Eggs & Bacon

THE CUT Bacon comes from the belly of a hog. Each hog will produce two slabs of side pork, which can be cured into two slabs of bacon. The belly is about 10% of the meat from the entire hog. THE PROCESS For dry-cured bacon, pork belly slabs are cured with a mixture of salt, sugar, and spices. The cure also often contains sodium nitrate, a preservative that enhances the pink color of the meat. After about a week, the cure is rinsed away then the pork belly is dried and smoked. Commercially produced bacon is often cured by injections of a brine, made of salt, sugar, nitrates, and phosphates (which speed up the curing process and stabilize the color of the meat). The cured belly is then either smoked or injected with…

CHEESY BACON AND LEEK PASTA BAKE PREP 40 minutes BAKE 30 minutes at 375°F STAND 5 minutes 3 cups dried rigatoni and/or penne pasta1 14.5-oz. can fire-roasted diced tomatoes with garlic, undrained6 slices bacon, cut up1 cup sliced leeks1 cup heavy cream2 cups shredded Italian cheese blend (8 oz.) 1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Return pasta to pot. Add tomatoes; toss gently to combine. 2. Meanwhile, in a 10-inch nonstick skillet cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels, reserving 1 Tbsp. drippings in skillet. (If desired, set aside 2 Tbsp. bacon for topping.) Add leeks to reserved drippings; cook 3 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir bacon and leeks into pasta mixture in pot. Transfer mixture to…

BACON-WRAPPED ASPARAGUS START TO FINISH 25 minutes 12 slices bacon12 oz. asparagus spears, trimmed2 Tbsp. honey or pure maple syrup2 tsp. hot water½ tsp. Dijon-style mustard⅛ tsp. cayenne pepper 1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with foil. On a plate arrange bacon between double layers of paper towels. Microwave 1½ to 2 minutes or until partially cooked but not brown; cool. 2. Divide asparagus into six portions. Wrap two slices of bacon around each portion and secure with a toothpick. Place on prepared pan. For glaze, in a small bowl combine the remaining ingredients. 3. Roast bundles 8 minutes; turn bundles and drizzle with glaze. Roast 7 minutes more or until asparagus is tender and bacon is cooked through. Makes 6 bundles. PER BUNDLE 107 cal., 6 g fat (2 g sat. fat),…

EASY BACON-OLIVE FOCACCIA PREP 20 minutes STAND 4 hours BAKE 30 minutes at 400°F 3 cups all-purpose flour1 cup millet flour, whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour1 pkg. active dry yeast2 tsp. kosher salt2 cups warm water (120°F to 130°F) Nonstick cooking spray8 slices bacon, chopped1 Tbsp. olive oil¾ cup desired whole, sliced, and/or chopped pitted olives 1. In a large bowl stir together 2 cups of the all-purpose flour, the millet flour, the yeast, and salt. Add the warm water; stir until moistened (dough will be sticky and soft). Cover; let stand at room temperature 2 hours. 2. Grease a 15×10-inch baking pan. Stir remaining 1 cup all-purpose flour into dough. Transfer to prepared pan. Using a rubber spatula coated with cooking spray, gently spread dough into pan (dough will be sticky). Coat a piece…

BACON AND BAKED POTATO SOUP PREP 20 minutes BAKE 40 minutes at 425°F COOK 10 minutes 2 6- to 8-oz. baking potatoes, such as russet3 Tbsp. butter½ cup chopped onion¼ cup chopped celery3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour½ tsp. dried thyme, crushed¼ tsp. salt⅛ tsp. black pepper4 cups milk*1 cup shredded American cheese (4 oz.)1 cup chicken broth8 slices bacon, crisp-cooked and crumbled1 Tbsp. thinly sliced green onion 1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Scrub potatoes; pat dry. Prick potatoes with a fork. Bake 40 to 60 minutes or until tender; cool. Peel and chop potatoes. 2. In a large heavy saucepan or Dutch oven melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and celery; cook 5 minutes or until crisp-tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in flour, thyme, salt, and pepper. Add milk all at once. Cook and stir 5 to…

BACON-CARAMEL ROLLS PREP 40 minutes BAKE 15 minutes at 400°F + 25 minutes at 375°F RISE 1 hour COOL 5 minutes 8 slices bacon¾ cup packed brown sugar½ cup butter, melted¼ cup light-color corn syrup¾ cup chopped pecans⅔ cup packed brown sugar1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon2 16-oz. loaves frozen white bread dough or sweet roll dough, thawed6 Tbsp. butter, softened¾ cup raisins (optional) 1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a 15×10-inch baking pan with foil. Place bacon in prepared pan. Bake 15 minutes or until crisp; drain on paper towels. Coarsely chop bacon. 2. Grease a 13×9-inch baking pan. In a medium bowl combine ¾ cup brown sugar, the melted butter, and corn syrup. Stir in pecans and half of the bacon. Spread in prepared pan. 3. Stir together ⅔ cup brown sugar and the cinnamon. On a lightly…