Tag: Bacon

Black Pepper Bacon Waffles

Renee Leave a comment
Black Pepper Bacon Waffles | How to be Awesome on $20 a Day

It’s been non-stop women’s soccer in our house for the past week, and for once our teams are on top. If the Women’s World Cup proves anything, it’s that if you want to win, send in the women. After the US’s 13-0 win over Thailand last week, I doubt anyone will be doubting their superiority over the men’s team any time soon.

I’ve been on a bit of a brunch kick lately, and I’ve got a couple of real winners for you this week. Something sweet, something savoury, both absolutely delicious. Things you’ll wish you could eat every day.

Black Pepper Bacon Waffles | How to be Awesome on $20 a Day

These Black Pepper Bacon Waffles have crispy bacon cooked right inside of them, so you get a hit of smoky, salty bacon with every bite. The black pepper adds just a hint of heat to keep the whole thing interesting. Be sure to have plenty of maple syrup on hand to balance it all out and make your morning sweet.

Making these waffles couldn’t be easier. Crisp up your bacon all at once in the oven. Mix together dry and wet ingredients, then bring all your components together in one bowl. Slap it into your waffle iron and come out with something excellent.

Black Pepper Bacon Waffles | How to be Awesome on $20 a Day

Black Pepper Bacon Waffles are the perfect all-in-one breakfast. Make them and be happy.

Recipe from Joy the Baker by Joy Wilson.

Bacon & Corn Risotto | How to be Awesome on $20 a Day

Bacon & Corn Risotto

Renee Leave a comment

So… If you follow me on Instagram, you might know that I broke my finger over the weekend. Instead of going to see Captain Marvel on Saturday morning, we spent the day in the hospital waiting to have surgery. I had two wires drilled into my finger, and it’s now splinted and bandaged. I won’t be seeing that finger again for three weeks.

It’s painful and annoying, but probably the most frustrating part is not being able to cook. I’m thrilled to get out of doing the dishes for a few weeks, but today I needed to peel and chop sweet potatoes, and you can’t do that one handed. You think of the pinky on your non-dominant hand as relatively insignificant, but when you can’t use it, you suddenly realise you actually need it for quite a lot.

Lucky for you, I made this Bacon Corn Risotto for you before my finger snapped. I wish I had a never ending pot of it. This is not a traditional risotto recipe, and when I made it the first time, I was skeptical, but after the first bite, all doubt disappeared. The mix of creamy rice and sweet crunchy corn along with the salty crisp bacon is absolutely ideal.

It was the addition of Greek yogurt that really threw me, but it give the risotto a perfect hit of acid and ensures that it’s ultra creamy. If you can stop yourself from going back for seconds, you can stretch this into three servings, which makes lunch the next day absolutely heavenly.

Life never seems to stop laying challenges at our feet. As long as we continue to rise up t meet them, life is good. If we can chase them with Bacon Corn Risotto, all the better.

bacon & Corn Risotto

Yield

2 big portions

Prep time

15 minutes

Cooking time

40 minutes

Difficulty

Easy

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ingredients

  • 6 slices streaky bacon
  • 4 cups chicken stock, hot
  • 1 green onions, sliced, whites and greens divided
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3/4 cup arborio rice
  • 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1-1/2 cups frozen corn kernels
  • Salt and pepper to taste
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instructions

  • Put a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Use scissors to slice up your bacon directly into the pot. Cook your bacon, stirring occasionally, until crispy, then remove the bacon pieces to a paper towel lined plate.
  • You’ll want about a tablespoon of bacon grease left in the pot, so if your bacon has given off a lot of grease, you may need to drain some off. To your reserved bacon grease, add a tablespoon of olive oil. Add the white parts of your sliced green onion, and cook over medium low heat to soften for about a minute.
  • Add the rice and toss it in the fat to coat every grain. Let this cook for a few minutes to get toasty. When it starts to smell nutty, you’re ready to start adding stock.
  • Add the stock about a 1/4 cup at a time, stirring all the while, until the liquid is absorbed before adding another 1/4 cup of stock. Keep adding stock until it’s all absorbed. It will take about a half hour.
  • Once your rice has absorbed all the liquid, stir in the corn, and let it cook for a few minutes to heat up the corn.
  • Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the yogurt to combine. Give it a stir and taste before you add salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe from Frugal Foodie Mama

Bacon Parmesan Cheese Ball

Renee Leave a comment
Bacon Parmesan Cheese Ball | How to be Awesome on $20 a Day

I’m reluctantly leaving procrastination station and getting back on the blogging train. I ignored my planner most of the week, and unusually, I don’t feel the least bit guilty about it. I just did what I wanted and it was pretty awesome. Should I let this become a habit?

Life is pretty boring here, and I’m reveling in it at the moment. I’m hoping t plan a trip (possibly to Portugal) soon, but right now I’m happy to hide in my house for the rest of the winter cooking and eating and reading. We’re sprinkling some Game of Thrones into our lives in preparation for the final season in April. That’s about as much adventure as I’m craving at the moment.

