Bakin’ With Bacon And King Teddy

Greetings Bacon Fans – Welcome to the Halloween Edition of Bakin’ With Bacon!

This isn’t really a Halloween “treat” per se – at least not the traditional treat – but it definitely is a TREAT TO EAT!   The Royal Mom is a VERY BIG fan of bread puddings – all kinds of bread puddings and this one was a natural since it has cheese and apples in addition to bacon.    It’s just very tasty and the topping of syrup and walnuts is PERFECT with it.    Cool thing about this one is it’s nice for when you have company overnight – you can make it ahead – put it in the refrigerator, then take it out the next morning to bake.

 

Apple, Cheddar and Bacon Bread Pudding

 

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 medium apples, peeled and chopped
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 6 cups cubed day-old French bread (doesn’t HAVE to be French bread but it is best made with a country-style heavy bread vs. regular sandwich bread)
• 1 pound bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
• 1-1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 5 large eggs
• 2-1/4 cups 2% milk
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• SYRUP:
• 1 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

• In a large skillet, heat butter over medium heat. Add apples; cook and stir 2-3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Reduce heat to medium-low; stir in brown sugar. Cook, uncovered, 8-10 minutes or until apples are tender, stirring occasionally. Cool completely.
• In a greased 8-in. square baking dish, layer half of each of the following: bread, bacon, apples and cheese. Repeat layers. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, cinnamon and salt; pour over top. Refrigerate, covered, several hours or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350°. Remove bread pudding from refrigerator; uncover and let stand while oven heats. Bake 45-55 minutes or until puffed and golden, and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.
• In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave syrup and walnuts until warmed, stirring once. Serve with bread pudding.

Bake some TREATS for yourself this Halloween!!   

See you next week in the Castle Baconia kitchen……………..

Bakin’ With Bacon and King Teddy!

It is I – Your King – why in Mexican gear?   Because today’s recipe is HOT HOT HOT !

Yes it might be a little dramatic but it got your attention – Si ??    Today’s recipe is for a SNACK using bacon but another ingredient is CAYENNE!   Spicy stuff that is………but it’s awfully tasty on popcorn especially with the addition of some nice salty bacon!!    This is good for watching a movie on TV or binge-watching a favorite series – or even some sports spectacular.   Ready for this one?

Ole’ !! for Spicy Caramel Bacon Popcorn

 

Ingredients

• 10 slices of bacon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• Nonstick cooking spray
• 10 cups of popped popcorn (1 cup kernels)
• 3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Instructions

1. Line bacon side-by-side on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes, until crispy and brown. Remove and place on paper towels to drain. Press the tops with another layer of paper towels. When cool, cut into small pieces.
2. Mix the baking soda and cayenne pepper and set aside.
3. Prepare a large mixing bowl by spraying generously with cooking spray. Also, coat two spatulas with cooking spray. Dump the popcorn in the bowl.
4. Combine sugar, butter, salt, and water in a medium saucepan. Cook without stirring on high heat, until it becomes light golden-yellow caramel. This takes about 10-12 minutes. Remove from heat and add the soda/cayenne mixture. Careful, as the mixture will bubble up! Add the bacon bits.
5. Pour the caramel mixture over the popcorn and toss until coated evenly. Pour the popcorn onto a large baking pan and flatten and break into small pieces. Cool to room temp and serve, or store in an airtight container. The popcorn will keep up to four days in the fridge but I doubt it will survive that long because you will be EATING IT IMMEDIATELY!

I expect this will have you doing the Mexican hat dance all the way to the restroom.   HAHAHA    Sorry about that but hot stuff has that effect on some peeps…………

Make sure and have a nice cold BEVERAGE of your choice handy.

Doesn’t this popcorn sound good?   Give it a try!  

Now for no particular reason at all other than I find this terribly hilarious, here’s a little something for your entertainment after surviving another Bacon Blog from the Kingdom on a Saturday.   ENJOY:

See you next Sunday with another baconized recipe………….Your King

Bakin’ With The King for Thanksgiving!

Greetings Loyal Subjects of Baconia!   Your King has a recipe to share!

That’s right – but this one is a little different because it’s actually a recipe for something you can make with your LEFTOVERS from Thanksgiving dinner………..if you’re like my Mom you always have lots of leftover mashed potatoes.   She goes nuts making mashed potatoes (blame my Dad because he loves mashed potatoes with gravy).   ANYWAY, this is a delicious little recipe that makes something that’s yummy for the day after – especially BREAKFAST!     They’re delish with scrambled eggs or whatever.

BACON-CHEDDAR PATTY CAKES

Ingredients:

3 (or more!) slices of bacon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

4 cups of mashed potatoes

2 eggs

1 teaspoon onion powder (optional)

1 cup shredded cheddar

Directions:

1. Place the bacon in a large, deep skillet, and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned and crisp, about 10 minutes. Remove the bacon slices, crumble, and set aside. Leave the bacon drippings in the skillet.
2. Mix the mashed potatoes, eggs, onion powder, salt, and black pepper together in a bowl; stir in the crumbled bacon and Cheddar cheese.
3. Form the mixture into 8 patties. Heat the bacon drippings over medium heat, and pan-fry the patties in the drippings until crisp on each side, about 4 minutes per side.

