Caramelized Praline Bacon

Do you know what today is? Only one of my favorite food holidays! It's....

Bacon is the support structure of my food pyramid. I consider it a seasoning that should be used as frequently as salt and pepper. It goes on, or with everything. I have had bacon served just about as many ways as humanity has been able to create it.

By far my favorite has been the Maple-bacon Donut. combining the perfect blend of fried, airy dough with sweet maple frosting and salty bacon to crown it the donut king. It's one of the most delicious and decadent foods I've ever put in my mouth.

That being said, I had a very hard time deciding what to showcase as my bacon recipe for this grand occasion. I settled on featuring bacon as the star, jazzed up with sweetness and a little kick of heat.

Friends, I give you.. Caramelized Praline Bacon!

This bacon has everything one could ask for in a food. Sweet, salty, spicy, crunchy and the right amount of chewy fat to give your mouth an explosion of happiness and flavor. The touch of cayenne pepper is just enough kick to give you an unexpected surprise and the caramelized nuts and brown sugar are a crunchy coating of heaven. So without further adieu.. try this one out:

Caramelized Praline Bacon

1 lb. of thick, center cut bacon. (go for the good $tuff)

1/2 C. of toasted pecans after being pulverized in a food processor 

1/2 C. of dark brown sugar

1/4 tsp. of cayenne pepper

Preheat the oven to 400.

line a cookie sheet with tin foil and place a metal cooling rack set atop the cookie sheet.

Mix together the pecans, brown sugar and cayenne pepper. Place in a long casserole dish to coat your bacon in. Starting one piece at a time, heavily coat each side of bacon with the sugar mixture and place side by side on the cookie rack. You will most likely need to make two batches, so don't crowd the slices. 

Bake for 20-25 minutes until browned and crisp. Watch the last 5 minues carefully as sugars will move past caramelized quickly and become burned. Remove from the oven with a spatula and set on a piece of foil on top of a cutting board to cool. Don't let the slices touch as they will stick together until the sugars have cooled and hardened.

Once cool, try to share with others and don't be selfish! (Yes, YOU!)

This bacon is amazing with any breakfast item, or crumbled over ice cream for dessert. Try it in a Fat Elvis sandwich for a combination too sinful to admit you ate in public. But there will be no judging on this blog! I'll just be jealous you ate some without me. Now go forth and eat bacon! 

Cleaned Up Corn Chowder

Here in Utah spring has officially sprung in the form of much needed rain on and off for the last week. After experiencing another heavy rainstorm today, I was in the mood for something warm and filling. I decided to make my own healthier version of a comport food classic and whip up a pot of Corn Chowder. This is a hearty soup that is still velvety, without any butter or cream. It's a great weeknight meal that doesn't take long to prepare and freezes well to use for meals down the road. You can make it vegetarian by adding cubes of sweet potatoes and kale (use vegetable broth as well) or make the protein even leaner with roasted chicken breast or turkey. 

Cleaned up Corn Chowder

Ingredients: 

4 links of chicken sausage cut into slices (I used Johnsonville Apple Chicken Sausage)

4 slices of bacon (you may use turkey bacon if you please, but my house runs on the real deal)

2 14oz cans of organic low fat, low sodium chicken broth

1 can of Healthy request cream of chicken soup

1 14oz can of organic creamed corn

1 C. fat free milk 

1 med onion diced

1 celery stalk chopped thin

1 med carrot chopped thin

1 1/2 C. of sweet frozen corn 

1 tsp of onion powder

1/2 tsp of seasoned salt 

1/4 tsp of dried sage

Black pepper to taste

Directions: 

Cube the bacon and sauté until crispy in a large stockpot. Use a slotted spoon to remove and place on paper towels to drain. Remove excess grease from the pot. Add the chicken until browned on both sides. Add the onion, carrot, celery and seasoned salt to the pot and sauté until the onions are translucent. Be sure to stir often to pick up all the tasty bits left over from the bacon. 

Add the chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, creamed corn, milk, onion powder, and dried sage. Let the broth simmer for 15 minutes to infuse and meld the flavors. Add the frozen corn and cook an additional 5 minutes. You may add water (1/2 C at a time) if the broth gets too thick, just to taste. 

Finish with salt and pepper to taste. To serve, sprinkle with fresh chives and bacon crumbles.

Round out the meal with a side salad and a roll or slice of your preferred bread. Grilled cheese would also be a great option. 

Serves 6-8

Hope you enjoy!