bacon Archives - Baked Chicago

Entrees

Arrabbiata Sauce with Rotini Pasta and Turkey Meatballs

I must admit for most of my adult life I’ve never made spaghetti sauce from scratch. With so many good pre-made sauces on the market, I usually stock up when there’s a sale and (occasionally) doctor it up with some fresh herbs or tomatoes. Can I get an “amen?” Browsing through one of my favorite slow cooker cookbooks – Better Homes and Gardens Year-Round Slow Cooker Recipes – I found a recipe for arrabbiata sauce. I was intrigued because I’d never heard of arrabbiata sauce. After a little research, I discovered that “arrabbiata” is Italian for “angry.” The sauce gets its name from the burn of the crushed red peppers. Most everything about this recipe sounded great, but of course I had to add my own twists to make it more of something I’d want to eat. So I exchanged pancetta for bacon and I added a cup of Cabernet Sauvignon wine to the recipe. I thought if the sauce was going to be “angry,” then being a little “boozy” couldn’t hurt!

Arrabbiata Sauce with Turkey Meatballs

The arrabbiata sauce is extremely easy to make. Your slow cooker does most of the heavy lifting. To start the recipe, I browned the onion, bacon and garlic in a skillet – then transferred the contents to my slow cooker. You add all the rest of the ingredients (except for the pasta and meatballs – those come later!) into your slow cooker and give it a good stir. Set it on HIGH and put on the lid. Walk away for 4 to 5 hours and the sauce will be “perfetto!” About 45 minutes before your arrabbiata sauce is done, you’ll want to start making the turkey meatballs. I used pre-seasoned panko breadcrumbs with Italian seasoning spices, but you can use standard panko breadcrumbs and add in the Italian seasoning by hand. The mixture of the panko, butter and egg help bind the ingredients, and make for a great carmelized “crust” on the outside of the meatballs. I tend to like larger meatballs, so that requires even cooking. The trick is not to rush the browning process, so never go higher than medium-high heat. I don’t make homemade meatballs that often. Usually, I’ll just brown ground turkey into my sauce and make whatever sauce I’m using a meat sauce. But these turkey meatballs were to die for! Well worth the effort. You may want to make a double batch; they freeze well. Cook your pasta according to package directions. I used rotini pasta, but you can easily substitute your favorite pasta or what you have in your pantry. If you’re only having pasta for a meal, I like to use a bowl. It makes it easier to cover the pasta with sauce, without wasting a lot covering the entire length of a plate. Then pile on the meatballs and pour a healthy serving of arrabbiata sauce over it all. Top it with shredded Parmesan cheese and you’ve got a great weekday dinner or weekend lunch that’s good enough for company. I ended up adding Cabernet Sauvignon to this arrabbiata sauce recipe to make it “less angry.” What’s your favorite ingredient to add to spaghetti sauce?

Arrabbiata Sauce with Turkey Meatballs

Rating: 51

Cook Time: 4 hours

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

For Sauce:

1 large onion, chopped

5 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

56 ounces diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano, undrained

15 ounces tomato sauce

2 teaspoons dried parsley

1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crushed

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 cup Cabernet Sauvignon, or any dry red wine

8 servings cooked rotini pasta

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

For Meatballs:

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

20 ounces ground turkey, 93% lean

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

1 tablespoon dried parsley

2 medium onions, minced

2 eggs

1 tablespoon butter, room temperature

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

For Sauce:

In a skillet, cook the onion, bacon and garlic over medium heat until onion is tender and bacon is browned.

Transfer mixture to a 5-quart slow cooker. Set skillet aside to use when cooking meatballs later.

Stir in the tomatoes, tomato sauce, parsley, oregano, basil, salt, and crushed red pepper. Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours (or on LOW for 8 to 10 hours).

Serve over pasta and turkey meatballs. Sprinkle each serving with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

For Meatballs:

In a large bowl, thoroughly combine ground turkey, breadcrumbs, Italian seasoning, dried parsley, mined onions, eggs, butter, salt and pepper.

By hand, form golf ball-sized meatballs and place in cooled skillet (used when browning onion and bacon mixture earlier). Makes about 16 meatballs, or 2 per serving. Feel free to make your meatballs smaller or larger, based on your preference. But make all meatballs uniform in size so they cook evenly.

