Bakin’ With Bacon and King Ted

The King is in his kitchen and ready to bake a YUMMY bacon treat!

Oh I couldn’t resist his one.   Too many wonderful things in this recipe to ignore it – you’ve just gotta try it.    We love bacon and we love cheesecake and we love chocolate chips so how on earth could this possibly go wrong?   It can’t!

BACON CHOCOLATE CHIP CHEESECAKE BLONDIES

Ingredients

• 8 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• CHEESECAKE LAYER:
• 2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup 2% milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375°. Line a 9-in. square baking pan with foil, letting ends extend up sides; grease foil.
• Reserve 1/4 cup crumbled bacon for top. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, salt and baking soda; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Stir in chocolate chips and remaining bacon. Press half of the dough onto bottom of prepared pan.
• For cheesecake layer, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs, milk and vanilla; beat on low speed just until blended. Pour over dough in prepared pan; drop remaining dough by rounded tablespoons over cheesecake layer. Sprinkle with reserved bacon.
• Bake until golden brown, 45-50 minutes. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Refrigerate at least 4 hours before cutting. Lifting with foil, remove from pan. Cut into bars.

 

So did we get your interest with this one?

I believe I’ll take a ROYAL nap……Enjoy the recipe and I’ll see you next week!

King Teddy

Bakin’ With Bacon And King Teddy

Welcome to the Castle Baconia Kitchen!   Ready to cook???

I have a great main dish for you this time around.    If you’re a fan of chicken, you will be a fan of this recipe I think.    It’s not hard to make either and really delicious with almost any side dish you can think of.   Ready???

 

Honey Mustard Chicken With Bacon

 

INGREDIENTS

• 1/3 cup honey
• 3 level tablespoons whole grain mustard
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic, (or 3-4 cloves crushed garlic)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt to season
• 5 skinless and boneless chicken breasts (or chicken thighs)
• 1/2 cup diced bacon, trimmed of rind and fat (I used 4 small bacon rashers)
• 1/3 cup cream (light or reduced fat) 
• 1 cup milk (skim, 2% or full fat – almond milk may be used for a dairy free option)
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch (corn flour) mixed with 1 tablespoon water
• 2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

INSTRUCTIONS

• In a large, shallow dish, combine the honey, mustard, garlic, oil and salt to taste (not too much salt if serving with bacon as the bacon will add a salty flavour when served). Coat chicken evenly in the sauce. Set aside.
• Heat a nonstick pan (or skillet) over medium heat. Fry bacon until crispy; transfer to a plate. To the same pan, sear chicken fillets on each side in the oil left over from the bacon until just beginning to brown (about 3 minutes per side — not completely cooked through as we will finish them in the sauce).
• Add any remaining honey mustard sauce into the pan along with the cream and milk. Bring to a simmer while stirring occasionally to mix the favours through the sauce (about 3 minutes), until the chicken is cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a warm plate.
• Pour the cornstarch mixture into the center of the pan, mixing it through the sauce until it thickens. Place chicken back into the pan; coat with the sauce. Top with the bacon and garnish with parsley.

I know!  I was surprised how delicious this was too!

Take our word for it – it’s worth giving it a whirl.   You won’t be sorry (I hope!).

Enjoy my friends!   See you next week in the kitchen!   

King Teddy

Bakin’ With Bacon And King Teddy

Hello Bacon Fans!   It’s me…..Teddy, King of Bacon, with another yummy recipe for you!

So this one isn’t particularly UNUSUAL in any way, but maybe using hard-boiled sliced eggs is a little bit different – at least the Queen Mom says so.    She’s never been a big fan of hard boiled eggs but in this recipe they’re tasty and with all the cheese and other yummy stuff the eggs aren’t “center stage”.     Anyway, you may like this one – I hope you do!!

Bacon and Egg Lasagna

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb diced bacon
• 1 large onion, chopped
• ¹⁄₃ cup flour
• ¹⁄₂ – 1 teaspoon salt
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon pepper
• 4 cups milk
• 12 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
• 12 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
• 2 (8 ounce) cups shredded swiss cheese
• ¹⁄₃ cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

DIRECTIONS

• In skillet, cook bacon until crisp.
• Remove with slotted spoon to paper towels.
• Drain, reserving 1/3 cup drippings.
• In the drippings, saute onion until tender.
• Stir in flour, salt and pepper until blended.
• Gradually stir in milk.
• Bring to boil and cook and stir for 2 minutes.
• Remove from heat.
• Spread 1/2 cup sauce in greased 13x9x2″ baking dish.
• Layer with four noodles, a third of the egg and bacon, cheese and sauce.
• Repeat layers twice.
• Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
• Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until bubbly.
• Sprinkle with parsley.
• Let stand 15 minutes before cutting.
• Can be made the night before and refrigerated.
• To serve, remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking.

