Summer Of Bacon: August 2014

Jennifer Davick

Everything's better with bacon. From drinks to dinner to desserts, bacon makes a great addition to almost any recipe.

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Bacon Waffles

Photo: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham

Chicken and waffles just got a whole lot better. Savory bacon-infused waffles serve as the base for crispy, pecan-crusted chicken tenders. Drizzled with maple syrup, this dynamic duo is delicious for brunch, dinner, or anytime in between.

Bacon Waffles Recipe

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Hot Bacon Caprese Salad

Photo: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham

Heirloom tomatoes are the star ingredient in this update on an Italian summer staple. Thick, crumbled bacon adds a rich, salty bite, while the warm bacon dressing ties everything together.

Hot Bacon Caprese Salad Recipe

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Bacon and Blue Cheese Deviled Eggs

Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Lindsey Lower

Bacon and blue cheese must be good friends. Sharing both rich and bold flavor notes, these "guy food" favorites pair so well in so many dishes, including these tangy deviled eggs.

Bacon and Blue Cheese Deviled Eggs Recipe

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Pizza Bianca with Arugula, Bacon, and Mushrooms

Becky Luigart-Stayner; Cindy Barr; Leigh Ann Ross

Homemade pizza crust is topped with bacon, sautéed onions and mushrooms, a mix of fresh white cheeses, and arugula. This pleasing pie is classy enough to serve at a party, yet casual enough for a quiet dinner at home.

Pizza Bianca with Arugula, Bacon, and Mushrooms Recipe

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BLT Salad with Eggs Sunny Side Up

Photo: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Cindy Barr

The classic sandwich embraces its lighter side in this sunny salad. When broken, silky egg yolks form the dressing for crunchy romaine, on-the-vine tomatoes, smoky bacon, and homemade croutons.

BLT Salad with Eggs Sunny Side Up Recipe

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Spicy Bacon and Brew Muffins

Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Lindsey Lower

Bacon and stout beer make an unexpected pairing in these spicy-sweet muffins. Topped with a bacon-oat streusel, these sinful sweets would make a great gift for the guy in your life.

Spicy Bacon and Brew Muffins Recipe

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Benton's Bacon-Infused Cocktail from Benton's Smoky Mountain Country Hams

Photo: Oxmoor House

A positively Southern combination, bacon-and-bourbon flavored fare is making headlines in the foodie world. The idea of a bacon-bourbon cocktail was born at a bar named PDT in—of all places—New York City. Here's Mr. Benton's version.

Benton's Bacon-Infused Cocktail from Benton's Smoky Mountain Country Hams Recipe

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Sautéed Chicken with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette

Sauteed Chicken with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette

Photo: Johnny Autry; Styling: Mary Clayton Carl

Peppery arugula is the merely the starting point for this dinner salad. Next, sautéed chicken breasts add substance. Applewood-smoked bacon, the salad's crowning glory, plays a double role with ease. Crumbled, it serves as a crunchy topping, while its drippings form the base for a warm vinaigrette.

Sautéed Chicken with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette Recipe

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Bacon-and-Leek Quiche

Photo: © Quentin Bacon

Quiche is great to make over the weekend and keep in the fridge for easy grab-and-go breakfasts throughout the week. This version, loaded with bacon, leeks, and Gruyère cheese, might just disappear before Friday arrives.

Bacon-and-Leek Quiche Recipe

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Bacon-Wrapped Figs

Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Buffy Hargett

Sweet and simple, these bite-sized appetizers utilize seasonal figs at their plump, garden-fresh best. 5 ingredients and 20 minutes are all you'll need to take these bacon-wrapped beauties from kitchen to table.

Bacon-Wrapped Figs Recipe

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Succotash

Photo: Oxmoor House

Protein-rich edamame replaces lima beans in this take on the colorful Southern side dish. Applewood-smoked bacon adds depth of flavor, making this healthy recipe palatable to even the most stringent veggie naysayers in your family.

Succotash Recipe

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Skillet-Toasted Penne with Bacon and Spinach

Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Cindy Barr

Here's a saucy, creamy pasta dish without a lick of cream or milk and only a wee bit of cheese. The trick is to cook the pasta like risotto, which releases starch into the liquid that becomes the sauce. Adding bacon doesn't hurt either.

