Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf Cupcakes

By Paul Briand

Meatloaf and bacon: It’s a combination that’s very hard to resist, especially when it’s packaged together in this unique recipe I found on Yummly via the Flipboard app.

Come on, how can you not immediately fall in love with the notion of a bacon wrapped meatloaf disguised to look like a cupcake?

I served it for a big family dinner, (the recipe serves 12) and I substituted the white mashed potatoes with whipped sweet potatoes as the topping. And I didn’t use a piping bag as suggested; I just dolloped the potatoes on with a spoon.

Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 cup bread crumbs
1 onion, finely diced
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 (8-ounce) can tomato paste
2 tbs brown sugar
1 1/2 tbs Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tbs Worcestershire sauce
12 slices of bacon
4-6 potatoes
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tbs butter
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees;
2. For the meatloaf: Line your muffin tin with the bacon so that each tin is circled by one strip;
3. Mix together the beef, bread crumbs, onion, egg, salt, pepper, tomato paste, sugar, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce;
4. Form the meat into 12 equally sized balls and place them into the bacon-lined muffin tins. Fold the top of the bacon over, if needed;
5. Cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the meat is cooked through and the bacon is crisp;
6. For the potatoes: While the meatloaf is cooking, dice he potatoes and boil them in salted water until they’re soft;
7. Drain the potatoes, place into a mixing bowl, and mash them with a fork until they’re completely smooth;
8. Add your butter, cheese, milk, salt, etc and mix until fully combined;
9. Move your mashed potatoes into a piping bag (or a zip-lock with an edge cut off) and save it until the meatloaf is ready;
10. Once the meatloaf is ready, remove from oven and pipe them with the potatoes;
11. Turn the oven up to 400-500 degrees and re-heat until the tops of the potatoes are golden brown.

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Butternut Squash and Bacon Mac n' Cheese

By Paul Briand

Let me say at the outset that his recipe is awesome.

I found it, as I usually do, just trolling around various food and recipe sites, finding it at BrownEyedBaker.com.

I love mac ‘n cheese. I love bacon. Throw in the squash as a reasonably healthy addition? Sold.

The squash really adds an element of flavor and texture that makes this dish worth the work (and the many pots and pans) that go into it.

Some notes: I tried to reduce the sodium content by using low-sodium bacon (yes, there is such a thing, though bacon lovers might ask, “Why bother?”). I used a whole onion. And I used orecchiette as my pasta, which I’ve used before in other mac ‘n cheese recipes.

Ingredients
12 slices thick-cut peppered bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces
½ butternut squash, finely diced
½ yellow onion, finely diced
Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups whole milk
8 ounces Gruyere cheese, shredded (about 2 cups), divided
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2 cups), divided
16 ounces cavatappi pasta (or shaped pasta of your choice)
1 cup plain breadcrumbs

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter a 9x13-inch casserole dish. Heat a large pot of water over high heat for the pasta and cover;
2. In a 12-inch cast iron skillet (or other heavy, stainless skillet), fry the bacon until crisp;
3. Remove the bacon to a towel-lined plate to drain. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease;
4.  Adjust heat to medium-low and add the butternut squash and onion to the bacon grease. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the squash and onion are browned and cooked through. Once cooked, use the back of a wooden spoon to mash up the mixture (it doesn't have to be completely smooth - leave some chunks in for texture);
5. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook the pasta according to the box directions for al dente pasta then drain;
5. While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce. In a large saucepan;
6. Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, whisk in the flour and cook for about 1 minute, until the flour starts to brown;
7. In a slow, steady stream, whisk in the milk. Allow the sauce to come to a simmer;
8. Stir in 6 ounces each of the Gruyere and cheddar cheeses, adding a handful at a time and stirring with a wooden spoon until completely melted before adding the next handful. Season with salt and pepper and turn off the heat;
9. Add the cooked, drained pasta, bacon and butternut squash mixture to the sauce. Stir with a wooden spoon until everything is completely combined and evenly distributed;
10. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish;
11. Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter. In a small bowl, mix the melted butter with the breadcrumbs;
12. Sprinkle the macaroni and cheese with the remaining shredded cheeses. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture on top of the cheese;
13. Bake until browned and bubbly, about 15 to 20 minutes. Allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

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Grilled Chicken and Bacon Mac ‘n Cheese

By Paul Briand

Mac ‘n cheese is all about comfort food, and we needed some comfort recently as my wife Jane’s family gathered in Maryland for the funeral of a beloved aunt.

And what better source for comfort food, at least in my mind, than Rachael Ray.

Her recipe for Grilled Chicken and Bacon Mac ‘n Cheese struck a chord because it was relatively easy to prepare, it served a lot of people … and it had bacon. You can never go wrong cooking with bacon.

I basically doubled this recipe to handle six people (there were leftovers). And I didn’t use fresh thyme (I used what was in the spice rack), and I used a bag of Italian blend cheeses rather than the Gruyere.

