Bakin’ with Bacon and the King!

Greetings from Castle Baconia!  I’m with Chef Raz again today!

Yes Chef Raz is helping me out again today in the kitchen because he brought us a FABULOUS recipe that absolutely HAD to be this Saturday’s featured recipe.    I just knew he’d enjoy making this for you to try.    We are the DYNAMIC DUO of Baconia’s kitchen today…………….

What are we making?

Cheesy Bacon Dill Pickle Cheeseball

 

Ingredients

• 1 Pound Bacon, Cooked and Crumbled (YES – a WHOLE POUND!!!!!!!)
• 5 Green Onions, Diced
• 12 Ounces Cream Cheese Softened
• 2 Tablespoons Dill Pickle Juice
• 1 Cup Chopped Dill Pickles
• 1 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder

Instructions

• Place the softened cream cheese in a large bowl and stir in the pickle juice and garlic powder until smooth.
• Stir in the chopped pickles, cheddar, and half of the crumbled bacon until well combined.
• Use your hands to shape the mixture into a ball.
• Pour the remaining crumbled bacon and the diced onion in a single layer on a large plate.
• Roll the cheese ball into the bacon and onion mixture until coated on all sides.
• Serve immediately or cover in an airtight container for up to 2 days before serving.
• Serve this with your favorite chips, crackers, and veggies.

 

I have to admit that the Royal Mom is not a big fan of dill pickles but with the salt and cheese and onions in there – the pickles added JUST THE RIGHT TOUCH!    Chef Raz and I highly recommend this as a snack in your own castle.    Would we lie to you?   Heck no!!!

Thank you Chef Raz for joining me again in the Castle Kitchen today…………..it was a pleasure…………now – LET’S EAT!!!

Happy Caturday with a side of bacon!!     

King Teddy

Bakin’ With Bacon and the King!

Happy Bacon Recipe Day!

Welcome to Castle Baconia where I – your King – will share yet another fantabulous (yes that’s a word) recipe with you – something that’s not tough to make but maybe something you haven’t THOUGHT about making before – a PIZZA!

Yep – who doesn’t like pizza?   The Royal Mom and Dad here sometimes have problems with tomato sauce (burp….oops) and so this one is JUST for them.   Besides, Mom loves spinach and alfredo so you can’t go wrong when you also add bacon right?

BACON ALFREDO PIZZA

Ingredients

1 package refrigerated classic crust pizza dough (I use Pillsburys but there are a LOT of them out there!)

1/3 cup Alfredo pasta sauce

4 green onions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 1/2 cups baby spinach leaves (slightly packed)

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (6 oz)

1/2 cup chopped cooked bacon (or more – I used 3/4 cup and probably could have used MORE than that!!!!!)

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A note for those who can’t eat bacon or “shouldn’t” eat it – this recipe is VERY tasty without  bacon in it…….just thought you’d like to know that!!

Directions

Heat oven to 400°F for nonstick sheet pan (425°F for all other pan types). Place oven rack in low position. Unroll dough with oven-safe parchment paper onto ungreased large cookie sheet (dough bakes on paper). Nonstick parchment paper will brown during baking.

Spread Alfredo sauce evenly over dough. Top with green onion whites and garlic.  Top sauce with spinach, cheese and bacon.

Bake 17 to 22 minutes or until bottom of crust is golden brown. Top with green onion greens.

 

Don’t forget this about Santa – and just for the record – CHRISTMAS IS JUST OVER THREE MONTHS AWAY!!!!!!   Better start stocking up on your bacon supply!

Oh it’s good to be King – and it’s good to share some bacon fun on Saturdays!   Now if you’ll excuse me – I believe it’s time for the Royal Nap…………..

NAP TIME FOR THE KING!

Bakin’ With Bacon and The King

It’s Bacon Time!

 

Hello bacon lovers and visitors to Castle Baconia for our regular Saturday morning bake-fest.    I love to share a very cool and delicious recipe with you every week – that INCLUDES bacon in the list of ingredients!    Today I have something that’s a bit more involved and complicated to make but it’s absolutely incredibly delicious with the combination of vegetables, cheese, bacon, and eggs….it’s a bit like a quiche on steroids!    I kind of think it’s a marvelously elegant appetizer when you have company over but that doesn’t mean it’s not just as yummy when you make it for yourselves to enjoy WITHOUT company.    Just that it’s something different and who doesn’t enjoy “different” once in a while???    LOTS of ingredients in this one.

