Tag: bacon

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Not the Blue Box

By Fran Hill

Most of us probably have a box or two of Kraft Mac and Cheese hanging out in our pantries. We reach for it when we want something quick and filling. I have mixed mine with tuna, stirred in dill and onion, added sliced hot dogs, and heard of preparations with ground beef, chili, and even using the mix in a salad recipe. The quick and easy options for macaroni and cheese are endless.

Today was cold. OK, today wasn’t just cold. It was a brisk, bitter, biting cold, just as much of our winter seems to have been. All I wanted was comfort food, and I achieved this with a grown-up version of macaroni and cheese that was definitely NOT the Blue Box. Although, preparation was fairly simple, this divine combination of ingredients was impressive enough that it could be served to guests. It isn’t for those counting calories, but it is an indulgence that will leave you wondering if you really want or need that Blue Box, after all.

Warm and cheesy tortellini with corn and bacon tops Kraft Mac and Cheese any day.

Tortellini with Corn and Bacon

12 ounces tortellini (fresh, frozen, or dried … your choice)

6 slices bacon, cut into Ω inch pieces

Ω cup thinly sliced shitake mushrooms

2 large shallots, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 º cups whipping cream

1 cup frozen corn, thawed

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

1 Ω cups coarsely grated cheddar cheese

Cook tortellini in large pot of boiling water until tender, but still firm to bite. Preheat oven to 350F. Butter a 13 x 9 casserole dish. Cook bacon in large skillet until crisp. Transfer bacon to paper towel-lined plate to drain. Add mushrooms to the skillet (with bacon drippings). SautÈ until golden, about 6 minutes. Add shallots and garlic and sautÈ about 5 minutes (until golden). Add tortellini, cream and corn and toss until sauce coats pasta, about 3 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, parsley, and bacon. Transfer to baking dish. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake until cheese is melted and dish is heated through, about 5-10 minutes. (Serves 6-8)

Fran Hill has been blogging about food at On My Plate since October of 2006. She, her husband and their two dogs ranch near Colome.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Bacon Weaving

By Laura Johnson

A few years ago, my brother the redneck suggested that my family start celebrating Lent by eating twice as much meat on Fridays as we normally do. The idea was to offset the springtime drop in meat consumption by Lenten traditionalists, but the joy of sauntering into the Volin CafÈ and gently taunting his observant friends by ordering a double bacon hamburger may have been another deciding factor for him.

Now I don’t eat much meat as a rule, but Double Meat Fridays have turned out to be a useful concept. It’s a gentle reminder to work on my Christmas present from the redneck: 15 pounds of bacon. It was clearly a gift of love, but rather a daunting amount of pork belly for one person.

Our brother Luke was sensible with his Christmas bacon. He divided it amongst his foodie friends, who came up with some fantastic concoctions and brought the finished dishes to a bacon party/competition. There were bacon-wrapped scallops, maple-bacon cupcakes, bacon jam, cheesy bacon potatoes and who knows what all else. The day went by in a smoky, salty haze. Glorious.

It was a fine idea. If I’d been smart, I would have copied it. Sadly, when it comes to bacon, I am not smart. I don’t know how to share. So it’s become a challenge to figure out how to do justice to such an amazing present without overdosing on fried pork. My brothers and I did some brainstorming. Perhaps an apple pie would be enriched by a crispy bacon lattice top. Maybe we could construct bacon cages to encase other, lesser foods. How about bacon-wrapped bacon with crumbled bacon on top, plus melted bacon fat or butter on the side for dipping? Ok, that may be crossing the lines of good taste.

There’s no shortage of bacon cooking ideas on the internet, but I found I was most drawn to the idea of weaving uncooked bacon into mats or, even better, into bowl shapes, and baking until delicious. Think of the potential applications! You could put a salad in one of those little bacony nests! Fill them with Swedish pancakes and douse it all in syrup! You could even dip them in chocolate and serve ice cream inside. The possibilities are endless.

Bacon Cups

From The Not Martha Blog

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cover the back of a large muffin pan or metal bowls with foil and weave bacon strips around the backs. Be generous with the bacon — it will shrink and leave gaps in your cups. Set the pan in a cookie sheet with a rim to catch the dripping fat. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until crispy, checking occasionally for oven fires. Carefully remove bacon cups to a paper towel-lined plate. Reserve bacon fat for later use.