Ingredients
6 slices good-quality smoky bacon, such as applewood smoked bacon
Salt and pepper
1 pound whole wheat short-cut pasta
2 skinless chicken breasts, lightly pounded
Extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika
4 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, quartered lengthwise and very thinly sliced
2 rounded tablespoons flour
1/2 cup cloudy apple cider or chicken stock
2 cups whole milk
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
1 1/2 cups shredded extra-sharp white cheddar cheese
1 cup Gruyère cheese, shredded
Chopped flat leaf parsley or celery greens, for garnish

Directions

1.Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees;
2. Arrange the bacon on a slotted broiler pan or on a rack placed over a baking sheet and bake until crisp, about 15 minutes. Chop and reserve. Switch on the broiler and position the rack in the center of the oven;
3. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Salt it, add the pasta and cook for 1 minute less than the instructions indicate, or until just shy of al dente. Drain and return to the pot;
4. While the pasta is working, heat a grill pan or cast iron griddle over medium-high heat. Drizzle the chicken with olive oil to coat lightly, then season evenly with paprika, salt and pepper;
5. Grill the chicken for about 10 minutes, turning occasionally.Transfer to a cutting board and halve the pieces lengthwise, then thinly slice them crosswise;
6. While the chicken cooks, melt the butter in a medium size saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until light golden brown and very soft, 15-20 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 1 minute;
7. Whisk in the cider (or stock), then add the milk. Bring to a boil and cook, whisking, until the sauce coats the back of a spoon, 3-4 minutes. Add the thyme and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stir in the cheese until melted;
8. Add the chicken, bacon and sauce to the pasta and transfer to a casserole. Broil until bubbling and browned, about 5 minutes. Garnish with parsley or celery greens.

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Fried Egg Sandwich with Bacon and Blue Cheese

By Paul Briand

This was love at first bite. No, it was love even earlier than that: Love at first sight when I saw the recipe on the web.

I’m a big fan of breakfast sandwiches that include an egg and whatever processed meat happens to be laying about.

My Dad lacked all manner of culinary skill but developed back in the ‘60s what he called “the Briand Special”, which was a fried egg and fried bologna on a toasted English Muffin.

This recipe -- which I found through a convoluted set of circumstance on the web -- takes the fried egg sandwich to a whole new level of taste and sophistication.

This is the orginal recipe for two sandwiches. I adapted it to make four sandwiches, I substituted spinach for frisee lettuce, and I used turkey bacon instead of regular bacon. You’ll sacrifice some rendered fat by using the turkey bacon, so a a teaspoon or two of butter was needed at the point of sauteeing the shallots. I also used more -- way more -- than a single slice of bacon.

Ingredients
2 ciabatta rolls
1 1/2 cups frisée (French curly endive), torn into-bite size pieces (about 2 ounces)
1 bacon slice, preferably thick-cut
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 teaspoon smooth Dijon mustard
4 teaspoons red wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
1 to 2 teaspoons unsalted butter, divided
2 large eggs

Directions
1. Split the rolls and toast them (in toaster if they fit, toaster oven, or oven);
2. Place lettuce (or spinach) in a medium bowl;
3. Cut bacon crosswise into 1/4-inch wide lardons;
4. In a small heavy skillet, cook bacon over moderate heat, until pieces are crisp;
5. With a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels, reserving bacon fat in pan;
6. Add shallot to bacon fat and cook for one minute, stirring;
7. Add red wine vinegar and let hiss and bubble for 20 to 30 seconds, then remove from heat and whisk in Dijon;
8. Immediately pour hot dressing over lettuce and toss with drained lardons, salt and pepper;
9. Remove rolls from toaster and divide bacon-frisee salad between each bottom bun (you’ll want to heap on more than seems feasible or needed);
10. Top each salad pile with half (2 tablespoons) of the blue cheese;
11. Reheat skillet over medium-high heat, add the butter and swirl it to coat the pan;
12. Crack one egg into the skillet, season with salt and pepper and reduce heat to medium and cook sunnyside up or over easy;
13. Remove the egg from the pan and place it on top of the bacon-frisée salad on the bun;
14. Repeat with remaining egg.

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Roasted Jalapenos and Bacon Mac ‘n Cheese

By Paul Briand

I rarely click on banner ads on web sites. But I clicked on one for a recipe from the folks at Cabot Cheese.

I couldn’t resist the combination of jalapenos and bacon with ooey-gooey macaroni and cheese.

Don’t be afraid of the jalapenos. The roasting and trimming process described in the recipe actually reduces the heat from the pepper.

(Full disclosure: I split the recipe in half so that half was made with the jalapenos and half made without for the sake of my wife Jane’s tender pallet.)

Since this is a Cabot Cheese recipe, its products are recommended, but feel free to substitute with your favorites as needed.

I found this recipe to be both time and pots and pans intensive, but well worth the effort.