 

Cheddar-Veggie Appetizer Torte

Ingredients

• 1-1/3 cups finely crushed multigrain crackers (note: multigrain crackers are interesting but in truth it can be almost any cracker but NOT Saltines!!)
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 small zucchini, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1/4 cup finely chopped sweet red pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 carton (8 ounces) spreadable garlic and herb cream cheese (I used Alouette because I buy their spreads often but ANY garlic/herb cream cheese will do!)
• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons crumbled cooked bacon (alright – you know me – I ignored the two tablespoons thing and just crumbled up two whole pieces of bacon!)
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

• In a small bowl, combine cracker crumbs and butter. Press onto the bottom of a greased 9-in. springform pan. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. In a large skillet, saute the zucchini, mushrooms, onion and red pepper in oil until tender. Spoon over cheese.
• In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in bacon. Pour over vegetable mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
• Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake at 375° for 30-35 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; remove sides of pan. Serve warm or chilled. Refrigerate leftovers.

 

This is EVER so delicious.    We love zucchini here – and all the other veggies that are in this recipe as well as mushrooms – it all goes so well with the cheddar cheese.    The crust stands up beautifully too which is nice – makes it easy to slice and serve.

I encourage you to give this one a try FOR SURE………………..it certainly will be used around here for special occasions when there’s company afoot in the Castle!

I hope the Bacon Fairy visits your house soon!!!!

Yep – we Baconians are hooked…See you next Saturday for more fun…….

It’s GOOD to be King of Baconia……..

King Teddy

Bakin’ With Bacon and the King

Let’s get bakin’ with bacon shall we??

I’ve got a goodie for you today – a dessert.    We like dessert around here – how about you?    Of course all of us who attend this cooking class are fans of bacon no matter WHAT it’s in so let’s get bakin’ shall we?

Bacon Turtles

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1 can condensed milk
• 3/4 pound pecan halves 
• 1/2 pound bacon (cooked crispy)
• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate
• 3 tablespoons butter

INSTRUCTIONS

FOR THE CARAMEL:

1. Add the butter, corn syrup, brown sugar and condensed milk to a heavy-bottomed saucepan with high sides. Start with the heat on high until it is boiling, and then reduce the heat to medium. Stir constantly for approximately 15 minutes, or until the caramel reaches 235 degrees Fahrenheit. One way to test this is to drop a bit of the caramel into cold water. If it forms a soft ball, then it is ready. This is known as the ‘soft ball stage’. Let the caramel cool for about an hour. It should still be warm but not hot.

ASSEMBLE THE TURTLES:

1. Arrange pecans to resemble turtles – one for the head and two for the feet – on parchment paper. Roll small balls of the caramel and place in the center of the pecans, squishing gently into place. Cover the caramel with a piece of cooked bacon. Place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

FOR THE CHOCOLATE:

1. Gently melt chocolate and butter over low heat until just melted. Be careful not to burn the chocolate. Hold the turtle by the head and spoon the chocolate over top. Place the turtles back onto the parchment paper and sprinkle lightly with medium course sea salt. Put them back into the fridge to harden the chocolate.

I know…..it’s an exciting recipe……!!!!!!

So give this one a whirl.    My Mom uses parchment paper for cookies and biscotti and all sort of baking things – sure saves on scrubbing down cookie sheets!    It’s a handy thing to have in the kitchen cupboard.

Any questions?    No?    Good!

Get Busy Bakin’ !!

Farewell from the Castle Kitchen for another week!   

King Teddy

Bakin’ With Bacon, the King, and a Guest!

Greetings From Baconia!   It’s Your King AND a Guest Chef Today!

Yes I have a guest with me in the kitchen and it’s someone a lot of you already know – my buddy from Friends Furever – RAZ!    His Mom found a yummy bacon recipe for me to pass on to all of you so I thought I’d invite Raz to help me whip this up on a “trial run”for you.

