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Pear-Stuffed Pork Chops

Pear-Stuffed Pork Chops

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Yield: 2

Adapted from: Cuisine At Home

For a classic comfort dish, stuffed and roasted pork chops hang out with potatoes, onions, green beans, and tomatoes for a sheet pan meal we’re sure you’ll return to often.

  • 4strips bacon
  • 2bone-in pork chops or boneless cutlets, 1-inch thick
  • ½Bartlett pear, peeled, cored, and diced, or ½ can pears, drained and diced.
  • ¼cup crumbled blue cheese
  • 1TBS diced shallots
  • salt and black pepper to taste
  • 12oz baby red or yellow potatoes, halved
  • 6-8oz green beans
  • ½cup chopped red onions
  • 1TBS Dijon mustard
  • as many grape tomatoes as you want

Bacon:
Set broiler shelf to 6 inches from heat and second on middle rack.

Preheat oven to 425°F.
Bake bacon on a baking sheet until crisp, transfer to a paper-towel-lined-plate and reserve 1 oz drippings. Chop 1 strip bacon for filling and remaining strips for topping chops and vegetables.

Prep pork:
Cut a 3-inch-long slit on the side of each chop, inserting the knife blade into, but not through, the other side. Keeping blade parallel to cutting board, carefully sweep it back and forth to enlarge pockets. Arrange chops on a baking sheet.

Filling:
Combine pear, 1 strip chopped bacon, cheese, and shallots.
Divide pear filling among pockets. Brush tops of chops with 1 TBS drippings, season with salt and pepper.

Vegetables:
Toss potatoes, green beans, onions, and Dijon with remaining TBS drippings, season with salt and pepper, then arrange around chops.
Roast chops and vegetables 20 minutes. Remove from oven.

Broil:
Heat broiler to high with rack 6 inches from element.
Add tomatoes and remaining chopped bacon to baking sheet.
Broil chops and vegetables until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of chops, but not touching bone, registers 145°F, 5–6 minutes. Remove and rest for 5 minutes.
Serve.

Zuppa Toscana

Zuppa Toscana

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Olive Garden CC (Improved)

Yield: 4

Jean-Pierre

This recipe takes the beloved elements of Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscana and elevates them with a focus on achieving the perfect balance of flavors and a satisfying texture. The inclusion of fresh herbs and the adjustment of the soup’s thickness ensure a dish that dances on the tongue and remains memorable long after the meal is over. Enjoy this hearty, comforting soup with family and friends!

  • ½lb bacon
  • 1lb spicy Italian sausage, casing removed
  • 1large onion, diced
  • 2TBS 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 1TBS fresh thyme, rosemary, or oregano, to taste
  • 80oz about chicken stock
  • 3large potatoes, cut into ½ inch dice
  • 3cups kale, stems removed, leaves torn and chopped
  • 1cup heavy cream
  • ¾cup grated parmesan cheese, for serving
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • cornstarch slurry, optional, for thickening

Start by cooking the bacon in a large pot over medium heat until it’s crispy and has rendered its fat.

Add the Italian sausage to the pot and cook until browned, breaking it apart with a spoon as it cooks. In the same pot, add the diced onion. Cook until the onion is soft and starting to caramelize, about 5 minutes.

Then add the minced garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Stir in the fresh thyme (or your herb of choice) for additional flavor.

Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a simmer.

Add the potatoes, kale and cook about 30 minutes or until the potatoes are fully soft and the kale has wilted.

Reduce the heat to low and stir in the heavy cream.

If a thicker soup is desired, mix a small amount of cornstarch with water to create a slurry and stir into the soup. Heat until the soup thickens to your liking, adjusting the seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.

Serve hot with a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese on top.

Texture and flavor: The thickness of the soup can be adjusted to your preference using the cornstarch slurry. Remember, the texture can enhance the flavor of the soup.

Serving suggestion: This soup pairs wonderfully with crusty bread or garlic bread for a complete meal.

Leftovers: Zuppa Toscana can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheats well, making it a great option for meal prep.

Liver with Bacon and Onions

Liver with Bacon and Onions

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Yield: 4

Epicurious

The mashed sweet potatoes with sage butter are a great side dish for calf’s liver. We recommend asking the butcher for the freshest calf liver available, since it can vary in quality. Soaking the liver in milk, a method typically used for pork liver, helps soften and mellow its flavor.

  • 1lb calf’s liver (½ inch thick), cut into 4 pieces
  • 1cup whole milk
  • 8bacon slices, halved crosswise
  • 3medium onions, halved lengthwise, then cut lengthwise into ¼-inch slices
  • ½cup AP flour
  • 1tsp salt
  • ½tsp black pepper

Soak liver in milk in a bowl 20 minutes.

While liver is soaking, cook bacon in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderate heat, turning over occasionally, until crisp. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain and reserve 2½ TBS fat in skillet, transferring remaining fat to a small bowl.

Cook onions with salt and pepper to taste in fat in skillet over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until golden-brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer onions to a bowl and add bacon. Keep warm, covered.

Pat liver dry and discard milk. Stir together flour, salt, and pepper on a sheet of wax paper and dredge liver in flour mixture, shaking off excess.

