Meaty Main Course: Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin

Sometimes we we crave pork so much, we crave it twice! Pork roast is a great, simple dinner, but why not dress it up a little by wrapping it in bacon? This simple recipe traps a great herb flavor against the meat, and the bacon fat adds even more juiciness to the already juicy tenderloin. The trick to getting perfectly crispy bacon on the exterior is to cook the wrapped tenderloin briefly in the skillet before roasting it in the oven. To give this recipe the perfect finish, we deglazed the pan and created a simple sauce from white wine. Keep reading below for this delicious recipe...

Bacon Herb Wrapped Tenderloin

(makes 4-6 servings)

Ingredients

• 1 head garlic, top sliced off
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 pork tenderloins (about 1lb to 1 1/2lb each trimmed of excess fat)
• salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 12 fresh sage leaves
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 12 slices bacon
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups white wine
• 1 lemon

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 300F.
2. Place the garlic in a small ramekin. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and wrap in foil. Bake until soft (about 45 minutes). When cool enough to handle, squeeze the garlic flesh from the head into a small bowl.
3. Increase the temperature of the oven to 375F. Arrange the tenderloins on a work surface. Rub the top of each tenderloin with half the roasted garlic and season with salt and pepper. Mix together the herbs and scatter half of the mix over the garlic on each tenderloin. Wrap 6 strips of bacon around each tenderloin and tie the bacon in place with kitchen twine.
4. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the tenderloins until golden brown on all sides. Transfer the seared tenderloins to a medium roasting pan. Slice the lemon pole to pole and place face down in the roasting pan. Place in the oven and cook to medium doneness (about 8 to 10 minutes or until the internal temperature is 145). Transfer the tenderloins to a cutting board and let stand 10 minutes.
5. Make the pan sauce. Squeeze any remaining juice out of the lemon into the roasting pan, then pour in the white wine. Place the roasting pan on the stove top over low heat. Deglaze the pan, stirring with a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour the sauce through a fine mesh sieve into a small saucepan. Serve drizzled over the pork tenderloin.
6. Enjoy!

Sweet & Spicy Soup Recipe: Crunchy Bacon Chili Corn Chowder

If you like corn or corn chowder, this Bacon Chili Corn Chowder should absolutely be the next dish you make. Corn chowder in general is a great base, so it’s like the stars all align when you add bacon and hot chilies. And don’t worry if you don’t like anything too spicy; it’s easy to adjust the heat by not adding all the green chilies or Chipotle peppers.  This soup has everything: creaminess, sweetness, spice and crunch…we’re over the moon about it!

Bacon Chili Corn Chowder

Serves 8

 Ingredients

3 slices bacon, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces

1 1/2 large yellow onions, diced

1/2 cup scallions, chopped

2-3 tablespoons butter

6 ears corn, shucked, shaved off the cob (5 cups)

1-3 whole Chipotle peppers in Adobo sauce, diced

1 can (4 oz) diced green chilies

32 ounces low-sodium chicken broth

2 cups heavy cream

3 tablespoons Masa

salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. In a large pot, cook your bacon pieces over medium heat. Once the bacon fat begins to render, add in the diced onion. Stir and cook for 3-4 minutes. (Optional: remove some of bacon and save for garnish.)
2. After the onions start to soften, add butter to the pot, let melt and then add corn. Stir and cook for 2 minutes.
3. Add both chilies and stir, cooking for 1-2 minutes.
4. Pour in chicken broth and bring to a simmer, then pour in cream.
5. In a small container, combine Masa (or cornmeal) with a little bit of water and mix together, then pour into the soup. Allow to cook and thicken for around 15 minutes. (If you want it to be thicker, add more Masa or cornmeal with water. Then let simmer for another 10-15.)

Simple Savory Recipe: Bacon and Spinach Quiche

Quiche is an easy and delicious meal-- and it's a great way to incorporate some protein into your diet! There's no limit to the ingredient combinations that work well in this dish.

