Category Archives: Bacon

Bacon, Casseroles, Easy Brunch Recipes, Gluten Free (GF), Ketogenic, Vegetables

Cheesy Bacon Brussels Sprouts

February 3, 2017 Jolyn Leave a comment

Here’s great way to introduce people to Brussels sprouts: roast and smother them in bacon and melted cheese —
the sprouts, not the people, that is.

This recipe came from 12Tomatoes.com — one of my favorite recipe sites. Check it out for lots of yummy dishes. Here’s how I made it:

Ingredients
1½ pounds Brussels sprouts, halved
8 oz bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
½ cup fontina cheese, grated
¾ cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 egg
1 sprig fresh rosemary, minced (I’ll use a little less next time)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste

Makes 6 servings (or 3 if you’re like me!)

Directions
1. Toss Brussels sprouts in olive oil, season with salt and pepper and place in a large baking dish. Roast at 400˚ for 15 to 20 minutes.

2. Whisk together the egg, cream, rosemary, garlic powder, onion powder and red pepper flakes. Stir in cheese.

3. Add a little more than half of the bacon to the sprouts and cover with the creamy cheese mixture. Stir to combine.

4. Top with remaining bacon and maybe a bit more cheese.

5. Bake at 350˚ for 20 to 25 minutes until cheese is bubbly.

Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

Bacon, Easy Brunch Recipes, Ketogenic, Paleo, Vegetables

The Creamiest Creamed Spinach

January 14, 2017 Jolyn Leave a comment

Between the cream and the bacon, you may forget you’re eating your spinach. This recipe is perfect for your guests who are following a Ketogenic or Paleo diet.

Ingredients

2 slices bacon
3 mushrooms, sliced
½ medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
salt & pepper, to taste
9 oz bag fresh baby spinach
¼ cup cream
2 oz cream cheese, cubed

Directions

1. Fry bacon until almost crisp; drain and cut into bite-size pieces.

2. Over medium heat, sauté mushrooms, onions and garlic in the bacon drippings until onions are soft. Add bacon.

3. Season with salt and pepper and add entire bag of spinach.

4. Stir to combine, then reduce the heat to low and cover pan with a lid so spinach can steam 3 to 4 minutes.

5. Add cream and cream cheese, and stir until cream cheese is melted and spinach is evenly coated.

This recipe makes about 4 servings. Multiply as needed.

Appetizers, Bacon, Easy Brunch Recipes, Vegetables

Mini BLT Cups

August 15, 2016 Jolyn Leave a comment

For a simple and fun hors d’ouevre, these Mini BLT Cups do the trick. They also fit in well with a ketogenic or paleo diet.

The ingredients are B—bacon, L—lettuce, and T—tomato, of course. But you also want to include some type of creamy dressing:
mayonnaise, aioli, chipotle mayonnaise, Ranch dressing, etc. I settled on cream cheese and was very happy with that choice.

TIP: Get the largest cherry tomatoes you can find. They still need to be small enough to be a single bite, but if they are too small, they are tough to hollow out and stuff.

Bacon, Breakfast, Casseroles, Cauliflower, Chicken, Easy Brunch Recipes, Healthy, Main Dishes, Vegetables

Chicken Cauliflower Casserole

August 14, 2016 Jolyn Leave a comment

This Cauliflower Casserole was a big hit with my brunch guests while helping me to stay true to my ketogenic lifestyle. The recipe came from CavemanKeto.com, and I highly recommend his website for wonderful recipes to support ketogenic and paleo diets.

Ingredients:

10 to 12 chicken thighs
1 head of cauliflower, chopped
16 oz cheese, shredded (I used a Mexican cheese blend)
6 green onions, chopped
6 thick slices of bacon
1 medium onion, sliced
1 medium green pepper, sliced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
8 oz cream cheese, softened
4 oz heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Bake chicken thighs and shred or cut into cubes (I baked them in a large baking dish with a little water at 350° for 60 minutes.)

2. Brown the bacon and cut into small pieces.

3. Cook the cauliflower (I used the microwave on high for 5 minutes).

4. Sauté the peppers and onion slices until tender.

5. Combine all the ingredients (except 4 oz of cheese) in a very large bowl.

6. Press mixture into a large greased casserole dish and top with the remaining cheese.

7. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes at 350° and then five minutes more without the foil.

You can prepare the casserole ahead and refrigerate overnight, but let it sit at room temperature 20 minutes before baking.

Appetizers, Bacon, Dips and Sauces

Bacon Onion Garlic Butter

May 20, 2016 Jolyn Leave a comment

Instantly add the
flavor of bacon,
onion and garlic to eggs or steak or burgers with this compound butter. It’s simple to make and adds savoriness to whatever you are cooking. It can even be used as a spread on a sliced baguette and toasted for a quick hors d’oeuvre. Will last up to three weeks in the refrigerator.