Skillet-Toasted Penne with Bacon and Spinach Recipe

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Roasted Tomato-and-Corn Soup

Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Kristen Shelton Fielder

This silky, late summer soup offers a colorful starter or light weeknight supper. Top with slivers of roasted corn and crispy bacon, sprinkle with smoked paprika, and savor every last drop.

Roasted Tomato-and-Corn Soup Recipe

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Bacon-and-Romaine Skewers with Blue Cheese Dressing

Photo: Jody Horton

The classic Wedge salad gets a contemporary makeover. Lettuce, blue cheese, and diced bacon are still the main components, but they are presented on bamboo skewers for a creative spin on the original recipe. This sensational salad would be perfect for serving alongside grilled meat at your next outdoor party.

Bacon-and-Romaine Skewers with Blue Cheese Dressing Recipe

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Shrimp with Bacon-Cheese Polenta

Photo: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Dan Becker

This version of shrimp and grits comes with bacon, which adds a smoky meatiness to the entire dish. Polenta, a type of course cornmeal, is very similar to grits and makes a tasty substitute.

Shrimp with Bacon-Cheese Polenta Recipe

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Bacon-and-Bourbon Collards

Photo: Howard Lee Puckett; Styling: Caroline Cunningham and Amy Burke

We can't get enough of the super popular bacon-and-bourbon combo! Here, a recipe for Southern collard greens gets buzzed with the addition of two types of booze: beer and bourbon. Don't worry, though; the alcohol evaporates during the cooking process, leaving behind nothing but good flavor.

Bacon-and-Bourbon Collards Recipe

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Maple-Bacon Chewy Bars

Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Blakeslee Wright Giles

Maple syrup and chopped applewood-smoked bacon slices are stirred into melted marshmallows for an amazingly tasty dessert treat. It's like an updated version of everyone's favorite crispy rice bars, elevated with the addicting smoky-sweet nuances of flavor we all crave.

Maple-Bacon Chewy Bars Recipe

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Garlicky Grilled Cheese with Bacon and Spinach

Photo: Brian Woodcock; Styling: Cindy Barr

Don't be fooled; this grilled cheese only looks decadent. Stuffed with two types of cheese, bacon, and both baby spinach and arugula, you'd never guess that this satisfying sandwich weighs in at just 300 calories.

Garlicky Grilled Cheese with Bacon and Spinach Recipe

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Avocados with Warm Bacon Parsley Vinaigrette

Photo: Annabelle Breakey; Styling: Karen Shinto

Looking to ward off the midday muchies? This salad, loaded with healthy fats from the avocado, is the perfect solution to curb your cravings. Crunchy bacon brings out the smokiness of a good, ripe avocado, while the sharp vinaigrette helps cut its richness.

Avocados with Warm Bacon Parsley Vinaigrette Recipe

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Warm Corn Chowder Salad with Bacon and Cider Vinegar

Photo: Fredrika Stjärne

In this riff on corn chowder, corn, potatoes and bacon are tossed with cider vinegar. Because the corn is barely cooked, it's best to use the freshest, juiciest kernels you can find. This salad just screams summer, so hurry and get it on your table before the season ends!

Warm Corn Chowder Salad with Bacon and Cider Vinegar Recipe

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Beef Medallions with Bacon and Morels

Photo: John Kernick

Ultra-lean steak medallions are wrapped in bacon, and then served with a luxurious Madeira wine-mushroom sauce. The only words we can find to describe this dish: umami explosion.

Beef Medallions with Bacon and Morels Recipe

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Eggs and Bacon Breakfast Pizza

Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Lindsey Lower

Bacon and eggs, those American breakfast staples, go Italian in this quick pizza. Be careful not to overcook the eggs; you'll want to sop up the golden yolk with your crust.

Eggs and Bacon Breakfast Pizza Recipe

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Hot Bacon Potato Salad with Green Beans

Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Amy Burke

Classic potato salad ingredients get a kick from bacon and green beans. This mayo-free version pairs perfectly with grilled steak or chicken, as part of a celebratory end-of-summer feast.