Making a quiche is something of an experiment, and you can always throw in different veggies or substitute one type of meat for another to enjoy a different flavor. One of our personal favorites is this recipe, which features bacon (!), spinach and Swiss cheese. 

Bacon and Spinach Quiche

(makes 8 servings)

Ingredients:6 large eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
Salt and pepper
2 cups chopped fresh baby spinach, packed
1 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
1 (9-inch) refrigerated pie crust, fitted to a 9-inch glass pie plate

Directions:1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. 

2. Combine the eggs, cream, salt, and pepper in a food processor or blender.

3. Layer the spinach, bacon, and cheese in the bottom of the pie crust, then pour the egg mixture on top.

4. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes until the egg mixture is set. Cut into 8 wedges.

Panini Recipe: The Ultimate Grilled Cheddar BLT

The BLT is a classic, and for good reason. It's a simple, lunchtime staple and when you've got a craving for it, nothing else will do. But why pick one up at the local fast food joint when you can make one from scratch at home? Throwing together a BLT is super easy and it tastes even better homemade. 

In this delicious BLT recipe, we've opted for focaccia bread-- it makes the sandwich nice and crusty and gives it a boost of flavor. Sourdough is another great choice-- but feel free to mix and match with your own favorite bread. Another unusual addition to this BLT: avocado. Not only is this lovely green veggie good for you, but it blends together perfectly with the other ingredients and makes this sandwich truly fantastic. 

Tip: If you don't have a panini press on hand, you can still toast your sandwich by placing it on the stovetop on a skillet and heating it up to medium-high, then using a lid or another pan as a makeshift press. 

Grilled Cheddar BLT

(makes 2 servings)

Ingredients:

• 4 slices of focaccia or bread of your choice
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 4 slices of cooked bacon
• 2 slices lettuce
• 2-4 slices of tomato
• 2 slices cheddar cheese
• ½ avocado
• 1 tsp lime juice
• 1 Tbsp mayonnaise
• Pinch of salt & pepper

Directions:

1. Heat panini press or griddle on the stovetop
2. Combine avocado, lime juice, mayonnaise and salt and pepper.
3. Spread 1/2 avocado mixture on one slice of bread.
4. Top with 2 strips bacon, 1 slice tomato, lettuce leaf, slice of cheddar cheese and final piece of bread.
5. Smear bread with 1 tablespoon butter and place on hot panini grill.
6. Butter remaining bread.
7. Repeat steps with second sandwich.
8. Serve with tater tots, fries or your favorite soup. Enjoy!

Italian Recipe: Lighter Pasta Carbonara

I recently found myself looking for a rich pasta dish without the tomato sauce. Pasta alla carbonara felt like the perfect choice, but there was a problem: So many recipes are so rich and heavy, it's hard to finish a whole bowl. I wanted to find a way to lighten the dish without sacrificing the flavor.

Many carbonara recipes call for loads of butter and cream, but I wanted to dial that back some. Instead of those, I decided to go ahead and use a little of the rendered fat left over from cooking the bacon. From there, I needed to find a way to make the sauce smooth, and like using the fat from the bacon to add richness, I looked to the spaghetti to add smoothness. By using only half the water to boil the spaghetti, I got a starchy liquid that made a great base for the sauce. Keep reading below for this fantastic recipe...

Pasta Carbonara

(makes 4-6 servings)

