Hash Brown Cups

These hash brown cups make a great weekend breakfast. Customize them to fit your taste! 

-Tiphero.com

20 oz. bag refrigerated shredded hash browns

4 Tbsp. vegetable or olive oil (2 Tbsp. if using a Demarle tray)

1 tsp. kosher salt

½ cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

pinch ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Use a Demarle Straight-sided muffin tray (no spray), or Spray a 12 cup muffin tin with non-stick spray. Spray generously to keep the cheese from sticking.

2. Mix all of the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl until combined.

3. Scoop about 1/3 cup of the hash brown mix into each muffin tin. Press the hash browns down into the tin and up the sides. Let it come up over the top a little bit, as they will shrink down once baked.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until golden brown on the bottom.

Filling

6 large eggs

3 Tbsp. heavy cream or half and half

pinch of kosher salt and ground pepper

cooked and crumbled bacon or sausage

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or melting cheese of your choice)

1. Scramble the eggs together with the cream and salt and pepper in a large measuring cup with a spout.

2. Divide the bacon or sausage evenly among the muffin wells, then top with the cheese.

3. Then pour the egg mixture evenly, filling each about ¾ of the way full.

4. Bake at 400 for 12-15 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the egg is no longer runny in the middle.

Penne Rustica

Penne Rustica is one of my favorite dishes at Macaroni Grill. I have to say that this recipe comes pretty close to matching those flavors. Now I need a good recipe for their bread!

-Pimp My Dinner, with some slight modifications

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, grilled (marinate in olive oil and garlic salt overnight, then grill on barbecue for best flavor)
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3 slices bacon
1 tsp bacon drippings
1 tsp chopped garlic (2 cloves)
2 Tbs. apple juice + 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar +enough chicken broth to equal ½ cup
1 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups heavy cream
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1/2 box penne pasta
1/3 cup roasted red peppers (we prefer sun dried tomatoes)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 paprika

Cook bacon, remove from pan and set aside. Reserve 1 tsp. drippings, add garlic and sauté. Add apple juice mixture, mustard, salt, rosemary, and heavy cream. Cook over low heat until sauce has reduced by ½ (about the time it takes to bring water to boil and cook the pasta).

Cook pasta to al dente-approximately 9 minutes. Slice chicken into medium-bite size pieces. Combine sauce, reserved bacon, cooked pasta, diced chicken, and bell peppers (or sun dried tomatoes) and mix thoroughly. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and paprika. Pour into 9x9 baking dish and bake at 450 for 10 minutes.

Warm Bacon Cheese Spread

I've been wanting to try this recipe for a long time and last night's National Championship game provided the perfect opportunity! It took about 1 1/2 hours at 325 for my spread to be heated all the way through. Yummy 'loaded potato' type flavor. Make sure you have extra bread cubes on hand!

-Kristin Topham

1 (1 lb.) round loaf sourdough bread
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 c. sour cream
2 c. shredded Cheddar cheese
1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
3/4 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 c. chopped green onions

Cut the top fourth of the loaf of bread; carefully hollow out the bottom, leaving a 1 inch shell. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese. Add the sour cream, Cheddar, and Worcestershire sauce until combined; stir in bacon and onions. Spoon into bread shell. Wrap in a piece of heavy-duty foil. Bake at 325 for 1 hour (1 1/2 hours) or until heated through. Serve with crackers and reserved bread cubes. Makes 4 cups.

Spaghetti Carbonara

I tried this recipe the other night and it was a big hit. I recommend preparing and measuring all of your ingredients beforehand since this comes together quickly. Be careful with the egg/cream mixture - you don't want scrambled eggs! Best served immediately.

-Taste of Home Cookbook

8 oz. uncooked spaghetti
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup half-and-half cream
3/4 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup frozen peas
8 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled (I just cut the bacon in small pieces before frying)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. white pepper
Additional Parmesan cheese, optional

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the cornstarch, eggs and cream until smooth; set aside.

In a large skillet, saute onion and garlic in oil until tender. Gradually stir onion mixture into egg mixture. Add peas to hot skillet; cook and stir for 1 minute or until heated through. Pour egg mixture into skillet all at once, stirring constantly. (I use a rubber-coated whisk)

Cook and stir over medium-low heat until mixture is just thick enough to coat a metal spoon with a thin film and a thermometer reads 160 degrees, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Drain pasta; transfer to a large bowl. Pour sauce over pasta; toss to coat. Sprinkle with the bacon, cheese, salt and white pepper; toss. Serve immediately with additional Parmesan cheese if desired.

Serves 5

BLT Appetizers

Focaccia (recipe here)

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 head garlic, roasted (you'll only need 1/2)

8 oz. Sun-dried tomatoes, sliced into thin strips (I used the natural sun-dried tomatoes I found in the clear packages by the nuts and dried fruits at HEB)

3/4 lb. bacon

Romaine lettuce

Bake focaccia, set aside to cool.