Place skillet with meatballs on burner at medium-high heat. Every 5 minutes or so, turn meatballs so that all sides will eventually brown and meatballs will be evenly cooked. Watch carefully and remove meatballs from skillet when done. Set aside to serve with arrabbiata sauce and pasta.

Notes

Sauce portion of this recipe lightly adapted from Better Homes & Gardens "Year-Round Slow Cooker Recipes"

https://bakedchicago.com/arrabbiata-sauce-recipe/

Snacks & Candies

Pecorino Romano Peppered Popcorn

The butter and raspberry balsamic in this recipe for Pecorino Romano Peppered Popcorn, with Butter, Balsamic and Bacon blend beautifully to add some subtle notes to the strength of the Pecorino Romano cheese and black pepper.

And what can I say about the bacon? The hickory-smoked bacon is perfect with the balsamic. So good that I have to admit that I doubled up the amount of bacon, cause you can’t ever have too much bacon, right!

Pecorino Romano Peppered Popcorn, with Butter, Balsamic & Bacon

Rating: 51

Cook Time: 12 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

8 cups popcorn, popped

4 slices thick-cut hickory-smoked bacon, crispy and crumbled (or cut in 1/4-inch strips)

4 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons raspberry balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese

1 tablespoon ground black pepper

Instructions

Cook bacon in the microwave on a microwave safe plate. I put the bacon strips on 5 sheets of paper towels on a large plate, then top it with 3 sheets of paper towels. Cook on high until crispy (about 6 to 8 minutes for thick-cut bacon). Let cool before crumbling or cutting into 1/4-inch strips.

In a small bowl, stir together Pecorino Romano grated cheese and ground black pepper for even seasoning. Set aside.

Pop a standard-sized bag of microwave popcorn according to package directions, yielding about 8 cups. Pour the popped corn in a large mixing bowl; set aside.

In a microwave safe medium-sized bowl, melt butter and balsamic together (2 to 3 minutes). Cover bowl to avoid making a mess in your microwave as the butter starts to get hot.

Drizzle about half the butter mixture over the popped corn, followed by about half the cheese/pepper mixture. Toss gently to combine and coat. Drizzle the remaining butter and cheese/pepper mixtures over the popcorn. Toss to coat evenly and serve immediately.

Notes

By drizzling only half the butter and a time, followed by sprinkling half the cheese mixture, will allow the popcorn to slowly absorb the butter. If you put too much on at once, the popcorn will become overly clumpy and the cheese mixture won't blend well.

https://bakedchicago.com/pecorino-romano-peppered-popcorn-recipe/

Soups, Salads & Sides

Rustic New Potatoes with Bacon & Edamame

If I could only eat one food for the rest of my life, it would be potatoes. Hands down. No need for discussion. Potatoes are so versatile and so comforting. The neatniks of the world say “cleanliness is next to Godliness.” I say a mouthful of scrumptious potatoes is as close to heaven on earth as you can get (with food).

What I like about rustic cooking is that it’s simple. There’s no fuss. And this recipe uses a slow cooker, which makes it almost effortless. The only work you have to do is quarter the potatoes and turn on your slow cooker. And as slow cooker recipes go, it’s relatively fast to cook. This is a great side dish for a pot roast or chicken. You could even cut up some oven-roasted turkey breast or chicken and add it to the mixture for a one-pot meal.

Baked potatoes with sour cream, crunchy tater tots, hash browns with scrambled eggs, au gratin potatoes with anything – I luv ’em all! So now you know just how much I love potatoes. Which kind of potatoes is your favorite?

Rustic New Potatoes with Bacon & Edamame

Rating: 51

Cook Time: 2 hours

Yield: 4 servings

Rustic New Potatoes with Bacon & Edamame

Ingredients

12 ounces shelled edamame

1.5 pounds new potatoes, quartered

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

2 teaspoons sea salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

4 slices thick-cut bacon, crispy and crumbled for garnish

Instructions

In a 4-quart slow cooker, add the edamame and potatoes. In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Drizzle the oil mixture over the potatoes and toss to coat.

