White Corn Bacon Skillet

What do you get when you mix onions and beans?
Tear Gas.

Summer white corn and cast iron, it doesn't get much better (except when you add bacon and some Vidalia onions).

I saw a great corn skillet recipe in Garden and Gun this month, and thought I would try a variation at home.  This side dish is absolutely phenomenal!  We served it up with some lime baked tilapia and BOOM, there was dinner.  This would also be good paired up with a pulled pork sandwich, some fried chicken, or over some fresh spinach and used as a salad.

Here's what you need (feeds 2-3 people as a side):
3 ears of white corn, shucked then kernels sliced off
1/2 a large Vidalia onion, diced
4 slices of center cut bacon
1/2 cup of milk
1 teaspoon of paprika
1 teaspoon of unsalted butter
salt and fresh ground pepper

Fast and Tasty White Cheddar Poblano Bacon Spread

What happened after an explosion at a cheese factory?
All that was left was de brie.

Dips, and Chips, and Spreads oh my!

We had the most fantastic white cheddar poblano pimento cheese at a local restaurant.  This is a spin off version, with our good friend Bacon added.  Delicious.  Poblanos are very mild peppers, so for an extra kick we threw in some hot sauce.  This spread is great on pita chips or anything with a good crunch.

As we were tasting (snacking, and basically eating) this spread, I thought this would also make a delicous cheese ball or log (since it is so thick).  You could roll the spread into a ball or log (or any other shape), then roll the outside in any number of things...like candied walnuts for example...hello yummzerness!  The best part, it can be whipped up in a matter of a couple minutes and ready to serve.

Here's what you need:
1 8-ounce package of extra sharp white cheddar cheese
1/4 cup of real mayo (I like Duke's)
1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard (I like Mille's)
1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste (easy on the salt, there's bacon after all)
1/2 poblano
3-4 tablespoons of crumbled bacon
hot sauce to taste

Bacon Wrapped Cream Cheese Peppers

Knock, Knock.  Who's there?
Bacon.
Bacon, who?
I'm bacon a cake for your birthday...


Over the weekend, I threw a birthday party for the husband.  Main ingredients: Meat, Bourbon, Bacon, Friends, Family, Giant Tissue Paper Flowers, etc. etc.    We made many small plates to snack on and this was one of the favorites.  This is an easy, quick and great appetizer for your favorite bacon lover.

Here's what you need:
Some small sweet peppers, halved and seeded
plain cream cheese
bacon, center cut
small tooth picks
(that's it, how easy!)

Grilled Chicken Spinach Salad with Apples and Bacon

What day do chickens hate the most?
Fry-days.

Although not fried, this Grilled Chicken is sure to make your mouth happy.

Finally, the rain stopped and the sun abated enough for a good grill out on the back porch Thursday night.  This Grilled Chicken Spinach Salad with Apples and Bacon was a quick and tasty dinner (it would also be also a really good lunch or brunch option).  We served ours up with a simple tomato rice.

Here's what you need:
2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (we only used 1 for 2 people and saved the other for the next day)
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 teaspoon of onion powder
1 teaspoon of chili powder
1-2 teaspoons of paprika
salt and pepper to taste
2 carrots, chopped
6 radishes, chopped
1 apple (we used fuji)
1 lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 large handfuls of spinach
3 slices of bacon, cooked and diced

Birthday BLTE

Age is a question of mind over matter.
If you don't mind, it doesn't matter.

If you can't already tell by the candle (and The Carte Blanche Old Fashioned from last night), the husband's birthday celebrations have begun!  We started off the morning with a requested, Birthday BLTE.

Bacon, bacon and more bacon (it was his birthday, why not.), a variety of greens from our garden (tour of the garden to come soon!), vine tomato, and two slightly runny fried eggs.  Since he is not a fan of mayo, I made up a quick and dirty basil oil to use to wet the toast.  All and all, he had a big smile on his face and lots of crumbs on his shirt.

Here's what you need:
2 slices of bread, toasted
8 or so leavese of basil
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 vine tomato
a variety of mixed greens
center cut bacon, bacon, and more bacon (at least 6 slices)
2 eggs, fried and slightly runny

Shrimp Fried Rice with Veggies and Bacon

Quick and easy weeknight meal using...dun-dun-na-doooooon: Leftovers!

Earlier this week we broke down an ordered some takeout Chinese food.  Per usual we were left with a box of rice.  What to do....what to do.... Shrimp Fried Rice with Veggies and Bacon!  Fried rice is great because you can take almost anything that is in your fridge and use it up in this dish.

Here's what we used (feel free to tweak with what you have):
Frozen shrimp, peas, and broccoli
2 carrots, chopped
6 radishes, chopped
1 teaspoon of bacon fat, or 1-2 teaspoon of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
2 cloves of garlic, diced
1/2 cup of chicken stock
1 carton of leftover Chinese food rice
1/4 teaspoon of five spice seasoning
1/2 a teaspoon of sesame oil
1-2 tablespoons of chopped up cooked bacon
1-2 tablespoons of chopped fresh basil

Sauteed Spinach and Kale with Tomato, Roasted Red Peppers, Egg and Bacon

Why did the pig go into the kitchen?
He felt like bac-on.

If you can't already tell....the Week of Salads for Dinner is starting to digress.  I unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on who you ask) was thinking about bacon this afternoon and it was all downhill from there.  Here's a "salad" that can be eaten anytime of the day: breakfast lunch or dinner.  Sauteed Spinach and Kale with Tomato, Roasted Red Peppers, Egg and Bacon.

Here's what you need:
2-3 slices of bacon
1 vine tomato
2 thick roasted red pepper slices
2 hard-boiled eggs
1/2 a bunch of kale
1 whole bag of spinach, or about 6 oz.
salt and pepper to taste