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50 Ways to Use Bacon

posted in Recipes, Main Dishes, Appetizers and Snacks, Breakfast and Brunch by Emily Chapelle

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Ahh, bacon! That crispy, chewy, salty and sinful cut of pork we all love.

Bacon has disciples far and wide, some of whom devote entire blogs to it. The Bacon Show, for example, posts a daily recipe featuring bacon; the site "101 Things Every Cook Should Cook" has an entire section devoted to bacon. Heather, of the site "Bacon Unwrapped", chronicles her adventures with bacon, and "Bacontarian" brings you bacon-y goodness from around the Internet, while "I Heart Bacon" conducts bacon reviews.

For those who’ve spent more time eating it than studying it, bacon is cut from the sides, belly, or back of a pig, near the ribs. It’s the fattiness of the meat that makes it so yummy. After the skin is cut away, the meat is cured, smoked, and sliced. It can be cooked in a pan on the stovetop, in the oven, or in the microwave, until it’s perfectly crisp.

You probably know bacon as the star of the BLT (bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich, in case you didn’t know), and the bacon cheeseburger. But there are so many other ways we can incorporate it into our diets and our lives! Here are 50 ways to use bacon:

1. Make a good old BLT sandwich, of course.

2. Bacon cheeseburgers will make anyone’s mouth water. Meat topped with more meat? Perfection!

3. Bacon-wrapped tater tots would go perfectly with that bacon cheeseburger!

4. Roast a bacon-wrapped turkey for Sunday dinner.

5. Make delicious bacon pastry slices.

6. Add a punch of flavor to your creamed spinach recipe.

7. Make your own hot bacon dressing to use on lettuce, cabbage, or even potato salad!

8. Entertaining? Whet your guests’ appetites with the bacon-cheese fundido appetizer.

9. Indulge in a bar of dark chocolate infused with the flavor of applewood smoked bacon as a special treat.

10. Maple bacon cupcakes will make your mouth water.

11. And if you liked those, try a bacon chocolate chip cookie with maple cinnamon glaze.

12. It’s not real, southern cornbread unless there’s bacon grease in it.

13. Visit The Plaid Mushroom’s e-shop to smother your lips with bacon lip balm made with real bacon oil, refined from bacon. (The link is to a listing that was reserved for a certain buyer, but contact theplaidmushroom to ask for your own listing.)

14. Join the bacon of the month club to have artisan bacon delivered to your door 12 times a year.

15. The beautiful city of Charleston, South Carolina gives us bacon-flavored cotton candy.

16. Enjoy a bacon martini with any meal.

17. Use bacon to dress up your leftovers for a second visit to the dinner table.

18. Whip up a tasty bacon asparagus quiche with Swiss cheese for dinner.

19. Cook bacon into the shape of cups and fill with lettuce and tomato for a breadless BLT.

20. Stay warm by wrapping a giant fleece bacon scarf around yourself.

21. Even if you’re a vegetarian and/or keep a kosher diet, you can still enjoy the taste of bacon salt, because, as the manufacturers say: “Everything should taste like bacon.”

22. If pork-covered pork appeals to you, you may also enjoy the bacon-wrapped deep-fried hot dog.

23. Trim your holiday tree with joyful ceramic bacon ornaments.

24. Use bacon instead of ground beef in stuffed peppers.

25. Get the morning off to a good start with beer cheese muffins with bacon cream cheese frosting.

26. Impress your guests with deceptively simple bacon-wrapped “crabette” appetizers.

27. A bacon-y take on an Asian favorite: bacon and bok choy potstickers.

28. Weave and bake bacon into edible placemats.

29. Then, use the woven bacon to augment your grilled cheese experience.

30. Or, use woven bacon to cook up an eggless bacon and cheese omelet.

31. Bacon and date appetizers will be the hit of your party.

32. Bacon egg salad croissants put a new spin on an old favourite.

33. Then, have a bowl of bacon ice cream for dessert.

34. Then use an actual bacon bandage to cover your own boo-boos.

35. Or wake up to cooking bacon with the bacon alarm clock, which is appropriately shaped like a pig’s face.

36. Add it to your bathroom in the form of bacon-printed toilet tissue.

37. Then, use it to wash up afterward.

38. Bacon popcorn is a deliciously salty, crunchy snack!

39. Try your hand at making your own bacon.

40. Enjoy barbecue-baked beans with bacon alongside your BLT.

41. Cook up a bacon buffet with bacon-topped potato skins, bacon-wrapped shrimp and scallops, bacon-wrapped asparagus, and eggs cooked in bacon grease.

42. Corn and bacon chowder sounds like the perfect soup to warm you up on the last chilly evenings before summer!

43. Strawberry bacon spinach salad will make you the star of any potluck.

44. Salty bacon will complement the sweet honey dressing in this imitation crab salad.

45. Try poached pears stuffed with blue cheese and baked with bacon.

46. Or try the same combo of flavors in a pear, blue cheese, bacon pizza.

47. Take a look at this bacon-filled quiche. It’ll really make your mouth water.

48. See who comes out on top with an action-figure wrestling match between Mr. Bacon and Monsieur Tofu.

49. Smooth caramel topped with crunchy bacon: Does that sound delicious or disgusting? Try it and let us know.

50. Try many other bacon dishes suggested by foodnerd, including bacon fluffernutter sandwiches, bacon cups with macaroni and cheese, bacon-pepper-cheese scones, and more!