Cook on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours, or until potatoes are fully cooked. Garnish with crispy, crumbled bacon and serve warm.

https://bakedchicago.com/rustic-new-potatoes-recipe/

Beverages

National Rum Day: Captain Morgan’s #CaptainRumDay Competition

To celebrate National Rum Day (August 16), I’m participating in the Captain Morgan® #CaptainRumDay challenge. I was asked to create an original cocktail recipe using Captain Morgan White Rum with at least two of eight unconventional ingredients that would arrive in a special delivery.

When I opened the box, I found chocolate, bacon, sriracha, pistachios, BBQ sauce, red licorice, salsa, and potato chips. [If you don’t see the chocolate, your eyes aren’t failing you. The bar had melted in the heat, but luckily hadn’t leaked. So after it solidified at room temperature, I ate it.]

With so many flavor combination options, I didn’t know which direction I should take. I asked myself, “What would Pam like?” You see, my good friend Pam was celebrating her birthday this week, so I had been thinking about her.

Every August, she takes an extended family vacation with her daughter and grand kids at this cozy lakefront house in Michigan. Pam’s a vegetarian (mostly – except for bacon) and she really enjoys savory flavors. And while she likes dark chocolate, it’s salty and crunchy – with a little bit of spice – that is her absolute favorite.

So I selected to work with three unconventional ingredients in this Captain Morgan #CaptainRumDay original cocktail challenge: bacon, potato chips and sriracha hot sauce.

I took a slice of a Michigan peach, marinated it in some sriracha. Then I combined Captain Morgan white rum with light cran-raspberry juice and a splash of light orange juice over ice in a shaker.

After pouring the cocktail in a martini glass, I dredged the peach slice in crushed potato chips and wrapped it in a slice of bacon. The perfect savory, salty and spicy garnish for a summery smooth drink.

And I’ve named it Pam’s Summer Escape in honor of my friend, Pam. Cheers!

Pam's Summer Escape

Rating: 51

Yield: 1 serving

Ingredients

1 slice Michigan peach

1 dash sriracha sauce

1 ounce Captain Morgan White Rum

3 ounces light cranberry-raspberry juice

1/4 ounce light orange juice

ice

2 potato chips, finely crushed

1 slice thick-cut fully cooked bacon

Instructions

Marinate peach slice in sriracha sauce. Set aside.

Mix Captain Morgan White Rum, cranberry-raspberry juice and orange juice in a shaker over ice. Pour into martini glass.

Dredge peach slice in crushed potato chips, then wrap with bacon. Skewer and serve on the rim of the glass. Cheers!

https://bakedchicago.com/national-rum-day-captainrumday-competition/

Disclosure: I was given a free sample of Captain Morgan® White Rum and eight unconventional ingredients for use in this challenge. I get no additional benefits for talking about this product or company. All opinions about this product are 100% my own.

Entrees

Why is Arrabbiata Sauce angry?

Arrabbiata Sauce with Turkey Meatballs

Rating: 51

Cook Time: 4 hours

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

For Sauce:

1 large onion, chopped

5 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

56 ounces diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano, undrained

15 ounces tomato sauce

2 teaspoons dried parsley

1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crushed

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 cup Cabernet Sauvignon, or any dry red wine

8 servings cooked rotini pasta

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

For Meatballs:

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

20 ounces ground turkey, 93% lean

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

1 tablespoon dried parsley

2 medium onions, minced

2 eggs

1 tablespoon butter, room temperature

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

For Sauce:

In a skillet, cook the onion, bacon and garlic over medium heat until onion is tender and bacon is browned.

Transfer mixture to a 5-quart slow cooker. Set skillet aside to use when cooking meatballs later.

Stir in the tomatoes, tomato sauce, parsley, oregano, basil, salt, and crushed red pepper. Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours (or on LOW for 8 to 10 hours).

Serve over pasta and turkey meatballs. Sprinkle each serving with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

For Meatballs:

In a large bowl, thoroughly combine ground turkey, breadcrumbs, Italian seasoning, dried parsley, mined onions, eggs, butter, salt and pepper.