To roast garlic: Remove outside papery layers. Slice top off of the head of garlic so each of the cloves are exposed. Place on a piece of foil, drizzle with olive oil, fold over the foil to tightly seal. Roast at 400 for 30-35 minutes. Cool. Pinch each clove to remove garlic from the skin and set aside.

Place bacon strips on a foiled-lined pan in the oven at 425 for 8 minutes. Rotate the pan 180 degrees and then bake for another 6-8 minutes until bacon is crisp. Remove from the pan and cool on paper towels.

Place mayonnaise and 1/2 of the reserved garlic in a food processor and pulse until garlic is finely chopped.

Square off the focaccia loaf by cutting off the rounded edges. Cut in half vertically for ease in assembling sandwiches. Cut each half horizontally using an electric knife.

Spread both sides of bread with mayonnaise-garlic mixture. Place strips of tomato on bottom sides of the bread. Top with bacon, then lettuce and top side of bread.

Secure sandwiches with party style toothpicks, spacing about every 2-3 inches. Slice in between toothpicks using an electric knife, making small, bite-sized sandwiches. Serve at room temperature.

Easy Baked Beans

-Anna Hampton

3 slices bacon
½ c. chopped onion
1 31 ounce can pork and beans (Van Camps)
¼ c. catsup
2 T. brown sugar
2 t. mustard
1 t. Worcestershire

1. In a skillet, cook bacon till crisp. Remove bacon, reserving drippings. Drain and crumble bacon and set aside.
2. Cook onion in reserved drippings until tender.
3. Add pork and beans, catsup, brown sugar, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce.
4. Bake in a 350 oven for about 1 hour or cook on low in Crock Pot.

Bacon-Wrapped Jalapenos with Cream Cheese

Photo: Ree Drummond, http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/

-Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman Cooks

Jalapenos

Cream Cheese, softened

Bacon, cut into thirds

Preheat oven to 375. Cut jalapenos in half lengthwise and remove seeds and membranes. Stuff with cream cheese and wrap with bacon section and secure with toothpick. Bake 20 minutes, till bacon is crisp. If bacon has not crisped after 20 minutes, broil for a few minutes to finish.

Potato Salad with Sour Cream and Scallions

Photo: Everyday Food

-Stacey VanTassel - (Everyday Food)

2 lbs. white new potatoes, cut into 3/4 in chunks
salt and ground pepper
3/4 C reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 C light mayonnaise
1/2 C thinly sliced scallions, plus more for garnish
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

In a large pot, cover potatoes with salted water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat. Simmer until potatoes are tender when pierced with a sharp knife, 12-15 min. Drain well. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together sour cream and mayonnaise; add warm potatoes, and gently fold to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Cover; refrigerate at least one hour and up to one day. To serve, season salad again with salt and pepper, if needed. Fold in scallions. Garnish with bacon and more scallions, if desired.

Bacon Wrapped 'Little Smokies'

-Melissa Hartung, Dry Creek Ward

1 lb. bacon (not thick sliced)
1 lb. 'little smokies'
Brown sugar

Preheat oven to 375. Cut bacon lengths in 3 equal lengths. Wrap each 'little smokie' in a little piece of bacon. Place then in a 9x13 inch pan. (You can secure the bacon on each with a wood toothpick. They are a little tricky to get them to lay flat together in the pan with the toothpicks. They are tricky to get out of the pan when they are hot without the toothpick! You decide! They are worth it (either way)! Sprinkle brown sugar over the entire pan, covering the 'little smokies.' Bake at 375 for about 30 minutes or until bacon looks cooked.

Sweet Chicken Bacon Wraps

Paula Deen

1 1/4 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 4 breasts)
1 lb. package sliced bacon
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons chili powder

Preheat oven to 350. Cut chicken breasts into 1-inch cubes. Cut each bacon slice into thirds. Wrap each chicken cube with bacon and secure with a wooden toothpick. Stir together brown sugar and chili powder. Dredge wrapped chicken in mixture. Coat a rack and broiler pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place chicken wrap on rack in broiler pan. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until bacon is crisp.

Fried Rice

-Mom Pulsipher

1 lb. bacon * I use half
1/3 cup chopped green onion tops
1/3 cup chopped mushrooms
2/3 cup diced celery
1/3 cup grated carrots
*I add fresh minced garlic when sauteeing the carrots
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups cooked rice, chilled
2 Tbs. soy sauce, plus more to taste

Cook bacon and set aside. Drain and reserve 6 tablespoons of drippings. Cook egg
in 3 tablespoons drippings until set. Cook onion and celery in rest of drippings until limp. Add mushrooms, carrots, rice and 2 tablespoons soy sauce. Cook for 10 minutes over low heat, stirring occassionally. Add crumbled bacon. Serve with soy sauce.