. Sprinkle cream cheese cubes over top. Cover with remaining bread cubes. In a large bowl combine eggs, Half & Half, maple syrup and butter. Pour over top of the bread. Pat down the bread cubes. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Preheat oven to 350. Bake in preheated oven for 45-50 min. Makes 12 servings.
   Lunch and Supper

   Sausage Spaetzel Bake

   You can make this with either bulk or link sausage. Personally I prefer the link, but one of my daughters prefers the bulk. Either way it is good, especially as a left over. I have also found that if you spray the spaetzel maker before you run the batter through it the clean up is easier.

   Ingredients
   3 cups flour
   1-2 tsp. black pepper
   4 eggs beaten
   1 3/4 cups of milk
   1 1/2 cups chopped broccoli
   1 red pepper diced
   1 pound (or more) sausage
   1 cup shredded cheese (swiss or mozzarella)

   Slice the sausage into 1/2 inch slices. Fry until browned (2-3 minutes). Drain well. Stir-fry the broccoli and red pepper in the same pan until tender crisp. Mix in with the sausage and set aside. Mix the flour and pepper. Make a well in the center of the flour. Mix the eggs and milk in the well. Beat in the flour to make a thick batter. You may need to add more milk to get your batter to a good consistency. Fill a large pot half way with water and bring to a boil. Run the batter through you spaetzel maker in small batches. Spaetzel is cooked when it floats. Put the spaetzel in with the sausage as it cooks. Once it is all cooked mix in the cheese. Put it in a 9×13 pan sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 350 for 15 to 17 minutes.

   Italian Easter Pie

   This is the pie that my co-worker dubbed man pie. We make this several times a year, not just at Easter. My nephews enjoy it when I make this for their visits. It is easy to understand how this is used to celebrate the end of the Lenten fast on Easter Sunday.

   Ingredients
   1 / 2 pound bulk sausage, cooked and drained.
   1 / 4 pound pepperoni chopped
   1 / 4 hard salami chopped
   1 /2 prosciutto (ham) chopped
   1 pound basket cheese or large curd cottage drained
   4 oz shredded provolone (or mozzarella)
   1 pound ricotta
   3 eggs, beaten
   Pepper to taste
   Pie crust for top and bottom (store bought is fine)

   Line bottom of 9-inch pie plate with one crust. Mix all the ingredients together. Place in the crust. You will have to pack it down as this is a lot of filling. Put on the top crust and seal the edges. Cut several slits in the top to allow steam to escape. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes.

   Steak and Mushroom Pie

   This is another recipe that is adapted from the Frugal Gourmet, who adapted it from a British recipe.

   Ingredients:
   Two pie crusts (bottom and top)
   3 slices of bacon cut into large dice (optional)
   1 1/2/ pound of steak cut into 1/2” dice
   1 pound mushrooms
   1 to 2 cups other vegetables of your choice (optional)
   3 tablespoons chopped parsley
   2 cups of beef broth
   1 1/2 tablespoons of corn starch.

   Line your pie plate with one of the crusts. Set aside. Lightly brown bacon. Add and brown your beef cubes. Add your vegetables and mushrooms and sauté until crisp tender. Mix the cornstarch in the beef broth until dissolved. Pour over the beef and bring to a boil. Boil until thick. Pour into pie shell. Cover and seal. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.

   Chicken Pot Pie

   Ingredients
   Two pie crusts (top and bottom)
   2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces.
   2 stalks of celery sliced
   1/2 pound of mushrooms sliced
   1 cup corn
   1 red pepper cut into large dice
   3 cups of broth
   3 tbsp. Cornstarch

   Line your pie plate with one of the crusts. Set aside. Brown the chicken in the skillet and set aside. Stir-fry the vegetables until tender crisp. Mix the cornstarch and broth. Add the chicken to the vegetables. Pour in the broth and bring to a boil. Stir until the broth is thick. Pour into you pie shell. Cover with the other crust and cut several slits in the top to let steam escape. Bake at 375 for 45 minutes.

   Quesadilla Pie

   We have enjoyed this recipe from the moment we found it. My youngest daughter reports that it is even better with homemade salsa.

   Ingredients
   1 to 1 1/2 pounds of chicken breasts
   2 cups of chunky salsa, divide use
   1/4 cups of sour cream
   3 – 7 1/2 inch soft flour tortilla shells.
   1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese.

   Pre heat oven to 375 degrees. Cut chicken into bite sized pieces. Stir-fry the chicken until it is cooked through. Combine chicken, 1 cup of salsa and sour cream. Spread 1/2 cup of salsa on the bottom of a 9 inch pie plate. Place a tortilla shell on salsa. Top with half the chicken. Save 1/2 cup of cheese for the top of the pie. Sprinkle an even layer of cheese on top of the chicken. Repeat with another shell and the chicken and cheese. Place the third shell on top of the chicken cheese layer. Top with 1 / 2 cup of salsa and reserved cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake another five minutes. Cut into four pieces and serve.

   Burgundy Beef

   This was one of the first dishes I made for wife when we were first dating. It is still one of her favorites. Use a good quality Burgundy. It will make a big difference. We like Heritage Wine Cellars’ Burgundy for this recipe.