BLT Sushi

INGREDIENTS

10 slices bacon

2 tbsp. mayonnaise

1 c. chopped tomatoes

1/2 avocado, diced

1 c. shredded romaine

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400° and place a wire rack over a large baking sheet. Place 5 slices bacon side by side. Lift one end of every other bacon slice and place another bacon slice on top of the lifted pieces. Lay slices back. Next, lift opposite bacon slices back and place a bacon slice on top. Lay slices back down. Repeat weaving process until you have a bacon weave of 5 strips by 5 strips. Set bacon weave on prepared baking sheet.    (I know this sounds complicated but it really isn’t – try this “weaving” with bits of ribbon or paper first until you get the hang of it!   It makes a PERFECT “wrap” for the contents in this recipe!)
2. Bake until bacon is cooked but still pliable, 20 minutes.  (This is important – pliable means the bacon is not crisp and stiff – otherwise you will have trouble rolling it after contents are in!!)
3. Pat bacon weave with paper towels to drain fat and transfer to a piece of plastic wrap (it helps with rolling!)
4. Spread mayo on top of bacon weave in a thin layer, then top bottom third of bacon weave with tomatoes and avocado. Sprinkle romaine all over and season with salt and pepper.
5. Starting from the bottom, tightly roll, then slice crosswise into “sushi rolls”.

Here’s what the “bacon weave” looks like after it’s cooked – still not too crispy to “bend” for a roll – AND this is a bigger bacon weave than we are doing for this recipe – you only have five strips by five strips of bacon and this one has 7 but you get the idea……   

Here’s what it looks like after rolling and slicing:

Oh boy oh boy oh boy…………..Raz this is really super easy AND super delicious don’t you think?????

Thanks a whole bunch for helping me out with this recipe today Raz…………….and please, give your Mom a big hug from THE KING will you?    It was great that she thought this would be a good recipe to share…………she was RIGHT!

Sorry guy – we used all the bacon we had for the sushi!

It’s GOOD to be King and it’s nice to have a Guest Chef too!

 

Bakin’ With Bacon And The King!

Welcome to the King’s Kitchen!   You want an EASY recipe???  I’ve got it!

Indeed I do.   This one isn’t just easy, it’s delicious.    The photo we have to go with the recipe shows brown bread which I know is tasty as can be for the dipping, BUT my parents tried two other things:  thinly sliced baguette AND regular crackers.    VERY GOOD was what I heard them both say.   So you can use anything you want to put this dip on – but the best thing to put it on is your tongue!   Yep – it’s truly yummy.

READY?

 

Ohhh la la!  Bacon Beer Cheese – delish!

This is so easy, I’m not even giving you a separate ingredients/directions list.   This small paragraph has the whole thing!!

Cook 6 chopped bacon slices in a saucepan; remove, leaving the drippings. Melt 2 tablespoons butter with the drippings. Add 1/4 cup flour and cook over medium heat, stirring, 2 minutes. Add 1 cup each cream and beer, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard and 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika; simmer 5 minutes. Stir in 2 cups grated cheddar until melted. Serve topped with chopped scallions and the bacon.

See?  Easy right?   Also extremely good.    As usual my Mom used her favorite cheddar – sharp – but any cheese actually would do – cheddar just has more bite to it.    Plain paprika works but we have smoked on hand because my Dad loves it on his grilled cheese sammmmmmmiches!   Can you believe it???

So this is very tasty stuff and perfect for entertaining guests OR binge-watching TV OR watching a movie at home.    What’s not to like with ingredients like this.

I’ll start looking for another fab recipe for next Saturday but until then – give this one a try.

 

Nap time for the King…….!   

Hugs, Teddy the Bacon King

 

 

Bakin’ With Bacon and the King!

Hello Citizens of Baconia!   It’s time to join me in the Castle kitchen for another recipe!

Now you know I always try (or at least almost always try) to give you an EASY PEASY recipe.    This one certainly has a lot more STEPS and maybe a few more INGREDIENTS than usual but it actually is easy and not only that, it’s incredibly delicious so that has to count for something right?????

