Bakin’ With Bacon and King Teddy

Hello Friends!   Today is something a little bit different to try.

We live in an area where crab meat is easy to find and buy and Mom tried this recipe with crab and also tried it with steamed shrimp and the crab was the winner!    It’s just a super tasty little snack/appetizer.    Not tough to make either – some people are afraid to make the “cup” with bacon but honestly it’s easy AND it doesn’t have to look perfect!   It just holds the whole thing together after baking.    TASTY?  Oh boy oh boy is this ever TASTY!

 

Crab Dip Stuffed Bacon Cups (oh boy!)

Ingredients

• Bacon – 1 lb, cut into 4ths
• Crabmeat – 1 lb lump crabmeat
• Cream cheese softened – 8 ozs
• Shredded Cheddar Cheese, sharp – 1 cup for the dip and some reserved to sprinkle on top
• Old Bay – I used 2 tsp, but you can add to suit your taste.  (We keep this on hand for lots of things – boiled shrimp, crab salad, etc.)
• Salt and Pepper – To taste
• Mustard ( you can use dry or prepared mustard such as French’s or spicy brown mustard) – 1 tsp.   (We used Grey Poupon because The Royal Father likes it!)

Instructions

1. Pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees
2. Prepare your muffin/cupcake pan by laying strips of bacon in until you have the cup completely covered. The beauty of this recipe is they don’t need to be perfect. In fact, it is better when they aren’t because it gives a unique look to your cups. ( if you like your bacon crispier you can fry it for 2 to 3 minutes on each side before placing in pan. Just let it cool before you handle it.)
3. In a small bowl add your crab, cream cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, old bay, salt and pepper, and mustard. Mix until thoroughly combined.
4. Using a round teaspoon or 1 inch cookie scooper, scoop your crab dip into the cups, making sure to push them down just a little so they completely fill the cup. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese.
5. Put your pan in the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until bacon is done and cheese is bubbly and brown on top.
6. Let them sit in the pan for 5 to 7 minutes to cool. When cooled, remove from the pan and place on dish with paper towels to drain. Serve immediately after draining.

 

Do your bit to save the plants – EAT MORE BACON!!

Ahhh…it’s good to be King…..please bring me another tray of those crab bacon appetizers please  while I rest on my throne??????????  

And above all, don’t forget:

He’s still missing – send positive thoughts to The Cat On My Head as they continue searching for him!

 

The King

Bakin’ With Bacon and Teddy

Sunday is Bacon Day at Castle Baconia!

That’s right – we find some sort of recipe to share with everyone then whip it up in my kitchen herein the castle………………and there you have it – something new to try out in YOUR kitchen!  I’ve got a really easy one for you today.   I mean REALLY.    This is a great “watching TV” snack.     I’m sure many of you have made this before but just in case, here’s the recipe.

 

Bacon Carbonara Appetizers

 

INGREDIENTS:

2 Italian pizza crusts (6 inch)

1/4 cup any brand alfredo pasta sauce (I used CLASSICO)

6 slices cooked and crumbled bacon

3 Tbsp. chopped red onions

2 tsp. grated Parmesan cheese

2 tsp. chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

Heat oven to 350°F.

Place pizza crusts in single layer on baking sheet; spread with sauce.

Top with remaining ingredients.

Bake 8 min. or until crusts are crisp and golden brown, and pizzas are heated through.

Doesn’t that just sound delicious?    We are pizza fans here at my house (well Mom and Dad are – me – I like to sniff it).    If you like the ingredients – bacon/cheese/onions/alfredo sauce then you’ll love them all piled on a crispy pizza!

Add this one to your collection……………trust me………..you’ll be glad you did!

Happy Caturday!  

Your King

Bakin’ With Bacon and the King

Hello Bacon Fans!   I’ve got another snack for you!

Yep – today I have something that I think you will find VERY tasty even though at first glance you might say……….. “WHAAAAT???”.    Trust me.   Have I ever let you down?     The apricot preserves and honey mustard make it absolutely POP!

Brats and Bacon Appetizer Pizza!

Ingredients

• 1 tube (11 ounces) refrigerated thin pizza crust
• 4 maple-flavored bacon strips, chopped
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 3 fully cooked beer bratwurst links, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup apricot preserves
• 2 teaspoons honey mustard
• 2 cups shredded white or yellow cheddar cheese

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400°. Unroll and press crust onto bottom and 1/2 in. up sides of a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Bake until edges are lightly browned, 8-10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook bacon and onion over medium heat until bacon is crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels. Discard drippings.
• Add bratwurst to same pan; cook and stir until browned, 2-3 minutes.
• In a small bowl, mix preserves and mustard. Spread over crust; top with bratwurst, bacon mixture and cheese. Bake until cheese is melted, 8-10 minutes.

 

I can’t tell you how really yummy this is you simply have to try it for yourselves.    It’s a wild combo with the brats/bacon and sweet stuff but it’s just so yummy I know if you  make it once you will make it AGAIN!