   Ingredients
   1 lb. beef flank or top round steak
   1 medium red pepper
   3/4 C. beef broth
   1/2 C. burgundy
   3 Tbsp. Flour
   1/2 tsp. salt
   1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
   2 Tbsp. oil
   1 1/2 C. sliced fresh mushrooms
   1 pkg. snow pea pods
   Cooked rice or noodles

   Partially freeze beef and slice thinly into bite size pieces. Cut pepper into 1″ squares. Pea pods may be cut in half if desired. Mix broth, wine, flour, salt and ground pepper, set aside. Heat wok or cast iron skillet over high heat. Stir fry meat in two batches for 2‑3 min or until just brown. Remove and set aside. Stir fry mushrooms and pea pods 4 min. Add pepper and stir-fry another 5 min. Stir wine mixture, then add to pan. Stir and cook until thick and bubbly, then cook 1 min. more. Add beef and heat through. Makes 6 servings. Recipe can easily be doubled. While it can be served over noodles it is better over rice. Its great reheated, that is if any is left over.

   Cheaten Chili

   This is a desperation dish I created from ingredients I had on hand when I was working in Saudi Arabia. It turned out well, so I kept the recipe I created.

   Ingredients
   1 pound ground beef
   1 packet taco seasoning mix
   1 can of stewed tomatoes
   1can of pinto beans, undrained.
   Cheddar cheese for toping (optional)

   Brown your ground beef. Mix in taco seasoning packet. Add tomatoes and pinto beans. Cook until it thickens slightly and is heated through. Put in bowls and top with cheese if you would like. Serves four.

   Sausage Barley Soup

   Another recipe that I found when I worked in Saudi Arabia for a year. The original recipe was in a book of catering recipes and called for lentils. We prefer barley. If you want to use lentils cut the amount of chicken stock you use in half. Either way it makes a great soup. It freezes well and can be reheated in the microwave.

   Ingredients 6 12 20 50
   Pearl Barley 1 cup 2 cups 3 ½ cups 7 cups
   Celery stalk 1 2 3 8
   Carrots 2 2 3 5
   Mushrooms 4 oz 6 oz 8 oz 1 pound
   Corn ¼ cup ½ cup 1 cup 3 cups
   Chicken stock 1 1/2 quarts 3 quarts 7 quarts 14 quarts
   Sausage ½ pound 1 pound 2 pounds 4 pounds

   Except for the chicken broth and the barley all other ingredients can be increased or decreased according to your preferences. We always go overboard on the sausage. If the soup is still too thick when you are done you can thin it with more broth or water.

   If using lentils, soak them overnight in plenty of water. The next day drain and rinse well. Place barley or lentils in a pot and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and place the sausage on top. Simmer for two hours or until barley or lentils are tender. Cut your vegetables into medium dice. Stir fry until tender crisp. Remove sausage from the soup and slice into bite sized rounds. Return to soup, add vegetables and simmer for 15-20 minutes. If you have leftovers, you may need to add more broth to thin it.

   Corn Fritters

   This serves four as a side dish or two as a main course. It can easily be doubled or tripled. We enjoy it as a main dish during Fridays in Lent.

   Ingredients
   2 eggs
   1/2 cup of flour
   1/2 teaspoon of salt
   1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
   Black pepper to taste
   2 cups fresh or frozen corn
   1 can chopped clams (6 oz.) optional
   Milk
   2-4 Tbsp. butter

   Mix the first seven ingredients together. Add enough milk to make a very thick batter. Melt the butter in your frying pan and fry on both sides until brown and crisp.

   Appetizers/Side Dishes

   Chicken Dip

   This is the dip that started it all. My oldest daughter brought it home and we have been alternating it with the recipe below ever since.

   Ingredients
   8 oz. cream cheese
   1 cup of Tabasco sauce (Caitlin specifies Frank’s red hot)
   10 oz can of chicken
   1/2 cup ranch dressing (very optional)
   Enough cheddar cheese to cover top of pie pan

   Beat the cream cheese and Tabasco sauce together. Add the chicken and ranch dressing. Put mixture into a 9-in. pie pan and cover with cheese. Bake at 400 for about 15 min. Serve warm with crackers or tortilla chips.

   Warm Bacon Cheese Dip

   Ingredients
   8 oz. cream cheese
   1 1/2 cups sour cream
   2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
   1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
   1 / 2 to 1 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
   1/2 cup chopped green onion (optional)

   If you prefer, chop the bacon before frying. Drain and set aside. Beat the cream cheese, cheddar cheese and Worcestershire sauce together. Stir in the bacon and green onion. Place in an oven safe bowl and bake at 325 for 1 hour.

   Bacon Asparagus

   Ingredients
   20 pieces asparagus
   10 pound bacon

   Lay two asparagus spears with the opposite ends against each other. Wrap a piece of bacon around the spears. Placed on a lightly sprayed baking sheet. Bake at 450 until the bacon is cooked.

   Bacon Wrapped Scallops

   The Scottish title of this dish is angles on horseback. Once you’ve tried them you will understand why.

   Ingredients
   Ocean or bay scallops
   Bacon

   Wrap each scallop with a piece of bacon. Broil until the scallops are brown on top and the bacon is cooked.

   Reply

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