When Apologizing, It's Always Best to Use Bacon

I know, it seems like most of these blog posts have an apology for why I haven't been able to post lately. This time I'm not even going to explain it because it honestly just has to do with me being lazy.That's right. I'm lazy. How lazy? Well, I had this whole blog post written about a month ago and I just now got around to editing it. Yeah. That's pretty lazy. That's why I have a surprise. Not only am I posting my amazingly delicious Bacon Maple Cupcake recipe, but I'm also linking you to the most amazing Brown Butter Pumpkin Cupcakes with Caramel Cream Cheese frosting. They are the perfect addition to a Thanksgiving dessert buffet. I took these to work on Monday for our Thanksgiving potluck and they were a huge hit.

I'm just going to keep this short and sweet because I know why you're reading this, you probably want bacon and honestly I'd like to fit a nap in before "New Girl" because today was exhausting.
And now for my apology recipe; Maple Bacon Cupcakes. Trust me, it sounds odd, but it's not. Think outside of the Duncan Hines box. Relax, lay back, pour yourself some coffee and enjoy the breakfast explosion in your mouth (that's what he said). It's like bacon and pancakes with syrup (Also what he said. He lied.).

Maple Bacon Cupcakes with Candied Bacon

Butter Cake:

1 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 large eggs

3 cups all-purpose soft-wheat flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Paper baking cups

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla.

Place paper baking cups in 2 (12-cup) muffin pans, and coat with cooking spray; spoon batter into cups, filling two-thirds full. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely. While cupcakes are cooling make Candied Bacon.

Candied Bacon:

12 strips of raw bacon cut into quarters

1/2 C brown sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place bacon and brown sugar in zipper sealed bag and shake until bacon is coated. Lay each piece on a baking sheet and bake for about seven minutes, flip bacon and then bake for five minutes more. Bacon should be crispy and sticky like toffee.

*Tip* The bacon grease and brown sugar forms an amazing sweet and salty toffee candy. It's an added bonus.

Maple Frosting:

1 cup butter

1 (16-oz.) package dark brown sugar

1/2 cup evaporated milk

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

4 cups powdered sugar

2 teaspoons maple flavoring

To prepare frosting, melt butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add brown sugar; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Stir in evaporated milk, baking soda, and light corn syrup; bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and let cool. Transfer caramel mixture to a large bowl. Gradually add powdered sugar to caramel mixture; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Stir in maple flavoring. Beat at high speed 2 minutes or until creamy. Frost using a cupcake tip, or just dip the cupcakes into the frosting for a nice even coat. Top with the candied bacon and enjoy.

I'd talk about my meatloaf, but it's pretty obscure. You've probably never heard of it.

It's no secret that there is this huge cupcake craze sweeping the nation. Everything can be found in cupcake form, including TV shows. Cupcakes are also extremely popular with Hipsters. Oh, you don't know what a hipster is?

Well now you do.

No need to thank me, but...

... you're welcome in advance.

Now that we have a relatively good idea of a hipster is, we can continue with our cupcake discussion. All I have to say is that despite them being popular and taken over by modern day hippies, I have to admit that I am in love with them. I love all sorts of cupcakes; little ones, huge ones, gourmet ones, store bought ones, sweet ones and savory ones. 

"Did she just say she likes savory cupcakes?" You might ask. Why, yes, I did. Which brings me to one of the cutest ways to revamp a boring weekly staple and everyone's go to budget meal. Meatloaf in a cupcake form

They are adorable, fun, you can top them with anything, and this way everyone gets that coveted end piece. They are also great ways to practices portion control and kids love them. 

Actually, I'm just assuming kids love them because I don't have any children, but my 17 year old sister loved them and she is an extremely picky eater. So, yes, I'm sure kids love them.

Meatloaf Cupcakes                makes about 12 plus 1 small loaf

• 1 lb ground beef or chuck
• 1 lb uncooked breakfast sausage such as Jimmy Dean
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 TBS olive oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup uncooked oatmeal
• garlic, salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a medium skillet heat the oil and saute the bell pepper and onion until the bell pepper is tender and the onions are translucent. 

Mix all of the ingredients, including the sauteed veggies until everything is fully mixed together.

Form meat mixture into round domes and place in a greased cupcake pan, being sure to tuck the mini meatloafs in on the sides to allow room for the grease. I usually have meat mixture left over after filling one pan so I make a tiny meatloaf and save it for the next day and make meatloaf sandwiches for lunch.

Bake for about 30-45 minutes or until crisp and brown on top.

Once they are out of the oven, transfer them to a dish or cookie sheet and frost with mashed potato icing:

Mashed Potato Icing

• 6- 8 large potatoes, peeled and sliced
• 1/2 C butter
• 3/4 C milk or cream
• 1/4 C sour cream
• salt and pepper to taste

Boil potatoes until they are fork tender. 