Bacon Parmesan Cheese Ball | How to be Awesome on $20 a Day

I made you something deliciously kitschy this week. It’s a Bacon Parmesan Cheese Ball. Apparently Amy and David Sedaris both love a cheese ball, so I’m fully embracing this mid-century party snack. It helps that this is completely delicious. I’d for sure serve this at my next house party.

This Bacon Parmesan Cheese Ball couldn’t be easier to make. We’re just mixing a bunch of tasty ingredients together in a mixer, crispy bacon, salty parmesan, smooth cream cheese, etc. Then we’ll mold the whole thing with chopped parsley-lined plastic wrap and store it in the fridge to firm up before serving with your favorite crackers. If you have one of those cute, stubby cheese/spreading knives, this would be the time to bring it out. Sadly, I don’t own that sort of thing. This mixture is a bit too stiff for just dipping a cracker into, so you’ll need to provide a way for your guests to spread it onto whatever eating vehicle you provide.

Bacon Parmesan Cheese Ball | How to be Awesome on $20 a Day

Wanna come over and watch TV and eat this Bacon Parmesan Cheese Ball? You can wear your pajamas and slippers. That’s how we roll. It’ll be awesome.

Bacon Parmesan Cheese Ball

Yield

4-6 servings

Prep time

15 minutes

Cooking time

10 minutes

Difficulty

Easy

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ingredients

  • 5 slices streaky bacon
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 green onion, chopped
  • Black pepper, to taste
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
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Instructions

  • Place a skillet over medium heat and use scissors to slice your bacon into 1/2 inch pieces right into the skillet. Cook, stirring frequently, until the bacon is crispy. Remove bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
  • Add cream cheese and mayo to a mixing bowl and mix with an electric mixer until smooth. Turn the mixer down to low, and add parmesan, green onion, black pepper, and cayenne until well combined. Finally, mix in the bacon.
  • Spread your chopped parsley onto a large piece of plastic wrap (big enough to cover your formed cheese ball), and scoop your cheese mixture from the bowl on top of the parsley. Use the plastic wrap to help press the parsley into the outside of the cheese as you form it into a roughly spherical shape. Park this in the fridge for at least two hours to firm up.
  • To serve, gently unwrap your ball and transport it to your serving platter. Serve with your favorite crackers.

Recipe slightly adapted from Erin’s Food Files.

Brown Sugar Bacon Biscuits | How to be Awesome on $20 a Day

Brown Sugar Bacon Biscuits

Renee Leave a comment

Brown Sugar Bacon Biscuits | How to be Awesome on $20 a Day

How many lists do you have on the go on any given day? More or less than 10? I’m just wondering if I’m insane or not. On my google drive, I have seven different lists. I have another five or six on my phone. Then I have a whole notebook that is devoted solely to keeping lists. Some of them are portable, shortened versions of the google drive lists, but there are about a dozen lists that are constantly being updated in there. And then there’s Pinterest. That’s like crack for list makers. I’m crazy, right? I’m definitely crazy.

There’s just something so calming about making a list. It’s is the very essence of orderliness. When I get really bored, I find myself craving the opportunity to create a list, but I’m running out of things to make lists of. I’ve got lists for movies, books, recipes, restaurants, travel ideas, more recipes… You get the idea. Please tell me I’m not the only person who does this.

Brown Sugar Bacon Biscuits | How to be Awesome on $20 a Day

This recipe comes to you from my “next recipe” list, but more significantly from Simply Delish by Jessica Merchant. These Brown Sugar Bacon Biscuits are made with half white flour and half whole wheat flour, and I love the added texture the whole wheat adds without the biscuits losing their lightness. The brown sugar brings a subtle, deep sweetness without making the biscuits seem like dessert. And then there’s the bacon. Smoky, crispy, heavenly bacon. What’s not to love?

These biscuits are the perfect balance of savoury and sweet. They’re equally suitable for an a fried egg and a thick slice of cheddar cheese as they are to being slathered with salted butter and honey or maple syrup. I haven’t tried it yet, but I imagine they’d be the perfect dunker for something like butternut squash soup. I halved the recipe since it’s just the two of us. It’s basically impossible to stop eating these, so don’t make more than you can handle.

Brown Sugar Bacon Biscuits | How to be Awesome on $20 a Day

The recipes on this blog are basically just an extension of my list-making obsession, so I hope it’s paid off for you in some way. If nothing else, you can now eat Brown Sugar Bacon Biscuits to your heart’s content. That’s pretty awesome.