Maple-Bacon-Pecan-Cinnamon Roll Monkey Bread

Ingredients

• 10 slices bacon, cooked and finely crumbled
• 1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 (8 count) cans Pillsbury Grands refrigerated cinnamon rolls
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 6 tablespoon pure maple syrup, divided
• 1/2 cup butter, divided
• Cinnamon roll icing from above listed canned cinnamon rolls

Instructions

1. Grease your bundt cake pan with nonstick cooking spray WITH flour or grease and flour your pan. Set aside.
2. Add bacon, pecans, sugar and cinnamon to a large bowl and stir to evenly combine. Add half of the mixture to a large freezer size bag. Set aside.
3. Cut each cinnamon roll into 4 quarters, then roll each quarter into a ball.
4. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a large microwave safe bowl. Stir in 3 tablespoons maple syrup. Add half of the dough balls and gently toss to coat with a spatula. Remove balls from butter/maple mixture and add to sugar/bacon/pecan freezer bag and toss to coat. Arrange coated balls in the bottom of your bundt pan and sprinkle any remaining pecans/bacon/sugar from the bag on top.
5. Repeat process by adding all remaining dough balls to remaining butter/maple mixture and gently toss to coat. Add balls to freezer bag along with remaining cinnamon/sugar/bacon/pecan mixture and toss to coat. Layer coated balls in your bundt pan and sprinkle with any remaining pecans/bacon/sugar from the bag.
6. Melt 1/4 cup butter in microwave safe bowl. Stir in 3 tablespoons maple syrup and 1/2 cup brown sugar and stir until smooth. Pour evenly over dough balls.
7. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30- 32 minutes or until balls are cooked through. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes.
8. Invert onto a serving plate and drizzle with pre-packaged icing when ready to serve..

I can hear you  now saying – GOSH THIS IS A LOT OF TROUBLE…………………trust me – you won’t even think about how much trouble it might have been to make this as you’re enjoying it with your morning coffee (or your after dinner liqueur says Mom).     This is really one very yummy treat.

MY ALL TIME FAVORITE!

My work here is done – now I’m going to have some monkey bread!

It’s good to be King – I get to sample all my own recipes!   Happy Caturday!  

Bakin’ With Bacon and The King!

Greetings Baconians!!!!!   

 

Another Saturday begins and here I am in the Royal Castle kitchen making yet ANOTHER incredible little snackable (or lunch) for you to try out.    If you like bacon and BBQ sauce, you’re gonna love this one – TRUST ME!

Cheesy Barbecue Bacon Pull-Apart Loaf

What a GREAT snack this is……………and easy peasy.    We like easy peasy right everyone?   RIGHT!!!!!    This one is right from Pillsbury…….and while you know you can use ANY biscuits – Pillsbury’s Grands are big and fit just right in a loaf pan.

Ingredients

1 can (16.3 ounce) Pillsbury Grands refrigerated biscuits

8 slices bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled (about 3/4 cup)

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon finely chopped green onions

8 slices Cheddar cheese (from 8-oz package), quartered   (I used sharp cheddar but that’s just because WE love it!)

1/2 cup barbecue sauce

I don’t usually include photos with recipes but thought it might help to SEE this one being made…………………….

Ready?

Steps

Heat oven to 350°F.  Line 9×5-inch loaf pan with cooking parchment paper or foil; spray with cooking spray.

Separate dough into 8 biscuits; separate each biscuit into 2 layers, to make a total of 16 thin biscuits.

Top each thin biscuit with slightly less than 1 tablespoon bacon and 1 teaspoon green onions. Place 2 quartered cheese slices on each biscuit, slightly overlapping.

Make 2 stacks of 8 biscuits each. Place stacks on their sides in 1 long row in loaf pan.   Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until loaf is deep golden brown and center is baked through and no longer doughy in center, covering with foil if necessary to prevent excess browning during last 15 minutes of bake time. Cool 10 minutes in pan on cooling rack. Remove loaf from pan by lifting parchment paper from pan.

Drizzle top of loaf with 2 tablespoons of the barbecue sauce; sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon chopped green onion. Serve with remaining barbecue sauce for dipping.

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Well this one is another quick and easy winner………………..Mom and Dad tried this one out while watching a British mystery on the tube (they watch a lot of those on PBS!) and it was gone in a flash.