Notes

Sauce portion of this recipe lightly adapted from Better Homes & Gardens "Year-Round Slow Cooker Recipes"

https://bakedchicago.com/arrabbiata-sauce/

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Soups, Salads & Sides

Rustic New Potatoes with Bacon & Edamame

Rating: 51

Cook Time: 2 hours

Yield: 4 servings

Rustic New Potatoes with Bacon & Edamame

Ingredients

12 ounces shelled edamame

1.5 pounds new potatoes, quartered

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

2 teaspoons sea salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

4 slices thick-cut bacon, crispy and crumbled for garnish

Instructions

Cook on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours, or until potatoes are fully cooked. Garnish with crispy, crumbled bacon and serve warm.

https://bakedchicago.com/rustic-new-potatoes-with-bacon-edamame/

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Snacks & Candies

My @FallonTonight Snack of Choice: Pecorino Romano Peppered Popcorn

No amount of thunder snow, polar plunge or sub-zero arctic blasts will stop me from enjoying the premier of The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon tonight. Yes, TONIGHT!

I’ve been a fan of Jimmy Fallon from his early days on Saturday Night Live. And he just keeps getting better and funnier. Witness this hilarious spoof of the “Evolution of Mom Dancing” with (Chicago’s very own) First Lady Michelle Obama. Just brilliant!

So I’m whipping up a batch of my Pecorino Romano Peppered Popcorn, with Butter, Balsamic and Bacon. How’s that for alliteration! There’s enough to share with the family, if you so choose!

The butter and raspberry balsamic blend beautifully to add some subtle notes to the strength of the Pecorino Romano cheese and black pepper.

Pecorino Romano Peppered Popcorn, with Butter, Balsamic & Bacon

Rating: 51

Cook Time: 12 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

8 cups popcorn, popped

4 slices thick-cut hickory-smoked bacon, crispy and crumbled (or cut in 1/4-inch strips)

4 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons raspberry balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese

1 tablespoon ground black pepper

Instructions

In a small bowl, stir together Pecorino Romano grated cheese and ground black pepper for even seasoning. Set aside.

Pop a standard-sized bag of microwave popcorn according to package directions, yielding about 8 cups. Pour the popped corn in a large mixing bowl; set aside.

In a microwave safe medium-sized bowl, melt butter and balsamic together (2 to 3 minutes). Cover bowl to avoid making a mess in your microwave as the butter starts to get hot.

Notes

https://bakedchicago.com/pecorino-romano-peppered-popcorn-butter-balsamic-bacon/

Entrees/ Events & Entertaining

Find the perfect match for your Valentine’s Day menu at Mariano’s Chicago bakery

Does Valentine’s Day stress you out? Do you find yourself running around to every grocery store in Chicago, or calling every Chicago bakery on Yelp, to find the right romantic dessert for your sweetie? Well, stop it. Take 3 deep breaths, and just stop for a moment. You’re in need of a Valentine’s Day smack down – given out of love, of course! I totally understand because we’ve all been there before. With so many options and such high expectations (that we force upon ourselves), it can be challenging to know where to begin.

Valentine’s Day is not about how much money you spend on the one you love. It’s not about mindlessly following the crowd to celebrate the heart-iest of holidays with the masses. In the same way each relationship is unique, the way you honor your significant other and the way you celebrate Valentine’s Day together should reflect the uniqueness of the relationship you share.

I don’t like crowds, so spending Valentine’s Day with the rest of Chicago crammed inside a busy restaurant can cause a panic attack. For me, nothing speaks louder than thoughtful actions…like a quiet, home-cooked meal that reflects a shared experience. One easy way to create a Valentine’s Day menu is to build it around a theme like your favorite destination as a couple. Personally, I adore Chicago; that’s why I live here. But Paris is hands-down the most romantic city I’ve ever experienced. There is literally romance in the air throughout the City of Lights.

So for Valentine’s Day this year, I want to bring a bit of Paris into my home. Mariano’s makes that easy to do. I’m going to make a slow cooker coq au vin recipe for dinner using fresh poultry and produce from #MyMarianos. And with my Mariano’s Rewards Card in hand, I’ll supplement everything else (including flowers and wine) that I need for a romantic Valentine’s Day breakfast and dinner at home with items from the Mariano’s Bakery, Deli, International Market, Liquor and Floral departments.

