How To Make Perfect Bacon in the Oven

What You Need
Ingredients
1 to 2 pounds bacon

Equipment
Aluminum foil
Baking sheet(s)
Tongs
Paper towels
Platter

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F: Turn on the oven and preheat to 400°F. Place a rack in the lower third of the oven. If you're cooking multiple sheets of bacon, position a second rack in the top third of the oven.
2. Arrange the bacon on a baking sheet: Line a baking sheet with foil (this makes cleanup easier). Lay the bacon on the baking sheet in a single layer. The bacon can be close together, but don't let it overlap or the bacon will stick during cooking. If necessary, use a second baking sheet.
3. Bake the bacon: Place the baking sheet of bacon in the oven and bake until the bacon is deep golden-brown and crispy, 15 to 20 minutes. Exact baking time will depend on the thickness of the bacon and how crispy you like it. Begin checking around 12 minutes to monitor how quickly the bacon is cooking. The bacon fat will sputter and bubble as the bacon cooks, but shouldn't splatter the way it does on the stove top. Pour off the bacon grease as needed so the bacon isn't totally submerged in grease.
4. Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels: Remove the bacon from the oven and use tongs to transfer it to a plate lined with paper towels to drain and finish crisping. Serve immediately. You can also refrigerate leftover bacon for a week or freeze it for up to 3 months; warm the bacon in the microwave before serving.
5. Clean up: If you want to save the bacon grease, let it cool slightly, then pour it into a container and refrigerate. If you don't want to save the grease, let it solidify on the baking sheet, then crumple the foil around it and discard.

Recipe Notes
Even crispier bacon: For even crispier bacon, set a metal cooling rack over the foil-lined baking sheet and lay the raw bacon over the cooling rack. Elevating the bacon allows it to cook from all sides and become extra-crispy.

http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-cook-perfect-bacon-in-the-oven-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-107970

Breakfast in a Blanket

Breakfast in a blanket is everything pigs in a blanket aspires to be.

INGREDIENTS

8 large eggs
kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp. chopped fresh chives
1 tube crescent rolls
4 slices cooked bacon, halved
2 c. shredded Cheddar

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375º. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs and season with salt and pepper. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add eggs and chives and scramble as desired.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll out Crescent Rolls. Top with cooked bacon, scrambled eggs, and cheese.
Roll up and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake until deeply golden, 12 to 14 minutes.
Serve immediately.
8 SERVINGS

Cranberry Relish Sauce

NOTES

This make-ahead recipe tastes even better with time.

Cranberry Relish Recipe
INGREDIENTS

2 pounds fresh cranberries
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup Grand Marnier
Zest and juice of 1 orange

DIRECTIONS

Combine cranberries, sugar, Grand Marnier, orange zest, and orange juice in a food processor; pulse until chunky. Let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
Makes about 5 cups.

Pecan Balls

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), softened
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 heaping cup chopped pecans
1/4 teaspoon salt
Optional chocolate drizzle: 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 275.
Cream together the butter, sugar and flour with a hand mixer or stand mixer.
Fold in the pecans and salt and stir until combined. The mixture will be crumbly but will stick to itself.
Roll the dough into small balls (about 1/2-inch across) and place on an ungreased baking sheet. (You can wet your hands to keep the dough from sticking to you.)
Bake at 275 for 45 minutes.
Let cool completely on the baking sheet before transferring to an airtight container. These pecan puffs keep for up to a week on the counter or in the pantry.

To make the chocolate sauce: Place chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 1 minute. Stir and microwave in 30 seconds intervals until chocolate is melted and can be stirred together. Drizzle melted chocolate over cooled pecan balls or dunk balls in the chocolate sauce.

Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings

CROCK POT CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS
Shared on November 5, 2016 by Holly
{ 172 Comments }


10 mins Prep
5 hours 10 mins to 5 hours 20 mins Cooking Time in a 6QT crock pot
Serves: 4 servings

Juicy chicken breasts cook to tender perfection in the slow cooker in a rich creamy sauce. Shortcut dumplings make this delicious comforting meal effortless.

Ingredients

1 large onion, diced
1 can (10.5 oz) cream of celery soup
1 can (10.5 oz) cream of chicken soup
1 tablespoon fresh parsley
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
black pepper to taste
4 skinless boneless chicken breasts
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 cups frozen vegetables or peas and carrots, defrosted
1 can (8 pieces) refrigerated biscuits

Instructions

Add onion to 6 qt crock pot and top with chicken breasts.
In a small bowl, combine cream of celery soup, cream of chicken soup, parsley, poultry seasoning and pepper. Spread over chicken breasts. Top with chicken broth and cook on high 5 hours.
Approximately 1 hour (I allow 60 - 90 minutes) before serving, roll each biscuit thin and flat. Cut into 4 strips. Add vegetables and biscuit strips to the slow cooker and stir.
To Serve
Remove chicken breasts and slightly shred. Add back into slow cooker and stir (this will break up the dumplings somewhat which is ok). Let cook an additional 10 minutes and serve.

Note: My biscuits were perfectly cooked after 60 minutes however some slow cookers have required extra time to cook the biscuits.

Pecan Pie Bark

Ingredients

24 graham crackers
3 cups Diamond of California® Pecan Halves
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract

The Steps

Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Lay graham crackers tightly across the parchment paper
In a large sauce pan, bring the butter, sugar, salt and vanilla to a boil. Once the sugar is melted, add the pecans.
Cook for five minutes, then carefully pour the pecan mixture evenly over the graham crackers.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
Allow bark to cool completely before cutting and serving.

