Tag Archives: bacon

Apr 30 2013

Weekly Meal Plan: April 29-May 3

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Still unsure if you want to create your own meal plan? It’s ok, here’s ours. You can steal it, use it to get ideas, or just be nosy and judge us for what we’re eating. Enjoy!

Monday:

Southwestern Chopped Salad (recipe coming soon)

Tuesday:

Lobster Rolls & Baked French Fries *Also see: How to Cut & Cook a Lobster Tail + Recipes

Wednesday: 

Chicken, Bacon, & Avocado Chopped Salad

Thursday:

Bits and pieces of Antipasto Salad mixed with parts of  Italian Stallion Salad

Friday:

Authentic Louisiana Red Beans & Rice

 

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Apr 29 2013

From Our Kitchen: Spicy Bacon Ranch Quesadillas

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DSCF0500

Yum.

If you are anything like me, you probably just prayed that this plate magically appeared in front of you, right now.

You simply cannot go wrong with anything that includes both bacon and cheese. You just can’t. Thats why these quesadillas are simply AMAZING. Husband approved too, might I add. Ok, so my hubby has somewhat of an obsession with bacon but thats neither here nor there.

Pair this with a healthy side serving of Black Bean & Corn Salad and you will feel guilt-free in no time. ;)

Spicy Bacon Ranch Quesadillas

Quesadilla Ingredients:

*Makes 2 quesadillas (8 slices)

  • 4 flour tortillas (make sure you get the soft taco size ones)
  • 1/4 cup chicken, shredded
  • 1/4 cup bacon, cooked and crumbled
  • shredded cheddar cheese

Spicy Ranch Ingredients:

*I adapted this to only make 3/4 a cup (the original recipe makes 1 & 1/2 cups)

  • 1/2 (16 ounce) bottle ranch salad
    dressing (such as Hidden Valley Original Ranch®)
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce (such
    as Tabasco®)
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce (such
    as Frank’s RedHot®)
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder

Directions:

1. Stir together the ranch-style salad dressing, the two hot pepper sauces, cayenne pepper, and chili powder. Chill for at least one hour.

2. When spicy ranch dressing is ready, spread about 1-2 tablespoons of it on 2 tortillas.

3. Sprinkle cooked shredded chicken, cooked crumbled bacon, and cheese on top of the ranch on each tortilla. Top with remaining tortilla.

4. Coat a large grill pan (or a frying pan, which means you will probably have to cook one at a time on) with olive oil spray (or Pam) and heat over the stovetop on medium heat. Place tortilla(s) in pan and cook 1-3 minutes or so on each side until cheese melts and tortillas have slightly browned.

5. Remove tortilla(s) from pan and carefully slice into 4 wedges. You can use a knife or a pizza cutter but it is best to let cool for about a minute before slicing so its not too messy. ;)

6. Serve with an extra side of Spicy Ranch sauce and guacamole (if desired) for dipping and enjoy!

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Dec 9 2012

From Our Kitchen: Chicken Florentine

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Looking for a delicious meal that will last you a few days? Look no further… this amazing Chicken Florentine recipe is sure to please!

 My hubby, who HATES leftovers, will eat this for days until it’s gone. He asks for it at least once a month but it is a lot of work, since I make everything from scratch (including the bacon bits), but it is sooo worth it! I usually pair it with a pasta or salad, depending if I can get away with a salad or not. Hubby does not have a taste for vegetables. ;)

Chicken Florentine

Adapted from AllRecipes.com

Original recipe makes 4 servings *(mine makes 6)
  • 1/2 cup half-and-half
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese *(I HIGHLY recommend using a parmesan wedge and grating it FRESH- its a pain but worth it)
  • 2 (13.5 ounce) cans spinach, drained *(you can also use fresh spinach or frozen, just make sure after cooking it you squeeze out as much water as possible)
  • 4 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced *(I omit these since hubby doesn’t like mushrooms)
  • 2/3 cup bacon bits
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place the chicken breast halves on a baking sheet; bake 20 to 30 minutes, until no longer pink and juices run clear. Remove from heat, and set aside.
  2. Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
  3. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stirring constantly, mix in the garlic, lemon juice, cream of mushroom soup, Italian seasoning, half-and-half, and Parmesan cheese.
  4. Arrange the spinach over the bottom of a 9×9 inch baking dish. Cover the spinach with the mushrooms. Pour half the mixture from the saucepan over the mushrooms. Arrange chicken breasts in the dish, and cover with the remaining sauce mixture. Sprinkle with bacon bits, and top with mozzarella cheese.
  5. Bake 20 to 25 minutes in the 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) oven, until bubbly and lightly browned.
And if you are also wondering where that pasta recipe is in the photo, here it is:

Avocado and Pesto Pasta Recipe

From About.com

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups pine nuts or walnuts
  • 1 bunch basil
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
  • 1 avocado, chopped
  • pasta

Directions

1) Process together all ingredients except the avocado and the pasta in a food processor until almost smooth, adding more liquid if needed.

2) Toss together with avocado and hot pasta.
This is a delicious pasta and is a great alternative to the typical red or cream sauces you usually find!

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Oct 11 2012

The “Real Best” BLT Sandwich

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Looking for a tasty, filling, and quick meal? Grab these staples from your fridge and throw together a delicious and for the most part healthy BLT. Want the best recipe of all? You’re in the right spot! The winningest “best” BLT recipe is here!