In the Bakery Department, I picked up some Parisian all-butter croissants for breakfast and chocolate mousse cups for dessert. My Valentine’s Day authentic Parisian breakfast will start with:

French roast coffee with cream (French vanilla flavor, maybe?!)
orange juice
Mariano’s all-butter croissants
Bonne Maman® blackberry preserves
fresh blackberries from Mariano’s produce department

And don’t forget the butter! French cuisine focuses on simple, high-quality ingredients. If you’re going to have croissants made with real butter, then enjoy real butter ON them as well. Warm the croissants before serving, and consider having breakfast in bed for an indulgent start to Valentine’s Day. Oui, oui!

Slow Cooker Coq Au Vin

This recipe for slow cooker coq au vin is perfect for Valentine’s Day dinner because it only takes 20 minutes to prep; it’s easy to assemble before you head out the door for work. It cooks all day (8 hours), so it will be ready to enjoy with your sweetie when you get home. All of the ingredients for my authentic Parisian dinner menu are available at Mariano’s including:

Entrée / Side Dish

slow cooker coq au vin, with chicken breast, button mushrooms, pearl onions and baby carrots
Parisian parsley potatoes (recipe below)

Dessert

chocolate mousse cups from Mariano’s Bakery

Drink and Table Décor

wine (at least 2 bottles of red, white or sparkling) from Mariano’s Liquor Department
bouquet of flowers from Mariano’s Floral Department

Most of the slow cooker coq au vin ingredients I purchased on this #CollectiveBias #shop at Mariano’s were already fully prepped, except for the carrots. To give your carrots a bit of sophistication (yes, carrots can have sophistication!), cut them on the diagonal. It’s a simple trick that makes them look a bit more special.

Valentine’s Day Menu Ideas

A traditional side dish served with slow cooker coq au vin would be Parisian Parsley Potatoes. This recipe takes about 30 minutes to cook and it continues the buttery decadence that Parisian food embraces. A definite must to add to your Valentine’s Day menu.

Coq au vin would normally use a Burgundy (red) wine but this recipe uses a white wine. There are variations of coq au vin that also use champagne. Use whichever you prefer. My suggestion is to buy 2 bottles of your favorite wine. Pour one cup into the slow cooker (that’s all it takes) when you’re ready to start cooking and save the rest for your dinner.

My Valentine’s Day menu is obviously inspired by Paris. But maybe another global destination holds a more romantic meaning for you and yours. Did you honeymoon in Italy or meet the love of your life in the Mediterranean? Mariano’s Bakery (my favorite department within the store!) has hand-made Italian cookies, biscotti and cannoli. And across the aisle at Mariano’s Deli you’ll find big, beautiful Greek olives and a variety of Mediterranean salads. The point is to fill your Valentine’s Day menu with items that have meaning for you.

Still need some inspiration? Just take a stroll in Mariano’s International Market aisles. Mariano’s has items from Italian, Hispanic, Asian, Polish, Kosher, Indian, Mediterranean, German, Eastern European, British and Southern cuisines. It’s the supermarket version of around the world in 80 plates! And any of these global goodies would be a perfect match for your Valentine’s Day menu.

If you know what kind of cuisine you want to prepare but you don’t know what wine or cheese to pair and serve, Mariano’s has a team of people who are ready with suggestions. They even have a Wine & Cheese pairings area in the store to kick-start your brainstorming.

Ideas and inspiration are plentiful at Mariano’s; that’s one of the reasons why I enjoy shopping there so much. It’s not just a grocery store. For foodies, it’s like an adventure theme park filled with all kinds of deliciousness. And when I’m not inside my local Mariano’s store, I stay connected to get ideas by following #MyMarianos on social media, including Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

What are you planning for your Valentine’s Day menu? Or if the proverbial oven mitt were on your significant other’s other hand, what dish would you want them to be making just for you?

Slow Cooker Coq au Vin

Rating: 51

20 minutes

Cook Time: 8 hours

Yield: 2 servings

Slow Cooker Coq au Vin

Ingredients

6 ounces button mushrooms, cut in half

10 ounces pearl onions, frozen

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts

salt and pepper for seasoning

1 medium onion, chopped

1 pound baby carrots, sliced on an angle in 3/4-inch pieces

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup dry white wine (red wine works, too)

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 bay leaf

1 cup chicken broth

4 slices thick-cut bacon, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces

Instructions

In a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine the mushrooms and pearl onions. Set aside.