Hot Bacon Potato Salad with Green Beans Recipe

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Bacon and Jalapeño Egg Sandwich

Photo: Travis Rathbone

This healthy breakfast egg sandwich, featuring turkey bacon and jalapeño peppers, is a tasty and nutritious way to fuel up in the morning. You'll love the energy boost you get from the whole-grain English muffin and protein-rich organic egg.

Bacon and Jalapeño Egg Sandwich Recipe

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Bacon, Ranch, and Chicken Mac and Cheese

Photo: Romulo Yanes, Randy Mayor; Styling: Mary-Ellen Weinrib

Dress up classic macaroni and cheese with applewood-smoked bacon, chicken, and Ranch dressing-inspired seasonings for a delicious twist on this classic dish.

Bacon, Ranch, and Chicken Mac and Cheese Recipe

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Bacon and Kale Adobo

Photo: Alex Farnum; Styling: Randy Mon

Bacon, onion, garlic, and coconut vinegar add tremendous flavor to this nutritious kale side dish. Feel free to experiment with other greens as well, such as collards, spinach or Swiss chard.

Bacon and Kale Adobo Recipe

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Mini Bacon and Potato Frittatas

Jeff Kauck

These flavorful mini frittatas feature crumbled bacon, sweet onion, chopped potatoes, chives, and fresh Parmesan cheese. Garnish these petite appetizers with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of fresh chives.

Mini Bacon and Potato Frittatas Recipe

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Bacon and Tomato Pasta Salad

Refreshingly simple, this bright pasta salad is sure to please adults and kids alike. Little ones will love the ear-shaped orecchiette pasta, while grown-ups will swoon over the savory combination of bacon, corn, grape tomatoes and basil.

Bacon and Tomato Pasta Salad Recipe

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Smoked Gouda and Bacon Burgers with Barbecue Sauce

Marcus Nilsson

This patty melt-style burger is topped with smoked Gouda, sweet homemade barbecue sauce, hot sauce-spiked onions and, of course, bacon. Sandwich it all between buttered toast and you've got yourself a winner.

Smoked Gouda and Bacon Burgers with Barbecue Sauce Recipe

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Bacon Candy

Photo: John Kernick

Crispy, sweet and salty, this 3-ingredient snack is the ultimate cocktail party hors d'oeuvre. The recipe can easily be doubled, and that's a good thing because they will quickly disappear.

Bacon Candy Recipe

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Cat-head Biscuits with Tomato Gravy

Jennifer Davick

Cat-head biscuits are delightfully huge, crispy-on-the-outside, fluffy-on-the-inside homemade biscuits. Their size and crunch make them ideal to serve with a thick, hearty gravy. If you don’t have bacon drippings on hand, cook a pound of bacon before you start this recipe, reserve the drippings, and serve the bacon with the biscuits and gravy.

Cat-head Biscuits with Tomato Gravy Recipe

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Summer Of Bacon: August 2014

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Bacon Waffles

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Hot Bacon Caprese Salad

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Bacon and Blue Cheese Deviled Eggs

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Pizza Bianca with Arugula, Bacon, and Mushrooms

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BLT Salad with Eggs Sunny Side Up

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Spicy Bacon and Brew Muffins

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Benton's Bacon-Infused Cocktail from Benton's Smoky Mountain Country Hams

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Sautéed Chicken with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette

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Bacon-and-Leek Quiche

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Bacon-Wrapped Figs

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Succotash

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Skillet-Toasted Penne with Bacon and Spinach

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Roasted Tomato-and-Corn Soup

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Bacon-and-Romaine Skewers with Blue Cheese Dressing

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Shrimp with Bacon-Cheese Polenta

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Bacon-and-Bourbon Collards

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Maple-Bacon Chewy Bars

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Garlicky Grilled Cheese with Bacon and Spinach

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Avocados with Warm Bacon Parsley Vinaigrette

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Warm Corn Chowder Salad with Bacon and Cider Vinegar

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Beef Medallions with Bacon and Morels

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Eggs and Bacon Breakfast Pizza

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Hot Bacon Potato Salad with Green Beans

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Bacon and Jalapeño Egg Sandwich

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Bacon, Ranch, and Chicken Mac and Cheese

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Bacon and Kale Adobo

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