Have a ROYAL weekend………!!  I am!

Hugs, Teddy, King of Baconia

Bakin’ With Bacon And The King!

Happy Almost Thanksgiving!

 

Hello everybody!   Welcome to the Kitchen at Castle Baconia where your King of Bacon (yours truly) whips up some kind of bacon delight every Saturday for your EATING pleasure!    Today I’m doing a wonderful and tasty Thanksgiving-ish cheeseball for a GREAT appetizer when you have your Thanksgiving meal this coming week.    This has so many great ingredients in it you just can’t go wrong.   In my case, my Mom – oops – I mean The Royal Mom – says this cheeseball has a lot of her favorite things all together; bacon, cranberries (she uses “Craisins”) and almonds.    Ready?

Cranberry-Almond-Bacon Cheeseball

Ingredients

• 8 oz. cream cheese softened
• 8 oz. white cheddar (or feta, goat cheese or gorgonzola – just a nice white cheese)
• 1/2 c. bacon cooked and crumbled (yep as usual you can use more bacon if you like)
• 1/2 c. dried cranberries (Craisins work great!)
• 1 Tbsp. cilantro finely chopped  (as far as I’m concerned this is optional!)
• 1 tsp. worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 c. almonds chopped

Instructions

• Whip softened cream cheese in a medium size bowl until it is creamy with no lumps.
• Add white cheddar, bacon, cranberries, cilantro, and Worcestershire sauce and blend everything together.
• Spoon mixture out onto a large piece of plastic wrap on the counter. Bring corners together and form mixture into a large ball. Place in a bowl and refrigerate for at least 3 hours until cheese ball becomes firm.
• Once the cheese ball has set up, roll it in the chopped almonds until thoroughly coated.
• Serve with sliced baguette bread or your favorite crackers.

EASY PEASY and oh so good!

What a great treat to serve your guests before the MAIN EVENT this week – the turkey or ham or WHATEVER dinner.    And while I’m at it, I wish all of you a very wonderful Thanksgiving celebration and if you don’t celebrate Thanksgiving – have a super week ANYWAY (and try this recipe!).

It’s good to be King………!

Hugs, King Teddy

Bakin’ In Baconia for New Years!

So you survived Christmas but how about New Year’s Eve or Day or all those football games?

That’s right – you are going to need to make PLENTY of snacks/appetizers for any of these occasions coming up and we are BACK to bacon-themes and I’ve got a doozy for you.  It’s also an EASY DOOZY.   Especially if you are like my Mom (the Royal Mom of course) and enjoy using your crockpot to cook up yummy stuff while you’re cleaning the house for guests or setting a table or WHATEVER you need to do!    This snack will be ready to go.

Slow Cooker Bacon Cheeseburger Dip

 

Ingredients:

8 oz. bacon (or more of course if you are a bacon nut like we are)

1-8 oz. package cream cheese cut into cubes

1/2 lb. ground beef

8 oz. shredded cheddar/Monterey jack cheese blend (Mom gets this particular mix in a package at the grocery BUT you can always whack up your OWN combination of cheeses if you don’t like cheddar/Monterey jack).

2 tablespoons parsley (optional – adds nice color though)

1 -10 oz. can diced tomato with green chili peppers (Ro-Tel is the one Mom buys)

Directions:

1. Place the bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Remove bacon to a plate lined with paper towels, reserving drippings in the skillet.
2. Break ground beef into the skillet; cook and stir until completely browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain beef, return skillet to stove, and reduce heat to low.
3. Stir diced tomatoes with green chile peppers, cream cheese, and shredded Cheddar-Monterey Jack cheese blend into ground beef. Crumble bacon and stir most of it, reserving a few teaspoons for garnish, into beef mixture; cook and stir until cheese begins to melt, 2 to 3 minutes; transfer to a slow cooker.
4. Cook in slow cooker on Low until hot and bubbly, 2 to 3 hours. Stir parsley into the dip. Garnish with reserved bacon. Keep in the slow cooker set to Low to serve.

You can serve this with just about anything – those scoop tortilla chips are good – so is thinly sliced bagette or crostinis.   It’s a “loose” dip – the scoops are the easiest.

This stuff is really delicious.   You can double it if you have a lot of people coming over or they are the type who can eat buckets of appetizers while talking, watching football, partying, watching a movie, etc.

 

So – we here at Castle Baconia will be having a New Year’s Celebration.    No fireworks though.   We are NOT big on fireworks.   Especially your King – I am not a fan.   But I will enjoy my Mom and Dad having their traditional bottle of bubbly between them to toast and bring in the New Year.   Twenty nineteen……..good grief…….time does fly doesn’t it?

A fun flashback photo – our original King of Baconia – Sammy along with yours truly your current King of Baconia, Teddy!!

Long Live Baconia…….