Lightly season the chicken breasts (both sides) with salt and pepper. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil on medium high. Cook the chicken over medium-high heat until browned (about 10 minutes on each side). Place chicken over the vegetables in the slow cooker.

Using the skillet with the remaining drippings, add the chopped onion and sliced carrots. On medium heat, cook for 3 minutes or until the onion softens and becomes translucent. Stir frequently. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Add the wine, tomato paste and bay leaf. Heat to boiling, stirring to dissolve the tomato paste.

Pour the wine mixture, followed by the chicken broth, over the chicken breasts in the slow cooker. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours.

About 15 minutes before you're ready to plate, cook the bacon in the microwave using a microwave-safe plate. Put 8 paper towel sheets on the plate and top with the bacon slices. I recommend cutting the bacon AFTER the cooking process. Put 4 paper towel sheets on top of the bacon slices and cook, following manufacturer's directions. For my microwave, 4 slices of thick-cut bacon will cook in 5 to 6 minutes. Cook until crispy, then cut into 1-inch pieces.

Remove the bay leaf from the slow cooker. Transfer the chicken, vegetables and sauce to a deep serving platter or plate immediately on individual plates. Sprinkle each serving with bacon and enjoy.

Notes

Let this cook during the day while you're at work. But if you need to whip it up faster, you can cook it on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours.

https://bakedchicago.com/slow-cooker-coq-au-vin/

Soups, Salads & Sides

Give Old Man Winter a smack down with Cheesy Bacon-Corn Chowder with Edamame!

Given how bitterly cold it has been, my slow cooker is getting a solid workout this winter. And that’s okay. I find it to be therapeutic to have comfort food (especially soups) simmering in the slow cooker, filling up the house with a delicious, familiar smell.

You’ve probably noticed that I use edamame (green, baby soybeans) in a lot of recipes. I love edamame, and dare I say it’s probably my favorite vegetable. And it’s good for you.

Until a few years ago, I would have said potatoes or corn are my favorite vegetables. I still love them, but they rank a bit lower on the “good for you” chart.

I’ve been wanting to create a soup recipe that would be improved with the addition of the edamame. So I took inspiration from one of my favorite canned soups (chicken corn chowder) and decided to go vegetarian and amp it up with the edamame. I was really pleased with the results.

Cheesy Bacon-Corn Chowder

What makes this cheesy bacon-corn chowder so satisfying isn’t the edamame alone. It’s also the bacon and cheese!

Using a large slow cooker, add and stir together the corn, potatoes and edamame. Add the chicken broth, chopped onion, salt and pepper. At this point, you’re going to cover the pot and cook on HIGH for about 2 hours. Watch for when the chowder begins to boil. At this point, you’ll add the milk and cheese. Stir to incorporate and cover again, letting it cook for about 30 minutes or until the cheese melts completely. Stir the ingredients until blended.

I like a thick chowder, so I added a beurre manie (pronounced BURR-mahn-YAY), which is essentially a paste made by kneading together equal portions of flour and softened butter. A beurre manie is similar to a roux, except it’s not cooked. In a small bowl, knead together the butter and flour. Add about half of it to the chowder mixture and stir gently. Watch the consistency and add the remaining beurre manie, if needed, to thicken the chowder. Let it cook for about 20 minutes before serving.

Thick-cut bacon is one of my all-time favorites and my current favorite thick-cut bacon is from Patrick Cudahy. You can actually taste the smoked applewood when you bite into it. It’s totally bacon heaven! You can incorporate the crumbled bacon into the chowder. I recommend no more than 15 minutes before you are going to serve it, so it stays on the crunchy side. I like to garnish a bowl with a bit of crumbled bacon for extra texture, along with the fresh shredded Parmesan.

Cheesy bacon-corn chowder freezes well, so be sure to put a few servings in your freezer to enjoy the next time we have another polar plunge – which at this rate will probably be in early February!