 

Is this EASY OR WHAT???????????????????

I……WANT……SOME……NOW!!!

Yes I hear you…………………..they are delicious too.   You can make them ANY SIZE you want.    Silver dollar size or larger……..they kind of melt in your mouth too.   What a treat.   So – give this one a whirl on your “post-Thanksgiving guests” who stick around for breakfast the next day OR your family.    You’ll be getting some hugs from this one!

Be sure and come hang out in the kitchen next week – we’re getting closer to Thanksgiving and I’ll have another recipe for you!

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll go take a ROYAL NAP in the ROYAL CHAMBER……it’s tough work being King AND the Baker for the Castle!

Bakin’ With Bacon In Teddy’s Kitchen

Greetings Fellow Baconians from the kitchen at Castle Baconia – I am your King of Bacon….Teddy…. and have I got a recipe for you!

Yes – we have done a similar recipe before on a Saturday morning – a cinnamon bacon roll – but this is a little different and a lot of fun to make too.    I know you’re up for a challenge – after all you are BACONIANS and citizens of Baconia are brave bakers!    You’ve gotta try this one – including the twisting part – that’s important for mixing the flavors up and it sure makes the texture better.

READY?????

Bacon-Cinnamon Breakfast Twist

 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup chopped pecans

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons real maple syrup

1 can (13.8 oz) Pillsbury™ refrigerated classic pizza crust

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, cooled

1/3 cup precooked bacon, chopped (4 strips) (AND BEFORE YOU ASK ME – OF COURSE YOU CAN HAVE MORE BACON IN THIS RECIPE IF YOU WANT TO!!

1/2 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

Heat oven to 350°F. Line 9×5-inch loaf pan with foil, extending up and over sides. Spray with cooking spray.

In small bowl, mix brown sugar, pecans, cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the maple syrup until well mixed.   Lightly sprinkle large cutting board with flour. Unroll pizza dough on board. Reserve 2 teaspoons of the melted butter. Brush remaining butter evenly on dough to within 1/2 inch of short sides. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture and bacon evenly over butter. Starting with short side, roll up; pinch edge to seal. Place seam side down on cutting board.  With serrated knife, cut roll in half lengthwise, forming 2 strips. Place cut side up. Carefully overlap strips 2 to 3 times to form twist. Press ends to seal. Place in pan. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until deep golden brown and no longer doughy in center. Cover with foil last 5 to 10 minutes of bake time to prevent overbrowning. Remove to cooling rack. Cool 15 minutes. Carefully lift out of pan using sides of foil. Place on cutting board; remove foil.

Meanwhile, in small bowl, stir 2 teaspoons reserved melted butter, remaining 3 tablespoons maple syrup, the powdered sugar and 1/8 teaspoon salt until smooth. Drizzle over twist. Serve warm.

Are your mouths watering yet?????

Wait- that’s more like “foaming at the mouth” than watering!!!!!

You know there are an endless number of recipes “out there” involving bacon and I look for FUN ones to share with you and with my Mom who makes most of these recipes just because we are BACON FREAKS at my house but also because she and I won’t recommend something we don’t think is yummy.    This one we have tried and Mom and both declared it a WINNER.

So give this a whirl on a weekend and see if it isn’t a hit at your house too.    I bet you it will be!    Also, remember, recipes are “guidelines” – if you need to substitute something that works just as well – do it.   Make it yours.   You have the permission of the KING (and his Mom).

Until Next Saturday!  Keep on Bakin’ in Baconia!!   

King Teddy

It’s so GOOD to be King!!!!!

Bacon on Saturday

Greetings from the Kitchen of Castle Baconia!   I am your King – TEDDY!

I’m here to share another fabulous (and this week fabulously EASY) recipe using our most favorite food item here in my Kingdom – BACON.   Some recipes are toughies and some are just the opposite – incredibly easy – THIS is one of THOSE!   Ready???

Bacon Crackers

INGREDIENTS:

1 (16 ounce) package buttery round crackers  (like Ritz or any other buttery type cracker)

• 1 pound sliced bacon, cut into thirds
• 1 pound brown sugar  (you don’t need ALL of it – use as much as you like)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C).
2. Arrange the crackers in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Top each cracker with 1/3 slice bacon, and sprinkle desired amount of brown sugar over all.
3. Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until browned and crisp. Serve warm.

DOES IT GET ANY EASIER THAN THAT???????????????????   No and while it’s ridiculously EASY to make, it’s surprising how delicious it is.   Just a quickie snack or appetizer when you can’t find anything else to snack on OR serve those pesky last minute drop in neighbors!!!

Of course here at the Castle Baconia, we rarely have drop-in neighbors………….heck, we don’t have any neighbors anyway………..the moat around the castle keeps everyone away!!!

 

Yep – pull up your food bowl pup and have some bacon crackers!

One of our favorite HA-HAs…………..!!

You better believe it!    Even a KING can be rather possessive about his BACON!!

Enjoy you stay at Castle Baconia won’t you?  Just don’t disturb me as I nap in my Royal Chamber please!

Until next Saturday!    Teddy, King of Baconia