Ingredients:
1 cup butter (two sticks, softened)
10 strips bacon, diced
1/3 cup onion, finely diced
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 Tablespoon garlic pepper

Directions:
1. Sauté bacon and onion until lightly crisp. Drain.

2. Combine all ingredients and mix well.

3. Store in airtight container or for a log and roll it in plastic wrap.

Now you’ll have this butter on hand to add to eggs, steaks, burgers, or to use as a spread on a sliced baguette.

Bacon, Easy Brunch Recipes

Maple Bacon

February 17, 2016 Jolyn Leave a comment

Sweet-n-savory Maple Bacon. So simple to make and such a hit at any brunch.

Cut bacon strips into three or four pieces.

2. Place on a rack over a foil-lined baking sheet.

3. Bake at 400 degrees for 18 minutes.

4. Baste each piece with maple syrup.

5. Bake another 5 to 10 minutes until nicely browned.

Yummy!

Didn’t I tell you it was simple?!

I got the type of compliments I always enjoy getting when I know how simple something was – “Where did you find this maple bacon? At a special deli?”

Appetizers, Bacon, Easy Brunch Recipes, Fruit

Bacon Wrapped Pineapple Treats

September 14, 2015 Jolyn Leave a comment

Most anything wrapped in bacon would probably be a hit, but these Bacon Wrapped Pineapple Treats are AMAZING!

If at all possible, you will want to use fresh pineapple. The convenience of canned pineapple just isn’t worth the difference in flavor and texture. For those of you who’ve never cut up a pineapple
before, let me reassure you… it’s very easy. I had never done it before either.

Cutting a pineapple:
1. Slice off the top and discard.
2. Slice off the bottom to create a flat surface and discard
3. Stand the pineapple upright and slice down each side, cutting off the spikes and leaving only the yellow flesh.
4. Now slice down each side and discard the core.
5. Cut the slices into 1″ chunks.
That’s it.

To make the Bacon Wrapped Pineapple Treats:
Wrap each pineapple chunk in one-half slice of bacon, securing with a toothpick. Place them side by side on a rack over a foil lined baking sheet. (You can place them directly on the foil, but they cook more evenly and drain better on a rack.)

Top each treat with a pinch of brown sugar, and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or so, until the bacon is crispy and browned nicely. Serve immediately.

Oh so yummy!!

Appetizers, Bacon, Dips and Sauces, Easy Brunch Recipes

Hot Bacon Crab Dip

July 30, 2015 Jolyn Leave a comment

Bacon is always a hit, but this Hot Bacon Crab Dip vanished quickly. Everyone raved about it. It would probably taste just as yummy cold, but I doubt it will ever last long enough for me to find out.

Ingredients:
8 oz cream cheese
8 oz crab meat
1 cup crumbled cooked bacon
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3 green onions, chopped
Juice of one lemon, about 3 T
Breadcrumbs

Combine first 6 ingredients. Spread in baking dish. Sprinkle breadcrumbs over the top.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Serve hot.

I doubled the recipe so it filled a 9×12 baking dish.

Print recipe: Hot Bacon Crab Dip

Bacon, Dips and Sauces, Easy Brunch Recipes

Bacon Ranch Cheese Ball

May 4, 2015 Jolyn Leave a comment

A simple cheese ball with the added yum of bacon.

Ingredients:
Two 8oz bars of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup shredded cheese (I use the Mexican cheese blend)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup crisp cooked bacon, crumbled
1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch

Mix in a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until soft and creamy. Add the lemon juice, shredded cheese, Ranch mix and half of the bacon and mix thoroughly. 20150502_214701-1

Form the mixture into a ball and roll it in the remaining bacon pieces. This part is REALLY messy, and my only suggestion is that, if you are taking pictures of the process, you should have someone else available to hold the camera. I did not and so had to keep stopping to wash my hands off, dry them, take the next picture and start again, only to have my hands completely covered in sticky cheese a moment later.

Actually, if you don’t like to get messy, you could simply put the dip in a shallow serving dish and just put the bacon pieces on top.

This can be made up to three days ahead, just cover and refrigerate. Serve with crackers, pretzels or crudités.

Bacon, Easy Brunch Recipes, Vegetables

Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

April 14, 2015 Jolyn Leave a comment

Ummmm… bacon…

Man-oh-man! Easy and delish! Only two ingredients (three or four if you add spices).

1. Trim the tough ends off the asparagus.

2. Cut bacon strips in half.

3. Wrap half a bacon strip around each asparagus spear. I had planned to secure with toothpicks but didn’t have any and found that the bacon stuck just fine on its own.

4. Sprinkle spices to taste. I just use garlic.

5. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, until the bacon is done to your liking. Simple as that.

Note: By the time the bacon pleased me, the asparagus looked overcooked, but it was absolutely delicious and a big hit at my brunch. My son suggested baking it at 350 for 15 minutes and then using the broiler for a minute or two to see if that helps crisp the bacon without overcooking the asparagus. He’s such a gem. I’ll try that next time.

Printer-friendly recipe: Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

Simple Brunch Ideas