Rice noodle bowl w meatballs

 Meatballs:

1/2 pound ground pork

1/2 pound ground turkey

2 eggs

1 Tbs sriracha 

3 Tbs fish sauce

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 green onions, finely chopped

2 Tbs Thai herb blend paste from produce section of grocery store

Zest & juice from 1 lime

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1/4 cup Thai basil, chopped

1/4 cup mint, chopped

1 cup panko bread crumbs

1 package rice noodles, prepared per package directions (also good w ramen noodles, rice, or in ramen soup)

Toppings: 

Chopped roasted peanuts, cilantro, mint, Thai basil, sriracha, lime wedges 

Noodle Sauce:

Zest & juice of 2 limes

1/2 cup rice vinegar

3 Tbs soy sauce

2 Tbs fish sauce

1 Tbs sugar

Sriracha to taste  

Preheat oven to 400 degrees 

Mix together meatball ingredients & form into bite sized meatballs  

Bake meatballs on a roasting rack/pan for 25 minutes until cooked through & well browned (they stay juicy)

Whisk together noodle sauce

Top noodles w meatballs, drizzle w sauce, & add toppings of your choice 

Stir fry pork & veggie rice bowls

 2 Tbs soy sauce

1 Tbs chili crisp

1/2 cup chicken broth

Juice of 1 lime

1/2 cup hoisin sauce

2 Tbs rice vinegar

3 cloves minced garlic

1 Tbs minced ginger 

2 Tbs cornstarch

1 pound ground pork (or turkey or beef)

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1 bunch green onions, chopped 

1 bag cabbage or broccoli slaw

2 cups rice, prepared per package directions

Toppings: chopped roasted peanuts, extra chopped green onions, chopped fresh mint & Thai basil, chili crunch  

Whisk together sauce ingredients (soy sauce through corn starch)

Sautéed ground pork until browned & cooked through (broken up into bite sized pieces)  Remove meat from large skillet but leave drippings  Sauté green onions, mushrooms, & slaw in drippings until just browned  

Add pork & sauce to skillet & simmer over medium heat 1-2 minutes until heated through & sauce is thickened  

Serve over rice with garnishes incl green onions, chopped mint & Thai basil, chopped peanuts, & chili crunch

Ranch Chicken Sandwiches

• http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/ranch-chicken-sandwiches-recipe/index.

• 4 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup Dijon mustard (or country/grainy mustard)
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Crushed red pepper, for sprinkling, optional
• 1 pound thick-cut bacon, sliced in half
• 2 cups grated sharp Cheddar
• 8 soft whole grain buns
• hot sauce

Directions

With a very sharp knife, cut the chicken breasts in half down the middle. This will result in 8 chicken breast pieces that are thinner and uniform in size.

Next, make the marinade. In a large bowl mix together the honey, mustard, paprika, salt, pepper to taste, lemon juice and crushed red pepper flakes if using. Stir to combine.

Add the chicken to the marinade and toss to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and marinate in the fridge, 2 to 4 hours.

While the chicken marinates, fry up the bacon until chewy.

When you are ready to cook the chicken, remove it from the marinade and cook it on the grill over medium-high heat, 3 to 4 minutes each side. 

When a couple of minutes grilling time are left, lay 2 pieces of bacon onto each chicken breast. Top with some Cheddar and allow it to melt on the grill (if you need to remove the chicken you can finish melting the cheese under the broiler).

Halve the rolls, sprinkle with a little hot sauce and immediately load with the bacon-and-cheese covered chicken. Wrap in foil for a few minutes to let the buns steam and absorb some juices.

Oooooh Mommy Bacon Jam

http://tastykitchen.com/blog/2012/07/bacon-jam-ooh-mommy/
For my honey~
Love the idea of serving it on toast with a fried egg on top

• 3 pounds Bacon
• 4 whole Large Yellow Onions, Peeled And Thinly Sliced
• 8 cloves Garlic, Smashed And Peeled
• 1 cup Cider Vinegar
• 1 cup Packed Light Brown Sugar
• 1-½ cup Very Strong Brewed Black Coffee
• ½ cups Pure Maple Syrup
• 1 teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Cut the bacon slices into 1-inch strips. Add the bacon to a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook the bacon, stirring frequently, until the bacon is browned. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper-towel lined plate. Drain all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings into a heat-proof jar with a tight-fitting lid. (Save the bacon drippings in the refrigerator. That’s too much flavor to trash!)

Place the Dutch oven back over the medium-high heat and add the onions and garlic. Stir well and reduce heat to medium. Continue to cook for about 8 minutes, or until the onions are mostly translucent. Add the remaining ingredients, stir well, and drop heat again, this time to low.

Bring to a boil, stirring frequently, and boil hard for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, stir the browned bacon into the onions and liquid.

Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally to make sure things aren’t sticking, adding 1/4 cup of water if it seems to be drying out. When the onions are meltingly soft and the liquid is thick and syrupy, remove the Dutch oven from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes.