Cheesy Bacon-Corn Chowder with Edamame

Rating: 51

Cook Time: 3 hours

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

Cheesy Bacon-Corn Chowder with Edamame

Ingredients

24 ounces whole kernel sweet corn

20 ounces frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed

12 ounces shelled edamame (green soybeans)

32 ounces low-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup onion, chopped

2 teaspoons sea salt

2 teaspoons ground black pepper

1 cup milk

8 ounces queso blanco (white American cheese), cubed

4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 tablespoons butter, room temperature

6 slices Patrick Cudahy Thick-Cut Sweet Applewood-Smoked Bacon, cooked crispy and crumbled

shredded Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Instructions

Using a 4-quart or 6-quart slow cooker, stir together corn, potatoes and edamame. Add chicken broth, chopped onion, salt and pepper.

Cover and cook on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours. As soon as chowder begins to boil, add the milk and cubed cheese. Stir and cover for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until cheese melts completely. Stir ingredients until blended.

In a small bowl, knead together flour and butter. Add to the chowder mixture and stir gently. The combination of flour and butter, known as beurre manie, will thicken the chowder. Fold in the crumbled bacon about 15 minutes before you're ready to serve. [I prefer the bacon to remain crispy so I use it as a garnish on top of each bowl as it's served.]

Serve warm by the bowlful. Garnish with shredded Parmesan cheese, if desired.

https://bakedchicago.com/cheesy-bacon-corn-chowder/

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Award-Winning Recipes/ Breads

Sweet Potato-Bacon Biscuits

You might ask, “Why is there a cover of Louisiana Cookin’ magazine with the pop culture heroes from Duck Dynasty in this post?” Well, the latest issue of Louisiana Cookin’ features an exclusive Duck Dynasty down-home holiday menu with some of the favorite dishes of the Duck Dynasty family. And I have to admit I’m curious to try their recipes for Root Beer Red-Eye Gravy and a spicy Skillet Cornbread with bacon….but that’s not why I included the cover.

Sweet Potato-Bacon Biscuits Win Grand Prize

The reason I included the cover is that the very next featured spread in the November/December issue of Louisiana Cookin’ announces the winners of the 2013 Sweet Rewards Recipe Contest, sponsored by the Louisiana Sweet Potato Commission. I am excited to finally be able to share the (very surprising) news that my recipe for Sweet Potato-Bacon Biscuits won the grand prize! I was flabbergasted when I got the call, and humbly honored to receive this recognition. I had hoped that maybe the recipe could win ‘best in category’ for a side dish. I couldn’t even dream that it would be deemed good enough to win the grand prize.

I hope you’ll check out this recipe and consider giving it your own spin. My friend Carlyn Berghoff, chef/owner of The Berghoff Restaurant and author of Cooking For Your Gluten-Free Teen, created a gluten-free version of this recipe that I’m anxious to try. She also gives some great tips for using fresh sweet potatoes and for working with gluten-free dough.

I’d love to hear how you change up these sweet potato-bacon biscuits for your family and friends. Share your feedback and comments below.

Sweet Potato-Bacon Biscuits

Cook Time: 12 minutes

Yield: 8 biscuits

Sweet Potato-Bacon Biscuits

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/3 cup butter, cut into pieces

1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

4 slices cooked and crumbled bacon

1 cup whole milk

1/2 cup mashed sweet potato

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 450F degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, brown sugar, salt, cream of tartar and cayenne pepper. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in Cheddar cheese and bacon. Make a well in the center of flour mixture.

In small bowl, whisk together milk and sweet potato. Add sweet potato mixture to flour mixture. Using a fork, stir just until combined. Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface. Knead gently 12 times. Roll dough to a 3/4-inch-thick rectangle. Cut into 8 rectangular pieces.

On the prepared baking sheet, place biscuits 1 inch apart. Bake until lightly browned, about 12 minutes. Serve warm.

Notes

This recipe won grand prize in the 2013 Louisiana Sweet Potato Commission's Sweet Rewards Recipe Contest and appeared in the November/December 2013 issue of Louisiana Cookin' magazine.

https://bakedchicago.com/sweet-potato-bacon-biscuits-2/

3,413

Desserts

Bourbon, Bacon & Pecan Brownies

Taking a bite out of National Bourbon Heritage Month

We’re at that time of year when late summer and fall do their dance of warm days and cool nights. Fall is my favorite season because I love that crisp coolness in the air – and no matter how much baking I do in the kitchen it never gets too hot. This season, I decided I can’t say goodbye to September (National Bourbon Heritage Month) without baking up a new concoction to mark the occasion.