Turkey Shaped Cheese Ball

Ingredients:

1 8 oz. package cream cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar (I shredded a chunk of cheddar cheese)
About 1/2 cup of chopped up mixed nuts
2 candy eyes (bought these at Stop and Shop
1 Slim Jim
pretzel sticks
1 round chocolate candy as in Whopper or Chocolate Pom poms for the head
1 candy corn
a few teaspoons of melted chocolate melts to adhere the eyes and "beak".

Directions:
Soften cream cheese and cheddar cheese. Cream the cream cheese and add in the shredded cheddar. I do this all my hand but if you have a food processor it would probably go faster. I stir and "cream" until both cheeses are thoroughly mixed together. Then I pop this mixture into a piece of plastic wrap and form it into a ball. At this point it goes into the refrigerator for a few hours to firm it up.

Take it out of the fridge and roll in chopped nuts being careful to keep the nice round shape.

Place pretzels as in picture to make the nice full tail of the turkey. A bit of chocolate melt to glue the round chocolate candy to about a 4 or 5 inch piece of Slim Jim. It was a bit tricky to get this to stay in place and eventually I placed it in the freezer in order to harden it up faster. I glued on the eyes and "beak" candy corn and placed in the freezer for a few minutes. After inserting the "neck" Slim Jim into the cheese ball, I placed the entire thing on a plate and into the refrigerator for overnight.

Old Fashion Cornbread Dressing

Ingredients
9-10 cups cornbread, crumbled
2 cups chop celery
3 cups chop onions
1 Tsp sage
2 1/2 tablespoons poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, melted
3-4 cups chicken broth
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup of cooked chicken

Directions
Place the crumbled cornbread in a large mixing bowl. Add chopped celery and onions. Mix. Pour the melted butter over all the ingredients along with 3 cups of the broth. (ONLY add 3 cups then more till you get a thick consistency). Add the seasons gradually. Test to your taste. Mix well and spoon into a greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350-degrees for 30 minutes, covered. Take off the cover and bake an additional 30 minutes.

Smothered Green Beans

Ingredients

5 (15-oz) cans green beans, drained
1 lb bacon
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1-1/2 tsp garlic powder

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Pour drained green beans in an ungreased 9x13-inch pan.

In a large skillet, cook bacon until almost done but not too crispy. Remove from skillet, drain on paper towel and chop. Sprinkle cooked bacon on top of green beans.

Whisk together brown sugar, melted butter, soy sauce and garlic powder. Pour over green beans.

Bake for 40 minutes.

Coconut Cream Poke Cake

Ingredients
1 (18 oz.) box white cake mix
ingredients needed to make cake (egg whites, oil & water)
1 (15 oz.) can Cream of Coconut
1 (8 oz) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (8 oz) package sweetened flaked coconut

Instructions
1. Prepare and bake white cake mix according to package directions for a 9 x 13 pan.
2. Remove cake from oven, and while still hot, poke holes all over the top of cake using a large fork.
3. Open can of Cream of Coconut (making sure to stir it first) and pour over warm cake.
4. Evenly coat the whole cake and spread it around so it will soak in.
5. Let cake cool completely then frost with whipped topping.
6. Then top with flaked coconut.

Notes
If you like you can toast your coconut first. Keep cake refrigerated. I think this cake tastes best after it has cooled
for at least a couple of hours. It gives it time for the coconut flavors to really soak in.
Serves 8-10

Di's Green Beans

Ingredients
6-14.5 oz cans whole green beans
1/2 stick butter
1/2 c light brown sugar
1/2 c crumbled bacon

Directions
Preheat oven to 325. Drain green beans and arrange in 3 qt oblong Pyrex baking dish. Set aside.

Melt butter and stir in brown sugar. Drip butter/sugar mixture over green beans. Sprinkle with bacon crumbs.

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

You can exactly half.

Slow Cooker Pork Chops

Here's a very simple 3-ingredient pork chop recipe for the slow cooker.
Ingredients 
- 4 pork chops
- 1 pack ranch dressing mix
- 1 can of cream of chicken, condensed version
Directions
1. Place the pork chops, washed, inside of the slow cooker.
2. Then add a can of cream of chicken soup. The important thing to note is that you'll have to add an equal amount of water as well (just fill the same can up with water and add that into the slow cooker).
3. Add a store-bought packet of ranch dressing mix You don't necessarily have to add the whole thing.
4. Let the pork chops cook for 6 hours or so on the low setting and once they're done, you're ready to serve!

Honey Garlic Butter Salmon in Foil

Honey Garlic Butter Salmon In Foil in under 20 minutes, then broiled (or grilled) for that extra golden, crispy and caramelised finish! So simple and only 4 main ingredients, with minimal clean up!
Author: Karina - Cafe Delites
Serves: 8

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup honey
4 large cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (juice of 1/2 a lemon)
1.2kg | 2 1/2 pound side of salmon
Sea salt, to taste
Cracked pepper, to taste (optional)
Lemon slices (to serve)
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

INSTRUCTIONS
Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat oven to 375°F | 190°C. Line a baking tray / sheet with a large piece of foil, big enough to fold over and seal to create a packet (or 2 long pieces of foil over lapping each other lengthways to create your salmon packet, depending on the width of you fillet).

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low-medium heat. Add the honey, garlic and lemon, and whisk until the honey has melted through the butter and the mixture is well combined.
Place the salmon onto lined baking tray | sheet. Pour the butter/honey mixture over the salmon, and using a pastry brush or spoon, spread evenly over the salmon. Sprinkle with a good amount of salt (about 2 teaspoons) and cracked pepper. Fold the sides of the foil over the salmon to cover and completely seal the packet closed so the butter does not leak.

Bake until cooked through (about 15-18 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fish and your preference of doneness). Open the foil, being careful of any escaping steam, and grill / broil under the grill / broiler for 2-3 minutes on medium heat to caramelise the top. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately with lemon slices.