Drain potatoes and add in all of the other ingredients.

Using a hand blender or mixture, blend until potatoes are completely lump free.

Place into a piping bag and pipe on top of Meatloaf Cupcakes like icing. Have fun with the design. Just like  regular cupcakes, there is really no wrong way to ice them. 

Top with green onion, cheese, bacon crumbles, etc.

Dinner Challenge!

A few weeks ago I had a friend of mine post two recipes, an entree and a side dish, and I had to cook them and post pictures. At the time I was living with someone that did not like onions or mushrooms. That made it even more challenging for my friend to find a recipe for me. In the end she came up with Jamie Oliver's Chicken in Milk and a recipe for Potato, Spinach and Red Bell Pepper Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette. I was happy about the warm potato salad but I was a bit apprehensive when it came to chicken in milk. It just didn't sound appetizing. I accepted the challenge anyway and I'm so glad I did. I made a few alterations to the recipes to suit my tastes such as adding 5 strips of bacon to the salad instead of the suggested one, and I used chicken breasts instead of a roasting chicken in the chicken in milk recipe.

I was so surprised to taste how amazingly flavorful the chicken in milk was. It was tender and lemony and the perfect springtime meal. I have made it three times since. The potato salad was sweet, salty, tangy and bacony. I even made it for Mother's Day.

Why does this matter? Because I want to do this again. I need everyone to suggest recipes for me and on the 1st and 15th of each month I will pick one entree and one or two entrees to cook, feature on this blog and on the Facebook page along with your name, pictures of the meal and the recipes.

• Recipes can be from other sites, cookbooks, family recipes, concoctions you've made, whatever! 
• I enjoy making both easy and complicated dishes. Overnight recipes are welcome too. 
• I enjoy food from different cultures. I'm very familiar with Italian, French, Indian, Chinese, Mexican and Spanish cuisine.
• Vegetarian dishes are welcome too.
• Diet friendly recipes are even okay. Low calorie, fat free, diabetic, gluten free; all fine.
• My family does not have any restrictions on what they won't eat. Onions, veggies, all proteins, etc. They're all welcome.
• Desserts are fine too.
• Keep in mind that I live by the Gulf so fresh seafood is easy to come by.
•  All I ask is that they at least be somewhat budget friendly. Meaning I can't make dishes featuring white truffles, but I can probably make something featuring Portobellos.

I can't wait to try some of the things you guys dare me to make. 

Chicken in Milk on a bed of fresh spinach with a side of Potato, Spinach and Red Bell Pepper Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette

Bacon Lover's Dinner

Thursday's dinner was a huge hit with my family. Who doesn't love a bacon themed dinner? This meal dedicated to the salty, crispy, strips of Heaven featured Baked Potato Soup with a BLTE.

I've heard of a BLT, but what's the E, you might ask. The "E" is a fried or poached egg set on top of the sandwich that, once popped, distributes the runny yolk throughout the different layers and adds an added delicious component to an otherwise pretty drab sandwich. When paired with a chunky, bacony, creamy baked potato soup it is absolutely amazing.

                               BLTE                                                        Serves 5

1 lb of bacon, fried crisp with grease drained and reserved

5 rolls of good, hearty bread (I usually use sourdough rolls, but the picture below is a small bolillo roll)

5 eggs

2 large tomatoes or 4 Roma tomatoes, sliced

leafy greens such as romaine lettuce, spinach or arugula

Take the rolls and split them in half. With a brush apply a very small amount to the halves and set them in a hot pan or an indoor grill. Toast on both sides. 

Once all breads are toasted, take the five eggs and fry or poach them individually until the whites are solid and there is no longer any cloudy liquid. 

Place both halves of the rolls on a plate and layer it with your choice of leafy green, a few slices of tomato, a few slices of bacon and one egg on top. Serve open face with the other half of the roll on the side. Repeat 5 times.

                              Baked Potato Soup                       Serves about 10

5 large potatoes
1 quart of chicken stock
1 C half and half
1/4 cup of bacon lardons fried with grease reserved
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbs butter
1 tsp salt

Bake all five potatoes until tender. Cube up four potatoes into about 1/2 inch pieces. Peel the skin off of one potato and set to the side.
 In a large pot add the butter and saute the garlic until soft and aromatic.
Add in the peeled potato and mash as if making mashed potatoes.
Add into the pot the chicken stock and half and half.
Stir in the lardons, cubed potatoes and salt along with about 1 tbs of the reserved bacon grease.
Top with chives, cheese, bacon crisps and/or sour cream.