I recently (and happily) discovered an organic bourbon made right here in Chicago at Koval Distillery. According to their website, Koval is the first craft distillery within Chicago’s city limits since Prohibition. You don’t have to be a history major to know that Chicago’s DNA has a strong influence that can be traced back to Prohibition. Wanting to incorporate Koval’s organic bourbon, I decided to update my Bourbon, Bacon & Pecan Brownies recipe, which was one of the top 5 most popular recipes in the Baked Chicago’s Simply Decadent Brownies Cookbook (the Kindle version is available on Amazon for free until October 2).

In addition to adding cinnamon to the recipe, I also adapted the dark chocolate ingredient by using Scharffen Berger’s 70% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate. Besides being decadently delicious, your kitchen will never smell better. Enjoy!

Bourbon, Bacon & Pecan Brownies

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Yield: 16

Bourbon, Bacon & Pecan Brownies

Ingredients

6 slices of bacon

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

10 ounces Scharffen Berger® 70% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate, chopped

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

2 tablespoons Scharffen Berger® unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup butter

4 eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

3 tablespoons Koval® Organic Bourbon

Instructions

In a medium skillet, cook the bacon until crispy. Reserve 1/4 cup of the bacon fat and set aside. Let the bacon cool and chop roughly. Set aside.

Preheat your oven to 350° F. Lightly grease the bottom of a 9×9-inch baking pan with butter or shortening.

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.

In a large heatproof bowl set on top of a small saucepan of simmering water, melt the dark chocolate and butter. Stir constantly, until smooth. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

With an electric mixer on medium-low speed, beat the eggs, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until frothy (about 1 minute). Beat in the melted chocolate mixture, bourbon and reserved bacon fat. Fold in the flour mixture and pecans, just until combined.

Spread the batter in the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle the chopped bacon on top. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out nearly clean. Cool the brownies completely, about 1 hour. Cut into 4 rows by 4 rows to make 16 brownies.

https://bakedchicago.com/bourbon-bacon-pecan-brownies-3/

3,886

Desserts

Bacon and Salted Caramel Brownies

Bacon makes almost every recipe better. I love the crunchy texture of crispy bacon. This recipe for bacon and salted caramel brownies features both crispy bacon and a deep bacon flavor because it incorporates some of the bacon grease into the batter. It makes for a very rich, very decadent explosion of flavor for your taste buds. This bacon and salted caramel brownies recipe has received great response from readers of the Baked Chicago blog, which is why it’s featured in the Simply Decadent Brownies Cookbook.

Update as of 10/26/13: The genius folks over at America’s Test Kitchen share an easy way to make caramel in the microwave. It requires a bit less constant attention than making caramel on the stove top, so I’m sharing their video quick tip in case you prefer to use the microwave for the caramel in this recipe.

Bacon and Salted Caramel Brownies

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Yield: 16 servings

Bacon and Salted Caramel Brownies

Ingredients

4 slices of bacon

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup plus 1 cup granulated sugar, divided

6 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup salted butter, divided and cut into pieces

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup all-purpose flour

6 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped

Instructions

In a medium skillet, fry the bacon slices until just crisp. Remove the bacon, reserving the bacon grease in the pan. Add the cream to pan and let cool. When the bacon has cooled, crumble or chop finely. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, heat 1 cup of sugar over high heat until the mixture is liquid and deep amber in color. Add 6 tablespoons of butter and the cooled bacon cream mixture. Stir until the butter is melted. Add the chopped bacon and let cool.

Preheat your oven to 350° F. Lightly grease the bottom of an 8x8-inch baking pan with butter or shortening.

In a large saucepan, melt the remaining butter and dark chocolate over very low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in cocoa powder. Whisk until smooth and add in the eggs, one at a time. Mix in the remaining sugar, vanilla and flour, just until combined.

Spread half of the brownie batter in the prepared baking pan. Drop half of the bacon caramel mixture by tablespoon, evenly spaced, over the brownie batter. Spread the remaining brownie batter over the top, and then drop the remaining bacon caramel mixture by spoonfuls over the top of the brownies. Drag the back of the tablespoon through the batter to create a swirled effect.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Cut into 4 rows by 4 rows to make 16 bacon and salted caramel brownies.

https://bakedchicago.com/bacon-and-salted-caramel-brownies/

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