Brown Sugar Bacon Biscuits
Yields 6
Brown Sugar Bacon Biscuits are basically irresistible.
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Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
20 min
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
20 min
Ingredients
  1. 1/2 cup plain flour
  2. 1/2 cup whole wheat plain flour
  3. 1/6 cup brown sugar
  4. 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  5. 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  6. 1/8 teaspoon salt
  7. 1 ounce cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks
  8. 2 slices bacon, cut in small pieces and cooked until crisp
  9. 1/2 cup buttermilk
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 425F (220C) and line a baking sheet with parchment.
  2. In a mixing bowl, gently whisk together plain flour, whole wheat flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined.
  3. Use your clean fingers to rub the cold butter into the dry ingredients until you have a mixture resembling wet sand.
  4. Stir in your bacon pieces to evenly distribute.
  5. Finally, stir in the buttermilk with a spatula or wooden spoon until the mixture just comes together.
  6. Turn your biscuit dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and gently press and fold it together. Pat your dough out to form a rectangle that's about an inch thick. Use a pizza cutter to cut your rectangle into six pieces. You'll have square biscuits, but you also won't have any wasted dough.
  7. Transfer your biscuits to your baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes. The biscuits should be golden brown on top.
  8. Allow to cool for a few minutes before devouring.
Adapted from Seriously Delish by Jessica Merchant
Adapted from Seriously Delish by Jessica Merchant
How to be Awesome on $20 a day https://awesomeon20.com/

Cowboy Spaghetti | How to be Awesome on $20 a Day

Cowboy Spaghetti

Renee Leave a comment

Cowboy Spaghetti | How to be Awesome on $20 a Day

I look forward to occasionally staying at a hotel or a person’s house with cable so that I can relive my Food Network binging days when things get boring. I was a bit let down the last time I tried this. Food Network in the UK is sort of awful. They basically only have a handful of shows that the play in four to six hour blocks. One of them is Jamie Oliver, and that’s beautiful, but they also play The Pioneer Woman for hours on end, and I just can’t abide. It’s a good thing no one reads my blog because I’m sure I’d get kicked out of the blogosphere for it, but I find her show so annoying and contrived.

I miss the good old days when Saturday and Sunday mornings featured a different show every half hour, each one with actual recipes and cooking, not silly food competitions or restaurant tours. Adrianna from A Cozy Kitchen shared a clip of Sandra Lee making a cocktail the other day, and it was a hilarious hit of nostalgia. I vote they make a Food Network Classic channel where they just replay all the great shows from the 2000’s. Sounds pretty awesome to me.

Cowboy Spaghetti | How to be Awesome on $20 a Day

It’s official. Bacon makes everything better. Case in point, this Cowboy Spaghetti. What makes this different from regular spaghetti bolognese? There’s your standard onion, garlic, and tomato, but along with bacon, there’s also beer instead of red wine, a bit of hot sauce, and cheddar cheese instead of parmesan. It’s an absolutely delicious twist on a family classic. I was proclaiming myself a genius as I ate. Maybe that’s why I didn’t notice Geoff stealing the remaining bacon that was meant to accompany the rest of the pot of pasta.

This is adapted from a Rachael Ray recipe from her 30 minute meal days, so you know it’s easy to accomplish. It will also easily feed your whole family, as we’re cooking up a whole package of spaghetti here. With just the two of us in the house, we’ll be eating this for probably three days, but I’m not mad at it.

Cowboy Spaghetti | How to be Awesome on $20 a Day

Cowboy Spaghetti has all the good things. Who’s coming over for dinner?

Cowboy Spaghetti
Serves 6
Cowboy Spaghetti is an awesome twist on a family classic, loaded up with bacon and cheddar cheese.
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Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
10 min
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
10 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 pound spaghetti
  2. salt
  3. 1 tablespoon olive oil
  4. 3 slices of bacon
  5. 1 pound ground beef
  6. 4 green onions, thinly sliced
  7. 2 cloves garlic, minced
  8. black pepper
  9. 1 tablespoon hot sauce (or more if you're into that sort of thing)
  10. 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  11. 1/2 cup beer
  12. 1 14 ounce can crushed tomatoes
  13. 500 grams tomato sauce or pasata
  14. 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
Instructions
  1. Put a large pot of water over high heat to boil. Don't forget to put a lid on it, or it will take forever. When the water boils, add salt and spaghetti, stirring occasionally.Cook according to package instructions, but check it a minute early to make sure your pasta isn't overcooked.
  2. In the mean time, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Cut your bacon with scissors right into the pan. Cook to desired level of crispness (the correct answer is very crisp). Remove the bacon to a paper towel lined plate and pour off some of the fat, leaving enough to coat the pan.
  3. Add your ground beef to the pan to brown. Season with salt and pepper. Depending on how lean your beef is, you may want to drain the fat off before proceeding.
  4. Add the white part of your green onions (save the green tops for later) and garlic to your ground beef and then season with hot sauce and Worcestershire. Add the beer and scrape up any bits that may be stuck to the bottom of the pan. Simmer for about 5 minutes.
  5. Stir in tomatoes and sauce. Bring everything back up to a simmer and check for seasonings. This is usually where I add more hot sauce. Simmer for about five minutes to allow the sauce to thicken a bit and for all the flavors to marry.
  6. After you drain your pasta, put it back in the pot, then pour the sauce over the spaghetti and stir to combine.
  7. Top your bowl or plate of spaghetti with plenty of cheddar cheese, a sprinkling of crunchy bacon, and the green tops of your green onions.
Adapted from How to be Awesome on $20 a Day
Adapted from How to be Awesome on $20 a Day
How to be Awesome on $20 a day https://awesomeon20.com/



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