Remember – bacon is a wonderful ingredient in almost EVERYTHING………hahaha………when you’re making something for breakfast, lunch or dinner (and if bacon is OK for you to eat!) think about adding some bacon to it.   Oh YEAH.    Which reminds me, Mom said she thought this loaf recipe would even be good if you put some chicken in that – thin slices of course!

 Long Live Bacon (well….you know what I mean)

It’s good to be King! 

Bakin’ With Bacon and The King

Happy Saturday from the Castle Baconia – I am your KING!

I always enjoy taking over the kitchen here on Saturdays from our usual royal Chef.   He gets a day off and I get to share a bacon recipe with all of you…………..today’s is a yummy one too I’m sure you will agree.

Bacon and Chicken Pan-Fried Sandwiches

INGREDIENTS  (for four sandwiches)

• 8 slices bacon
• ¹⁄₂ cup mayonnaise
• 2 garlic cloves (minced)
• 2  tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon chives (chopped) – and this is optional too
• 1 cup chicken (cooked and shredded)
• butter (for spreading)
• 8 slices sourdough bread
• 8 slices smoked cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS

• Cook bacon until crispy
• Place the mayonnaise, garlic, lemon juice, chives and chicken in a bowl and mix well to combine.
• Spread both sides of the bread with butter (you will fry sandwiches butter side down of course!!)
• Put cheese slice on bread, add cheese and chicken mixture, top with another slice of cheese and bread.    You have enough mixture for FOUR of these sandwiches!
• Heat a large non-stick frying pan over low heat and cook the sandwiches in batches if necessary for 3-4 minutes each side or until golden and the cheese is melted.

Oh do I have to tell you how divine this is?    We love chicken around here and bacon too so how can you miss with this combo.   Also, I know this is NOT a “diet option” but when my Mom made this she fried boneless chicken breasts for the chicken – of course we had more than the cup we needed for this recipe but she and my Dad love fried chicken sandwiches.    Anyway I’m mentioning this because the crunch from the fried chicken and the crunchy bacon were a GREAT combination for those who love that CRUNCH!   Mom didn’t shred the chicken TOO much either – left it kind of chunky.  Make these sandwiches however YOU want to – just use the ingredients we gave you and you can’t go wrong!!

So are you interested in making this one?    I hope so……….it really is easy as you can see and maybe a combination of things you wouldn’t have thought of……….but DEFINITELY delicious!

See?  Even doctors recommend bacon!  

 

Have a Royal and Bacon-filled Weekend!!!!

King Teddy

Bakin’ with Bacon and The King

Welcome to the Castle Baconia Kitchen – I am YOUR KING!

We’re ready to bake up another delightful and delicious baconized treat for you to try at home.    I got notes from several of you saying by recipe last week for a good old delicious BLT fired up your love of bacon again and I’m so happy to hear that.    The BLT is a classic but adding some of those “optionals” makes it extra good.

This recipe I’m giving you today is EASY……………..and possibly addictive!

Candied Bacon Butter

Ingredients

1 stick butter slightly softened

3 slices bacon

1/4 cup brown sugar

Steps

• 1     Lay bacon out on a baking sheet and cover each slice with some brown sugar totaling approximately 1/4 cup of brown sugar (a little over a tablespoon on each slice).
• 2     Bake in preheated oven at 350°F until crispy and slightly brown on the edges. Be careful because the sugar will burn quickly!
• 3     Chop bacon as small as you can and mix with softened butter until uniformly mixed.
• 4     Shape butter into a stick using plastic wrap and store in the fridge until hardened.
• 5     Serve on toast, bagels, baked potato, steak, burgers, or corn on the cob. Fry an egg in it, saute some onions with it, use it in a brownie recipe.

And I bet you can think of some other ways to use this “special butter” too.    It really is terrific on ALL of the things I mention in Step 5 though – surprising just how tasty and it couldn’t be more simple to make.    If you have trouble shaping the softened butter with bacon in it into a stick – no biggie – tastes delicious no matter WHAT shape you store it in –  but it’s really not tough to do.

So I promised you easy and this would be for sure in that category!     And oh boy oh boy oh boy is it TASTY!!

There’s something about the aroma of bacon frying that brings EVERYONE into the kitchen right?   EVERYONE!

I will see you next Saturday for more bacon delights!