Ingredients
2 fresh jalapeno peppers
4 ounces applewood-smoked bacon, diced
3/4 cup panko (Japanese-style) breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons Cabot Unsalted Butter
2 tablespoons King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
2 cups whole milk, heated to just below simmer
12 ounces Cabot Clothbound Cheddar, Cabot Extra Sharp Cheddar or Cabot 3 Year Cheddar, grated (about 3 cups)
Salt to taste
8 ounces dry garganelli or penne pasta

Directions
1. Roast jalapenos directly over stovetop gas burner or under preheated broiler, turning with tongs, until skins are blistered all over;
2. Transfer peppers to small plastic bag and let stand. When cool enough to handle, remove and discard stems, skin and seeds. Chop flesh into fine dice and set aside;
3. Cook bacon in skillet until lightly browned; after dicing, transfer with slotted spoon to small bowl. Add breadcrumbs, along with small amount of bacon fat to moisten, combining well;
4. In medium saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Add flour and whisk to combine. Let cook, stirring, for 2 minutes;
5. Gradually whisk in milk. Continue cooking, stirring often, until sauce is simmering and thickened. Let sauce bubble gently until quite thick, about 10 minutes longer, stirring often so it doesn't scorch on bottom;
6. Remove from heat and stir in cheddar; when cheese is melted, season sauce with salt as needed;
7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until al dente; drain and return to pot. Add cheese sauce and reserved jalapenos and stir together;
8. Transfer pasta to 2-quart baking dish or six individual ramekins. Top with breadcrumb mixture. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until browned on top and bubbling throughout.

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Shrimp and Bacon on Polenta

By Paul Briand

This recipe grew from a desire to use up some leftover polenta and the serendipity of finding a shrimp, bacon and polenta recipe while trolling through an Associated Press feed on my BlackBerry.

We had about a half pound of leftover polenta in the refrigerator, and I hated just seeing it sit there and I hated the idea of tossing it. The AP recipe calls for you to make a batch of instant polenta, jazzing it up a bit with milk instead of water and shallots and Parmesan cheese.

What I had in the fridge was about a half a pound of the rolled, prepared polenta that you can slice to fry or grill. I crumbled it up and cooked it in a wok in the bacon fat, which flavored up the otherwise bland polenta.

Also, because it's easy, I use frozen cooked shrimp, the biggest I can find at the store, a 16 count in a 1 pound bag. Thaw the shrimp by placing them in a large bowl of water.

Ingredients
1/2 pound of prepared polenta
1 pound of shrimp
1/2 pound bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 cloves minced
1 shallot, chopped
1 red bell pepper, sliced
2 ounces Parmesan cheese

Directions
1. In a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until it's crispy;
2. Add the pepper, shallot and garlic;
3. After about three minutes add the shrimp and cook until pieces are heated through and pepper is tender;
4. Using slotted spoon remove mixture from wok and set aside; drain about half of bacon fat and return wok to heat;
5. Crumble polenta into wok and work it around to heat through and absorb bacon drippings;
6. Return shrimp and bacon mixture to wok;
7. Top with Parmesan cheese;
8. Heat through and serve.

Mac and Cheese with Scallops and Bacon

By Paul Briand

In last week's post, I wrote of how great it was to eat a variety of great seafood at a local seafood festival my wife and I attended. In particular, I had the chance to munch scallops and bacon on a stick.

I confess to a passionate love for scallops and bacon. It is my favorite appetizer. Any cocktail party that serves scallops and bacon is a hit in my book. I'm the guy with the toothpick chasing after the server with the scallops and bacon tray, knocking aside whoever and whatever is necessary to get to them.

In that vein, I was moved last week to cook my own scallops and bacon but with a twist -- combined with homemade macaroni and cheese.

Ingredients

1 pound sea scallops -- numbers about 12

1 pound package of thick cut bacon

2 cups elbow macaroni

2 cups milk

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 cup Italian fontina cheese

1/4 cup minced onions

Dash Tabasco sauce

Pepper to taste

Splash of white wine

1/2 cup bread crumbs

Directions

1) Start by cooking the bacon in a large skillet, set aside on paper towels to drain (break into pieces once cool enough);

2) Retain some of the bacon fat and in the same skillet sear the scallops, browning on all sides;

3) Add a dash of white wine to deglaze the pan, set scallops aside and cut in half;

4) Cook elbow macaroni in 4-5 quart pot of boiling water about 6-8 minutes or until just tender (macaroni will cook more when it's baked);

5) While the macaroni cooks, prepare the cheese sauce in saucepan by first heating milk but not letting it boil;

6) Melt butter in large saucepan and stir in flour;

7) Gradually stir in heated milk, stirring constantly until sauce thickens;

8) Add onion and cheddar cheese, stirring until cheese melts;

9) Add dash of hot sauce and pepper, stir;

10) Combine cheese sauce with cooked macaroni;

11) Stir fontina cheese into mixture;

11) Combine halved scallops and crumbled bacon into mac and cheese;

12) Spoon entire mixture into large greased baking dish;

13) Top with bread crumbs;

14) Bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.

This dish feeds 6-8. I like the fontina cheese as an addition because it combines a complimentary taste to the cheddar and has the stringy, cheesy quality of mozzarella.