Ingredients

• 8 slices bacon cut into 1/2" pieces
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/4 cups Pecorino Romano
• 3 large eggs plus 1 large yolk
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 lb spaghetti
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Grated Parmesan cheese and parsley for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Bring the bacon and water to a simmer in a 10" skillet over medium heat. Cook until the water evaporates and bacon begins to sizzle (about 8 minutes). Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until fat renders and bacon browns (5 to 8 minutes).
2. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Strain bacon through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl. Set bacon and garlic aside. Measure out  tablespoon of bacon fat and place in a medium bowl. Whisk together Pecorino, eggs and yolk, and pepper into the fat until well combined.
3. Meanwhile, bring 2 quarts (8 cups) of water to boil in a Dutch oven. Set a colander in a large bowl to prepare for draining. Add spaghetti and salt to the Dutch oven and cook, stirring frequently, until al dente. Drain the spaghetti into the colander, reserving the cooking water.
4. Pour 1 cup cooking water into a measuring cup and discard the remainder. Return the spaghetti to the now empty bowl.
5. Slowly whisk 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking water into the egg and cheese mixture. Once mixed, gradually pour the Pecorino mixture over spaghetti, tossing to coat. Add the bacon and garlic to the spaghetti and toss to combine.
6. Let the spaghetti rest, tossing frequently until the sauce has thickened slightly and coats the spaghetti (2-4 minutes), using the remaining reserved cooking water to adjust the consistency if needed. Garnish, then serve immediately.
7. Enjoy!

Quiche Recipe: Classic Lorraine

Today we're posting a great, hearty meal that's perfect for serving the whole family. Like most egg meals, this is something that's great and easy to customize for even the picky eaters in the family. And it's versatile enough to work as breakfast, lunch, or dinner! 

A great quiche should have a tender crust with a velvety, custard-like texture to it while also blending in with all of the amazing flavors of the meat and cheese. For the crust, we decided to use a shortcut and rolled out some store-bought dough (sacrilege, I know, but it was the morning!) pre-baked, and we decided to focus our time on finding just the right combination of ingredients for the filling. We decided to use whole eggs plus extra yolks to achieve that perfect custard-like texture. For the meat, we stuck with a classic bacon, and the cheese we used a gruyere cheese. Keep reading below for this great recipe...

Quiche Lorraine Recipe

(makes 6 servings)

Ingredients

• 1 frozen pie crust (If you want to go the homemade route and make your own pie crust, check this one out) 
• 8 slices bacon cut into 1/2" pieces and cooked
• 2 large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• a pinch of nutmeg
• 1/2 cup gruyere cheese

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Place the frozen crust in a pie pan and line with aluminum foil, allowing for a few inches to extend beyond the sides of the pan. Fill two-thirds with pie weights (dry beans work as well). Bake for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven. Remove the pie weight and foil, then use a fork to poke small holes around the base of the crust. Bake for another 10 minutes, or until lightly browned all over.
2. Whisk together eggs, yolks, milk, heavy cream, salt, pepper, and nutmeg in a medium bowl.
3. Spread the cheese and bacon evenly over the bottom of the warm pie shell and set the shell on the oven rack. Pour the egg mixture to 1/2" below the crust rim and bake for 32 to 35 minutes, or until a knife blade inserted about one inch from the edge comes out clean. The center should feel set but like gelatin. It will finish cooking as it cools.
4. Transfer the quiche to a wire rack to cool and serve at room temperature. 
5. Enjoy!

Tasty Bite-Sized Treats: Brown Sugar and Bacon-Wrapped Smokies

Are you ready for some easy entertaining? These Bacon-Wrapped Smokies (wrapped sausage, pork, chicken, beef…your choice) are so straightforward and an absolute crowd favorite! Great for children and adults alike, all you need are three ingredients to get the party started. If you have kids, this is the perfect cooking activity to engage your little helpers and then you’ll have the yummy treat to reward them for their help; if not, more savory, sweet goodness for you! Either way, you should probably try them out and see how simple and delicious it really is…

Bacon-Wrapped Smokies

(Makes 16 servings)

Ingredients 

1(16 oz) package of bacon, cut into thirds

1 (14 oz) package of mini sausages or cocktail wieners

3/4 cup brown sugar (for extra smokiness use dark brown sugar)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350º F and cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
2. Cut bacon slices into thirds. It’s easier to wrap the smokies with cold bacon, so refrigerate majority of the slab when you start wrapping.
3. Take a piece of bacon (1/3 of full slice) and wrap it around your sausage. Secure it in place with a toothpick. Continue wrapping.
4. Place your finished smokies on the baking sheet and sprinkle them liberally with brown sugar.
5. Bake sausages for 40-45 minutes or until the sugar is bubbly and has melted and the bacon is crispy.