Note- We left the “Leftover Test” score out on this one purposely… BLT’s are always best eaten immediately!

The contenders:

The nitty-gritty:

Each BLT was scored on a scale of 1-10 (where 1= that’s food? and 10= the best BLT that has ever entered my mouth) for overall score, the boyfriend/husband test, and the leftover test. We also provide other comments.

AllRecipes.com Super BLT

Overall score: 9

The boyfriend/husband test: 7

Comments: This was really good! I thought the guacamole gave it a nice creaminess and the cream cheese was an interesting way to substitute for mayo, while adding a bit of the cheese usually missing from most BLT sandwiches.

Kraft Recipe’s BLT

Overall score: 9.5

The boyfriend/husband test: 8.5

Comments: This is so simple, but it was SO good! It calls for a lot of mayonnaise (1 tbsp per sandwich), which I was initially hesitant about (mayo creeps me out.. is that normal?! Plus, it isn’t great for you), but it turned out to be the perfect amount! This was so good and easy that I made it again for dinner, and again for lunch the next day! And when I ran out of bacon, I went and bought more so I could keep making this. YUM.

Amazing Sandwiches’ BLAT

Overall score: 8

The boyfriend/husband test: 9

Comments: I know this is your basic BLT but the avocados gave it an extra good touch. This is a very good and easy for a quick lunch or light supper. Next time I would use 2 teaspoons of mayo as I felt there could have been a little more than the recipe recommended (1 teaspoon). My husband thought a slice of cheese would also enhance the flavor of this sandwich. I would make this one again for sure!


The winner:

Kraft Recipe’s BLT!

I guess this is another case where a classic is the best!

Special Diets:

While we can’t guarantee the results, here are some ideas you can use to customize the winning BLT to your dietary needs:

  • Gluten-free: Use a gluten free bread for this one. Make sure your other ingredients are also gluten-free! Another creative option: Use the lettuce as your “bread” (sort of like a lettuce wrap).
  • Vegetarian: Nix the bacon or use a bacon substitute, such as Lightlife Vegetarian Bacon-Smart Bacon.
  • Vegan: Nix the bacon or use a bacon substitute, as described above. You can also make your own “bacon” out of tempeh. In addition, skip the mayo.
  • Lower fat: Use less bacon, or use turkey bacon.
  • Lower sugar/calories: You can cut the calories by using some of the suggestions above.
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Sep 9 2012

Pinterest Tested: For #Sunday Supper- Bacon Wrapped Cream Cheese Jalapeño Bites

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For this week’s #SundaySupper we are featuring tailgate food, a football season must have! This week, I decided to test out an amazing looking recipe I’ve had pinned for a while on Pinterest:

Bacon Wrapped Cream Cheese Jalapeño Bites

I chose these because I LOVE jalapeño poppers and my hubby LOVES bacon. I also wanted to find something new to bring to football parties besides the usual chips & dip. This recipe comes from Doughmesstic.com.

Bacon Wrapped Cream Cheese Jalapeno Bites

makes 24

  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon Old Bay
  • Pinch of Salt
  • 12 Jalapenos, halved & seeded
  • 24 – six inch pieces of bacon, uncooked

Preheat oven to 350F.

Combine cream cheese and spices in small bowl.  Spoon mixture into each pepper half, until level.  Wrap each in bacon, and place on baking sheet.  Bake for 40-45 minutes.  Remove and enjoy!

And now for the Real Best Recipe “Pinterest Tested” Results…

Overall rating: 7

Cost: $ (scale: $-$$$)

Difficulty level: Beginner (scale: beginner, moderate, intermediate, advanced)

Thoughts: I had high hopes for these. They were okay, but not what I was expecting. While the concept was amazing (spicy+creamy+salty), there was something amiss here… I think it was the seasoning in the cream cheese. I found it a little strange to be putting a common seafood spice (Old Bay Seasoning) in these but figured if thats what the recipe called for, it should be fine. But after taking a bite of these, I knew I should have listened to my gut reaction and made some without it. Hubby is not a very big fan of these types of snacks but he liked them more than I expected so I give this recipe a 7 out of 10. Would I make these again? Yes but I would alter the spices in the cream cheese (i.e. no Old Bay Seasoning.) and maybe mix some parmesan cheese into it. I probably won’t make these again soon but I am glad I finally got to try them! I have already been eyeballing another recipe on Doughmesstic.com that looks very similar but is a bit different- Bacon and Jalapeño Popovers.

For new home cooks, here is a tip you will thank me for (I learned the hard way!): Make sure you really get those seeds out of the jalapeños. Those are the spice in the pepper and trust me you will taste any seeds you miss because your mouth will be on FIRE! I love spicy foods and even I was kicking myself for leaving a few hard to reach seeds in these because I was just too lazy. You can always whip out a dairy product (i.e. milk, ice cream, yogurt, etc.) to calm your tastebuds after a hot pepper incident but its better not to experience one  at all! :)

In any case, don’t forget to check out what our friend’s at #SundaySupper are making for their football tailgates this season! I have to tell you, some of the best meals I’ve made at home lately come from this group and they all turn out AMAZING!

Join us on Sunday as we share our favorite tailgate recipes and tips. Hop on twitter at 7pm EST for the live #SundaySupper chat.

The Lineup

Pre Game Warm-ups:

On the Sidelines:

Main Events:

Overtime:

From the Cooler:

Wine Pairings by Wine Everyday

Happy Gameday!

 

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