 

This one would make a good brunchy kind of thing……..or I suppose even as a sidedish!     If you give it a whirl you might find some other goodies you can add in too.    I’ve always said that a recipe is just a “guideline” – you take a recipe and modify it to your own taste…..add/subtract whatever – it usually works out just fine!

Some of our favorite bacon “funnies” !!   

Happy Caturday from The King!

Hugs, Teddy

Bakin’ With The King for Christmas!

Welcome To My Holiday Kitchen!

Oh yes………..holidays just automatically mean GOOD COOKIN’ don’t they. People share recipes – ideas for snacks – if it was a normal year people would be preparing ideas to feed groups of friends and family. Instead we are keeping things small this year. Just to stay on the safe side. Even here at the Castle, we are having no big “do” – just a nice Christmas dinner for the holiday. Oh – and some other little goodies along the way.

That’s what today is all about………..an idea to put in your “idea box” for thinking about when it comes to feeding YOURSELVES during the holiday.    We are fans of scalloped potatoes here – Mom loves them and so does Dad but the same old/same old recipe loses its’ charm after a while.    This really jazzes things up signicantly and will be one of the side dishes Mom makes to have with the ROYAL HAM CHRISTMAS DINNER this year.    Check it out – you probably won’t be able to resist trying it – if not for Christmas – maybe New Year’s Eve?????

Granny’s Apple Scalloped Potatoes

 

Ingredients

• 1 medium Granny Smith apple, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup sliced sweet onion
• 4 medium red potatoes, thinly sliced (about 1 pound)
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme  (I used dry)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 4 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
• Chopped fresh parsley, optional  (yes it’s green and holiday-ish but I didn’t have any so left this out!)

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a small bowl, combine apple slices, sugar and lemon juice; toss to coat. Set aside. In an 8- or 9-in. cast-iron or other ovenproof skillet, heat butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• Alternately arrange potato and apple slices in a single layer in same skillet. Combine 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, cream, thyme, salt and pepper; pour over top.
• Bake, uncovered, 50 minutes. Top with bacon and remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese. Bake until potatoes are tender and top is lightly browned, 5-10 minutes longer. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. If desired, sprinkle with parsley.

Oh boy – not only is this going to be super extra tasty but it’s also beautiful just to look at!    All those potatoes and apples arranged slice by slice……YUMMMMM.

Now – time to say to all of you how much I’ve enjoyed being your Chef in the Castle – having taken over from Angel Sammy who used to run this kitchen as King of Bacon before me.    So much fun and so many delicious recipes!    We hope the new year will be just as much fun – no reason to think it won’t be – and we hope you continue to enjoy picking up a tip or two for some new dish to try.    EATING IS FUN.   

Maybe leave him a small dish of scalloped apples and potatoes instead of cookies this year???  They have bacon on top you know!

 

Love and Holiday Hugs, Teddy

Bakin’ With The King and Turkey Leftovers!

Turkey Leftovers?  Yeah – why not?  

 

What to do with all that turkey? Well here’s a really NICE (and different) way to use some of it!   I found this recipe and we tried it here in the Castle and it had a FIVE out of FIVE STAR RATING!   I think if WE liked it, maybe YOU would too??????    Nice and cool and refreshing and a great combination of the tastes some of us experienced with our Thanksgiving dinners but in a whole different way than the usual casserole most of us come up with.

 

Apple Cranberry Turkey Salad

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 cups cooked shredded turkey
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1 cup diced apple chunks
• 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
   
• 1/2 cup fresh finely diced parsley
• salt and pepper to taste
• Dinner rolls

****I know this recipe has no bacon in it – but quite honestly – it just might be an interesting little ZIP to crumble up a few slices of cooked bacon in the mix!

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine everything together in a large bowl. Stir until mixed thoroughly.
2. Refrigerate for a few hours so the flavors have time to blend.
3. Serve the salad on the dinner rolls. Keep refrigerated.

No doubt about it!

In the coming weeks as we approach Christmas – I’ll be sharing some Christmas recipes most of which will have bacon in them – after all, the King of Bacon should try and feature bacon – am I right?

See you next week Loyal Subjects!   

Your King