Add 1½ TBS reserved bacon fat to skillet and heat over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté liver, turning over once, until browned but still pink inside, about 4 minutes total. Serve liver topped with onions and bacon.

Bacon Candy

Bacon Candy

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Yield: 20 Strips
Food & Wine

Crispy, sweet and salty, this three-ingredient snack is the ultimate cocktail party hors d’oeuvre.

  • ½cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1½tsp chili powder
  • -or-ground black pepper to taste
  • 20slices of thick-cut bacon (1 ½ lb)


Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with foil. In a small bowl, whisk the brown sugar with the chili powder. Arrange the bacon strips on the foil and coat the tops with the chili sugar. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until caramelized and almost crisp. Transfer the bacon to a rack set over a sheet of foil to cool completely; serve.

Make Ahead

The bacon candy can be made earlier in the day; store at room temperature.

Dad’s French Toast

Dad’s French Toast

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Yield: 2 Servings
Scott Nowell

This combination started many a weekend morning.

  • 4slices bread
  • 2eggs
  • 2TBS milk
  • ½tsp sugar
  • pinch cinnamon
  • pinch salt
  • extra sugar
  • 1TBS butter

Heat large frying pan over medium high heat.

Beat eggs in flat bowl. Add milk, ½ tsp sugar, cinnamon, salt and beat some more.

Add butter to pan. Spread around as it melts.

Dip slice of bread in mixture, turn to coat well on both sides. When butter stops sizzling, add coated bread to pan. Dip additional slices to fill pan.

Cook on first side until nicely browned. 3-6 minutes. Turn toast over. Sprinkle with sugar. When second side is brown, turn and sprinkle this side with sugar. Cook for 1 minute, turn and cook for additional minute. This caramelizes the sugar.

Remove to warm plate, butter and syrup to suit. If making a doubled (or more) batch for a bunch of people, I prefer to put a little butter on each piece as it comes off the stove. Stack on warm plate and serve with sausages.

Baked Sausages

  • 1lb Breakfast sausage links (fresh, not that frozen junk)

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Line a sheet pan with parchment. Separate sausage links and place on baking sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes. Turn sausages over. Bake for additional 8-10 minutes.

Bacon (Baked)

  • 1lb bacon

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Line a sheet pan with parchment and place bacon strips side by side. Some overlap is ok, there is a fair amount of shrinkage.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes to desired crispness.

Remove from oven and set pan on a safe surface and place a small heatproof dish under one side to tilt the pan. This will help the fat drain to the other edge.

If serving right away, remove to paper towel lined plate and blot fat from top of slices.

To freeze, cool completely and store in freezer bag with parchment or wax paper between layers.

Bacon-Wrapped Scallops

Bacon-Wrapped Scallops

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with Spicy Mayo

 Yield: 10 – 15 pieces
Adapted from Tyler Florence

Spicy Mayo

  • 1cup good quality mayonnaise
  • ¼cup hot chili paste like Sriracha
  • 1lime, juiced
  • 2TBS chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish

Scallops

  • 10-15large scallops
  • 10-15strips thin-sliced bacon
  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper


Spicy Mayo:
Make the spicy mayo by combining the mayonnaise, chili paste, lime juice, and chopped cilantro. Stir well and refrigerate until ready to use.
Scallops:
Heat the broiler. Wrap each scallop in a piece of bacon and secure it with a toothpick. Place the bacon wrapped scallops onto a baking sheet, drizzle them with olive oil, and season them with salt and pepper. Cook them under the broiler for about 10 to 15 minutes until the bacon is cooked through, turning once.

Bacon-Wrapped Potato Bites

Bacon-Wrapped Potato Bites

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Yield: about three dozen pieces
Source lost

2014: My daughter Samantha made this or something similar and this may be the same recipe.  As they say, “It’s good though…”  Makes a nice appetizer.

  • 1lb small or medium red potatoes
  • 2½tsp salt, divided
  • 1½tsp minced fresh rosemary
  • 1TBS olive oil
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 12oz to 1 lb thick-cut bacon
  • 1cup (8 oz) sour cream
  • 1-3tsp hot sauce
  • Salt and pepper


Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Wash and dry the potatoes. Chop them into 1-inch pieces, keeping the chunks roughly the same size even if they aren’t the exact same shape. Put the potatoes in a medium pot, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil. Season the water with 2 teaspoons of salt. Once the water begins to boil, cook the potatoes for 3 to 4 minutes, until you can stick a fork into them without too much resistance. You want the potatoes to be almost, but not fully, cooked through so they won’t fall apart during the next steps.

Drain the potatoes and put them in a large bowl. Add the rosemary, olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, and a few grinds of pepper, and toss until the potatoes are evenly coated.

Cut the strips of bacon into thirds. Wrap each potato bite in a piece of bacon, securing it with a toothpick. Put the potatoes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil spaced an inch or two apart. You may need to cook the potatoes in two batches.

Cook the potatoes for 15 minutes, then flip each piece. Cook for another 15 to 20 minutes, until the bacon is cooked through and as crisp as you like it. Mix the sour cream and hot sauce in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Pile the potato bites on a plate and serve alongside the dip.