Transfer the contents of the Dutch oven to the work bowl of a food processor that has been fitted with a blade. Fit the lid in place and pulse several times or until the bacon jam is a spreadable consistency. Scrape into a jar (or jars) or a container with a tight fitting lid. Store in the refrigerator for up to one month.

Can be served cold, room temperature or warmed.

Cheddar Chicken Chowder

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=222388

***try adding a little BBQ sauce or Mesquite rub to the seasonings a the end

Ingredients

• 4 bacon slices
• Cooking spray
• 1 pound skinned, boned chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 Tbs Italian seasoning
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 1/2 cups fat-free chicken broth
• 1 3/4 cups diced peeled red potatoes
• 1 can drained corn
• 1 can creamed corn
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups 2% low-fat milk
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Preparation

Cook bacon in a Dutch oven coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan. Crumble; set aside. Add chicken, onion, bell seasonings, and garlic to bacon fat in pan; sauté 5 minutes. Add broth and potatoes; bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add corn; stir well.
Place flour in a bowl. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended; add to soup. Cook over medium heat 15 minutes or until thick, stirring frequently. Stir in cheese, salt, and pepper. Top with crumbled bacon.

Bean & Bacon Soup

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=491529

Yield

4 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups)

Ingredients

• 3 bacon slices, chopped
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon dark molasses
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans or other white beans, drained
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with garlic and onions, undrained

Preparation

Cook bacon in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 2 teaspoons drippings in pan.

Add onion, chili powder, and mustard to drippings in pan; sauté 3 minutes. Stir in bacon, water, and remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 7 minutes. Partially mash beans with a potato masher.

Bacon & Cheese Ziti

• 3 cups uncooked ziti
• 6 bacon slices, diced
• 1 red pepper, cut into strips
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 5 cups baby spinach
• 1 cup shredded fontina cheese
• 1/2 cup gorgonzola cheese
• dash olive oil
• dash red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
• chopped green onions to garnish

Cook pasta & drain, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid.
Cook bacon, and remove bacon to drain, reserving 1 tbs drippings.
Saute onion and red pepper in drippings 5 minutes, add spinach and cook 1 minute.
Remove from heat and stir in pasta, reserved cooking liquid, bacon, & cheeses. Toss yuntil cheeses melt. Top with pine nuts & green onions.

Calico Bean Bake

From Colleen Taylor & Katie Boyd

• 1# ground beef browned and drained
• 1/2# bacon - cooked and diced
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp dry mustard
• 2 tsp white wine vinegar

Pour over:

• 2 cans each (drained):
• kidney beans
• butter beans
• pork and beans

Mix all together and bake 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Collard Greens with Bacon

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1622515

Yield

8 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup)

Ingredients

• 2 bacon slices
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1 (16-ounce) package prewashed torn collard greens

Preparation

Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving drippings in pan. Crumble bacon; set aside. Add onion and garlic to drippings in pan; cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in crumbled bacon, 2 cups water, and next 4 ingredients (through pepper). Gradually add greens. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour or until tender.

Cheddar, Bacon, Tomato Strata

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=225522

Yield

8 servings

Ingredients

• 3 bacon slices
• 1 cup vertically sliced onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 8 cups cubed Italian bread (14 ounces)
• Cooking spray
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese, divided
• 3 large tomatoes, each seeded and cut into 4 (1/2-inch-thick) slices
• 2 cups fat-free milk
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 large eggs
• 3 large egg whites

Preparation

Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, and crumble. Add onion to drippings in pan; sauté 4 minutes. Add garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Remove from heat; combine onion mixture and bacon.

Arrange 4 cups bread cubes in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray; top with 2/3 cup cheese, half of onion mixture, and 6 tomato slices. Combine milk and remaining ingredients; stir well with a whisk. Pour half of milk mixture over tomatoes. Top with 4 cups bread cubes, 2/3 cup cheese, remaining onion mixture, 6 tomato slices, and half of milk mixture. Cover; chill at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 325°.

Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 55 minutes. Sprinkle with 2/3 cup cheese; bake an additional 5 minutes or until cheese melts. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Pierogies with Bacon & peas

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1673057

Yield

4 servings (serving size: 3 pierogies, about 1/2 cup onion mixture, and 1 tablespoon sour cream)

Ingredients

• 12 frozen potato and onion pierogies (such as Mrs. T's)
• 8 slices center-cut bacon
• 2 cups vertically sliced onion
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 cup frozen green peas
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream

Preparation

Cook the pierogies according to package directions.

Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet until crisp. Remove bacon; crumble. Increase heat to medium-high. Add onion, sugar, and thyme to drippings in pan; sauté 5 minutes. Stir in peas; sauté 1 minute. Add pierogies, salt, and pepper; cook 30 seconds. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon. Serve with sour cream.