Bacon-wrapped Stuffed Pepper

Hearty and filling, these peppers are great served as a single meal with a side of crisped bread.


You will need:


- 4 large bell peppers your choice of color, seeds and ribs removed - reserve top
- 1 cup cooked wild rice - don't measure from uncooked since it will be different
- 1 cup whole kernel corn, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded and divided
- 1 8oz can cream of mushroom soup
- 2 jalapenos, seeded and diced
- 1 small white onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, finely diced
- 8 slices bacon, cooked until almost done but still soft and slightly pink

Preheat oven to 375.

In a large bowl, mix together  rice, corn, beans, 1 cup cheddar, soup, jalapenos, onion and garlic.  Mix thoroughly and stuff each pepper evenly and tightly.  Top each with 1/4 of the reserved cheddar and 2 slices bacon (you can actually wrap bacon around them. Just secure it with toothpicks that have been soaked in water).  Place in a baking dish and tent with foil, baking until pepper can be easily pierced with a fork- approximately 35 - 40 minutes. Remove foil and turn on broiler to crisp bacon (if not already) - leave oven open a crack while doing this.

Allow to cool 5 minutes and serve.

Enjoy!

Delicious Deviled Eggs

Deviled eggs are a staple - from excess Easter eggs to New Years Eve blowouts. There are so many different ways to make deviled eggs that even I've gotten confused when looking through recipes. What I've noticed, though is that most recipes just say "prepare your eggs".  Well, most people don't know its entirely possible to over boil your eggs which is what gives you the dark ring around the yolk. I'm guilty of this and, while I don't believe it makes it taste any different, I do think that presentation is just as important. This is a fairly basic recipe that is packed with flavor.

You will need:

- 6 extra large eggs

- 1/4 - 1/2 cup good quality mayo

- 1 - 2 tbsp bacon bits

- 1 tsp yellow mustard

- 1/4 tsp salt

- 1/4 tsp pepper

- 1 1/2 tsp dill relish

- 1 tsp paprika

- 1 green onion, sliced diagonally

Place your six eggs in a large pot and fill so they are covered with cold water.  Heat stove burner to high and allow pot to come to a rolling boil, then turn off and allow eggs to sit in water for an additional 15 minutes.  Drain the hot water and fill will cold, allow eggs to sit about 5-7 minutes until comfortable to handle. Don't allow them to cool completely as it makes the film beneath the shell more difficult to remove and that little thing is a nightmare to deal with as it is.

Because water will tend to gather under the shell in the larger bottom, smack the egg against the counter there, then roll the egg to break up the rest of the shell. This will also allow any water under the shell to move to other parts of the egg so the film underneath will be easier to remove.

Once your eggs are peeled, halve them and remove the yolk into a separate bowl.  You'll notice the yolk is bright yellow as opposed to that muted color you get when you over cook them.

Start with the quarter cup of mayo and add everything but the green onions and paprika.  If you want more mayo you can add it depending on how wet you like it. 

Now this part is entirely up to you on how its done.  I prefer a more "rustic" approach and I'm also lazy.  If you have piping bag you can use that or you can just take a ziplock sandwich bag and use that. If you're using the sandwich bag, scoop all of your filling into it and mush it to a bottom corner.  Hold the open end tightly and snip off a small part of the corner (start small because its easier to cut off more than to try and transfer to a different bag).  Twist the bag to squeeze out your mix and fill your egg cups.

If you want to do it my lazy way, just scoop some of the mixture up with a spoon (though a melon baller gives it a much prettier look) and dump it in the egg cups, patting it down with your fingers.  Put the paprika in your palm and pinch/sprinkle it over the finished eggs.  Garnish with your green onions and you're done!

ENJOY!

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

This is one of my favorite soups to get at a sandwich shop and imagine my surprise when I found out how easy it was to make at home! 


 You will need...

