Today, the Saturday before Labor Day in the US, is International Bacon Day. With a tagline of Be Bold. Be Heard. Give Back. Eat Bacon., it would be remiss of me if I did not celebrate this important holiday. If you have followed me for a while, you might remember past celebrations that included bacon art, bacon dust, and other amazing bacon recipes. Because everything tastes better when you just add bacon, right?
I put a call out on Facebook for more bacon-related recipes, and I received some great ones.
You are welcome.
The first amazing bacon recipe comes from my friend Alexandra Armstrong, who describes herself as Home Cook and Food Porn Enthusiast. I see photos of the food she makes on Facebook. It all looks amazing. And makes me want to run over to her kitchen and eat her leftovers. She lives in the same town as me after all.
Bacon-Wrapped Chipotle Meatloaf
BACON MEATLOAF:
1/2 C. Whole Milk
2 slices White Bread
1 1/2 lb. Grass-Fed Ground Beef
1 Egg, Beaten
1/2 C. sauteed sweet onion, allowed to cool to room temp
1 TBSP. Chipotle Ketchup
2-3 good splashes Worcestershire Sauce
1/4 t. chipotle powder
Kosher Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste
8-10 slices Applewood Smoked Bacon (thin cut; easier to work with)
CHIPOTLE KETCHUP:
1-1/2 cup Ketchup
1/3 cup Brown Sugar
1 Chipotle Pepper in Adobo, finely minced
Blend in food processor, or whisk the hell out of it by hand
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour milk over the bread slices. Allow it to soak in for several minutes, then tear into pieces and add to large bowl. Add the ground beef and other ingredients.
Mix the ingredients until well combined. Do NOT over-mix! If mixture seems too wet, add some panko bread crumbs until you reach desired texture. Add just a little bit at a time to avoid drying out the mixture. Form the mixture into a rectangular loaf shape on a sheet pan.
Lay bacon slices over the top, tucking them underneath the meatloaf. You can get all kinds of groovy-creative with a cross-hatch pattern if you like. I keep mine simple.
Pour 1/3 of the Chipotle Ketchup over the top of the bacon. Spread with a spoon. Bake for 45 minutes, then pour another 1/3 of the sauce over the top. Bake for another 15 minutes. Let rest for about 10 minutes before serving. Slice and serve with remaining sauce.
Serve with Garlic Smashed Potatoes and Oven Roasted Green Beans with Onions and (wait for it!) more BACON! (serves 4, or 2 with left-overs; easily doubled!)
NOTE from Alexandra: I NEVER measure anything, so measurements are approximate. Feel free to adapt to your taste!
This next recipe featuring bacon comes from April, who says “I am a foodie but because I follow a specific nutrition plan I have had to adapt recipes to make them fit my lifestyle, and they have to taste amazing and be easy for a working mom.”
April has tested this recipe out with her fellow “she wolves” at WolfPack Fitness (featured on the blog in a past Philanthropy Friday, along with founder Luke Robinson). As a fellow working mom, I appreciate how easy and tasty this recipe seems.
Bacon Cheeseburger Meatballs
1 1/2 pounds of ground meat (I use beef but you can use chicken, turkey, pork, etc.)
2 eggs
1 package of dry onion soup mix
1 cup cheese or cheese alternative such a daiya
4 slices of uncooked bacon chopped
Mix all ingredients in a bowel. Roll into small meatballs (I use mini muffin tins to bake in). Bake at 350 for 35 to 40 minutes. Serve with any burger condiment.
This next recipe is a quick and easy one from Ben Grant, owner of Bad Dog Deli in Scarborough, Maine. I’m not a big fan of store bought salad dressing. How could you possible go wrong with bacon vinaigrette?
Bacon Vinaigrette
3/4 c rendered bacon fat, 2T dijon mustard, 2T white wine vinegar, pinch of kosher salt. Bacon vinaigrette!
Save the bacon crumbles/strips and dress up a BLT-style salad with dill pickled eggs and Bleu cheese.
Holy Yum.
A few additional bacon-focused recipes were sent to me via Facebook. Here are some links:
- Succulent Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breasts (via Susan of Everything Susan)
- Bacon Pancake Dippers (via Catherine of Catherine Scanlon Designs)
- Slow-Cooker Bacon Jam (also via Catherine of Catherine Scanlon Designs)
How are you celebrating International Bacon Day?
