5 from The Farmers Kitchen-Bacon

5 From the Farmers' Kitchen:  
Bacon.  The champion of breakfast can be a great addition to meals all day.  Here are my 5 favorite ways to use bacon after the sun is high in the sky.

1:  Oven Cooked Bacon

I shared this in a recent post about cured meats. Oven-cooked bacon is a great way to get bacon evenly cooked up, without splattering all over the stovetop.  Cooking bacon at a lower temperature reduces some of its health concerns.  Lower-temperature cooking reduces the levels of Nitrosamines created when bacon is cooked at high temperatures, 370 degrees and above.  Pre-heat the oven to 325Place bacon in a single layer on a rimmed, parchment-lined baking pan.Bake for 15-25 minutes until desired doneness.  

2:  Bacon Frittata

One of my favorite dinners to make quickly and use up leftovers is a Frittata.  Preheat oven to 350 In a 12-inch oven-safe skillet (I love cast iron) over medium heat, fry 3-4 slices of diced bacon and a chopped onion until the onions are translucent and the bacon is crisping.  You can also add some raw diced potatoes at this step.   While the bacon and onions cook, crack a dozen eggs into a bowl and beat them. Add salt, pepper, and milk (if desired). Set asideCheck the fridge for any leftover meat or veggies to add in.  We use chicken, BBQ’ed pork, taco meat, leftover pasta sauce, or steak.  Toss in some veggies or potatoes.  Bell peppers, zucchini, green beans, broccoli, spinach.Pour eggs over the mixture in the pan.Carefully transfer the pan to the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, until the eggs are cooked in the center. If you want to top with cheese, sprinkle it over the frittata after about 20 minutes in the oven.

Quick Tip: I keep a pack of bacon in the freezer and take it out 10 minutes or so before I’m ready to cook.  It’s then just starting to defrost, and it's easy to dice some off the end for cooking into dishes.

3: Bacon-Wrapped Veggies

Wrapping veggies in bacon is a great way to dress up veggies for a nice dinner at home or a potluck. Preheat oven to 325 Wrap bacon around a bundle of veggies: carrot sticks, asparagus, zucchini spears, bell pepper slices, or a mix of any.  Use a toothpick to hold the bacon in place.Bake on a rimmed, lined baking sheet for 25-35 minutes, flipping a few times, until bacon is cooked and veggies are tender.

4: Wilted Salad, or as the Farmhands call it, “Dessert Salad.”

This sweet and tangy salad is a long-time favorite in our house.  Chop bacon into small pieces and fry until crisp (see quick tip above for chopping mostly frozen bacon)While the bacon is cooking, Chop, wash, and spin-dry hardy greens, spinach, power greens, and red or romaine lettuce.  Remove the bacon from the pan, leaving the fat.  Over medium heat, add maple syrup (why this is called dessert salad) and vinegar in equal amounts to the bacon fat, and cook until it boils.  Right before serving, pour the hot dressing over the salad and toss in bacon bits.  

5: Bacon-Wrapped Dates

This is a favorite party appetizer or weekend treat, sweet and savory.  Easy to serve and a hit among adults and kids alike.Cut bacon in half and bake on a rimmed baking sheet for 10-15 minutes until it’s about 1/2 cooked.While the bacon is cooking, pit your dates and, if desired, stuff them with goat cheese, blue cheese, or almond slices.  We usually just do straight dates.Remove bacon from the oven and let it cool until you can handle it.  Wrap half a piece of bacon around each date, then stick it with a toothpick.  Bake for another 15-20 minutes, until the bacon is crisp and the dates are soft.  Grab a few for yourself before you make them available to kids or guests.


Enjoy your weekend, 

Aila

P.S. If you shop with us and want to try all 5 cooking ideas?  Grab the “Bacon Lovers Bundle”.   Get 5 packs of bacon-2 Classic Bacon perfect for slow and low cooking, and the Bacon Frittatta, 1 pack of Jalapeno bacon, ideal for Bacon Wrapped veggies with a kick.  A Black Pepper bacon to add a little bite to the dessert salad, and an Apple Cinnamon, perfect for bacon-wrapped dates.