1 2 lb block Velveeta processed cheese, cubed (this should be done ahead of time as it is time consuming)

3 cartons low sodium chicken stock

1/2 medium white onion, finely diced

1 carrot, peeled and shredded

2 cloves garlic, minced

10 slices bacon, roughly chopped

2 small bags flash frozen broccoli florets

5 sprigs thyme

In a large soup pot brown bacon bits (should be chopped while raw). When bacon is cooked through and crisp, remove and drain grease. Place pot back over medium heat and put in 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp vegetable oil. Sautee onions, carrots and garlic until tender but not browned (you may want to throw the garlic in after the onion becomes translucent so it doesn't burn). Pour in 2 cartons of stock - bring to boil and reduce to simmer (BTBRTS! Thanks Chef Anne Burrell!). Tie thyme with kitchen twine and toss into soup. Let it simmer for about 20 minutes to let the flavor develop, remove the thyme and dump in the broccoli. Bring back to a boil, when broccoli is tender and cooked through (another 15-20 minutes or so) turn off burner and begin putting in handfuls of cheese, stirring constantly. Its important to be sure the burner is off as you do not want the cheese to curdle. Once all of the cheese is in, return burner to low and stir until cheese is fully integrated. If its too thick for your liking you can add addition stock warmed in a separate pan. Turn off heat and sprinkle in bacon, mix well and serve.

Another way to do this, if you prefer a smoother soup without the chunks of broccoli, is fish out the broccoli with a slotted spoon after its been cooked and blend it in a food processor or blender. Another option - if its available to you - is to blend it right in the pan with an immersion blender. This will still give you the delicious broccoli flavor without the chunk bitsy of it in your soup.

This goes great served in a sourdough bread bowl. I prefer to sprinkle some cheddar and 5 or so baguette croutons in the bottom of a bowl, ladle in the soup, sprinkle with more cheese and add a dollop of sour cream on top.

ENJOY!

Chicken Alfredo Lasgne Al Forno

This is a rich and delicious take on a standard lasagna!


You will need:

8 - 10 lasagna noodles

15 oz tub of ricotta

2 packets dry alfredo, prepared according to package directions but adding an additional 1/2 cup of milk (sauce may be a tiny bit thin)

4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

5 slices bacon, cooked and chopped

1 bunch baby spinach

2 cup bag shredded mozz

2 eggs

salt

pepper

paprika

2 cloves garlic

8x11 baking dish

Preheat oven to 400.

Bring 1.5 quarts water to a boil. Place 8 lasagna noodles in baking dish and pour water over - set aside.

In a bowl combine entire contents of ricotta package, 2 eggs, baby spinach leaves, a pinch or 2 of salt, a few grinds of black pepper, 1 tsp paprika. Grate in garlic cloves and mix well.

The noodles should be softened a bit at this point so you can empty the water and lay them out separately. Spoon a 1/4 c. alfredo sauce into bottom of casserole dish, layer 4 - 5 noodles (depending on your dish) followed by half the remaining alfredo mix, half the ricotta mix, half the chicken and bacon, and half the bag of cheese. Layer the noodles, followed by the remaining parts of each in the same pattern.

Cover with foil and bake for 40 mins - remove foil and bake additional 15 or until cheese on top is golden and bubbly. Allow to rest 15 mins to set, then cut and serve.

Green Eggs & Ham

I got this from Rachel Ray and made some modifications.

Level of difficulty: Easy but moderately labor-intensive

What you need:

-Large cup muffin tin*

-1 package bacon**

-1 bunch spinach

-4 or 5 Yukon Gold potatoes

-salt, pepper, garlic power, paprika to taste

-foil lined baking sheet

-cheese grater

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place bacon on foil lined sheet and place in preheated oven - cook approx 10 minutes. The bacon should be slightly cooked through but still soft and pliable. When bacon is done, pour off drippings into a large skillet. Remove cooked bacon and place onto paper towel lined plate to remove excess grease. Place remaining bacon onto sheet and place back in oven for approx 15 minutes. Once remaining bacon is cooked, pour drippings into skillet.

Reduce oven heat to 375. Line each muffin cup with bacon and place 2-3 spinach leaves in each, pressing down in center to create a small bowl. Meanwhile, heat skillet with bacon grease over medium-high heat. When the grease begins to ripple but not smoke, crack an egg in and allow the bottoms of the white to barely set, then slide off into one of the egg cups. Continue to do this until your tin is full and then place in the oven. Allow whites to set fully. When eggs are finished cooking, remove from heat and allow to rest for a few minutes before easing a spoon around the outside of each cup and gently removing.

You can also crack the egg directly into the tin (as shown above) and cook at about 400 for 15-20 minutes or until whites are set.

You can use the mini muffin or regular size tins, depending on your needs. The minis work great if you're using this for appetizers.

**To make this more traditionally, you can use deli sliced ham in place of bacon or precooked bacon.