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27 comments

jonson roth | posted on Apr 27, 2008

Mmmmmm. bacon. gurgle gurgle gurgle

KGWagner | posted on Apr 28, 2008

What an interesting list! Some of this stuff sounds bizarre, but I'll bet it's excellent. I followed the "Maple Bacon Cupcake" link to the blog of  "Mr. BaconPants", where I found a video called "How Cheap Bacon is Made".

While I'm not a huge fan of pre-cooked bacon, it does come in handy if you're putting bacon in a recipe, such as meatloaf. Keeps you from having to deal with the mess cooking bacon usually leaves you with.

Andy | posted on Apr 28, 2008

Very impressive!  I don't eat much bacon by itself, but I love it with different foods.

Mosley | posted on Apr 28, 2008

Thanks for linking my blog. That Bacon Cupcake is so good. I wish I could have one every morning.

You could have also talked about the Harris Grill in Pittsburgh that has Free Bacon Night on Tuesdays. Starting at 6:30 you get free baskets of bacon at teh bar all night.

Its a gressy good time.

KGWagner | posted on Apr 28, 2008

Mosley - 

Wow! Free bacon all night! LOL! I'd end up sick from eating too much fat, and hammered from sitting at the bar all night <grin>

That's an expensive finger food to serve up free all night, but I'll bet it pays off.

Incidentally "Bacon lover, beer enthusiast, tech connoisseur, and variety commentator"? Sounds like a guy who's got his priorities straight <grin>

Mosley | posted on Apr 28, 2008

@KGWagner

I like to think so... ;)

Life is better with Bacon.

Well you only get about five pieces per basket and they take their time getting you another. But it’s still free bacon so I don’t complain... much.

I guess there was a bar in Chicago that did the same thing... they say that’s were the got the idea.

Rick Wolff | posted on Apr 28, 2008

A controversy over LA vendors selling bacon-wrapped hotdogs, hosted by Drew Carey. http://reason.tv/video/show/392.html

Jeremy (Discovering Dad) | posted on Apr 28, 2008

I never would have thought of bacon popcorn - sounds interesting!  I love bacon!

peter | posted on Apr 29, 2008

you could also wrap up oytsers with bacon, stick a toothpick through them, and cook them until the bacon is cooked in the oven...delicious

Davie Wavie | posted on Apr 29, 2008

You forgot the best of all...

now don't freak out, till you try it...

Peanut Butter and Bacon sandwiches...

Take a bagel, put a nice amount of chunky peanut butter on it then add really crispy bacon (no rubbery fat, all crispy)

It will probably help send you to an early grave, but what a delicious way to go!

vincent | posted on Apr 29, 2008

Also maple/bacon lolly's from www.lollyphile.com, they are delicious. 

David | posted on Apr 29, 2008

Winnipeg Bacon Themes | posted on Apr 29, 2008

Its amazing the verstatility and effects that you can get from such a readily available , tasty and yet distinctive food source 

Bacon is not almost enviable all but itself , but can be the missing ingredient to add that final touch

Canadian back bacon by far is my favorite

Stephanie | posted on Apr 29, 2008

Wow, so, I didn't realize that my foray into Bacon Cupcakes (#25) was such a hot topic.
Just don't use a cup of bacon in the frosting, it's bacon overload; oh, it is possible.

Not to mention that I can't bring ANYTHING into the office now without everyone asking me what's in them.

metalchick666 | posted on Apr 29, 2008

Anything bacon is good. Even these

HoofHearted | posted on Apr 29, 2008

What a great reference!!  Please feel free to visit us here (http://www.everythingbacon.com/thewetspot/index.php?

) as we seem to share your affinity for the porky crispness.

Food Quiz | posted on Apr 29, 2008

Pretty tasty looking sammich in the picture, although Im going with #4 tonight

hyperkill | posted on Apr 29, 2008

One thing I have always wondered about animal rights activists is how they get around. If you think about it, when you drive a car you kill numerous bugs. When you walk you may step on an ant. Why is an animal's life more significant when it is larger?

Cold Mud | posted on Apr 30, 2008

# 20 - Bacon Wrap - there is a " after the URL / 

Great list!

 

Fortuna Cooks | posted on Apr 30, 2008

In the case of vegetarians and vegans a suitable substiture can be provided in the form of artifical bacon granules or chips

Animal Rights and Intelligence | posted on May 1, 2008

Its always interesting with these little girls who are animal rights activiist types

Let a bug get into their tent when they are camping and they will obliterate the bug to death with raid
So much for animal rights of the insect

Handbags Lover | posted on May 2, 2008

Another variation on an Asian dish that I like is the Korean favourite of samgyeopsal where they use pork belly wrapped in lettuce or mint leaves. I use bacon sometimes when I am lazy to slice up the pork belly into thin slices - tastes just as great (they're both pork anyway!).

Fisty | posted on May 2, 2008

Bacon Bloody Mary: http://baconvodka.googlepages.com/1181645634542.jpg

http://baconvodka.googlepages.com/154450.html

Christy | posted on May 7, 2008

Thank you for linking to my shop!  my Bacon Balm is flying off the e-shelves...  I made up a batch just yesterday so if anyone wants some, shoot me an email.  :)

Malathy | posted on May 14, 2008

Cheers.

Forgive for the intrusion. I thought you will be happy to note that I, a vegetarian blogged aboyt this post about Bacon.

http://stumbleonto.blogspot.com/2008/05/50-ways-to-use-bacon.html

KGWagner | posted on May 14, 2008

A bacon-related comic on Stove Ownership

Kathy Maister | posted on May 14, 2008

Thanks Kevin!  That was my laugh-out-loud moment of the day!


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