Peppered Bacon Spices Up 3 Classic Recipes

This week we are obsessing over our peppered bacon. This is a treat in and of itself, bringing an extra something to some of your favorite recipes. We absolutely love to use Broadbent Peppered Bacon to top or wrap our burgers, chicken and shrimp with. Peppered bacon adds a bit of spice on top of the savory flavor of bacon. We are bursting at the seams to share some of our favorites recipes where peppered bacon steals the show.

Bacon Pepper jack Mac n’ Cheese

This comfort dish is bursting with flavor due not only to the peppered bacon, but the additional cheeses which come together for an award-winning combination. Consider this meal for your next night in!

Ingredients:

4 T Butter
3 T flour
2 C heavy cream
1 C Milk
2 C Pepper Jack Cheese
1 C sharp cheddar cheese (white)
1 ½ C Cheddar Cheese
1 lb. Broadbent Peppered Bacon, cooked & crumbled
16 oz. macaroni noodles

Directions:

Cook your pasta in a separate pot, per package directions, then set aside. In a sauce pan melt butter over about medium heat, whisk in flour once it is fully melted creating a paste. Pour in cream and milk while whisking to get a smooth mixture stirring about 1-2 minutes as it warms. Add in all cheese, about 1 cup at a time and whisk avidly. After all the cheese,  add in bacon and fold gently. Pour the cheese and bacon mixture onto the pasta and stir together.

Peppered Bacon & Onion Green Beans

This is an easy and delicious side dish. It is quick to put together but breaks the mold of plain steamed veggies served on the side. This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled for family gatherings.

Ingredients:

1 lb. Green Beans, snipped and halved
5 slices of Broadbent Peppered bacon
1 C Sweet Onion, chopped
2 tsp Sugar
½ tsp Fresh Thyme
1 ½ T Apple Cider Vinegar
½ tsp pepper

Directions:

Bring a pot of water to a boil and toss in green beans to boil for about 4 minutes. Pour them into a strainer and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Cook bacon in a large skillet until crisp. Remove bacon but leave grease (around 2 T) in the pan, add onions and saute about 3-4 minutes. Add sugar and thyme then continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes. Add in apple cider and pepper cooking for about another minute. Toss in bacon and green beans mixing everything together and serve warm.

Spaghetti Pasta Carbonara

This classic pasta dish gets a bit of an upgrade by using peppered bacon. The pepper brings to life the simplicity of this dish. This dish is quick and easy to prepare but there can be a trick to mixing it together quickly at the end for a perfectly creamy sauce.

Ingredients:

1 T Olive Oil
½ lb. Broadbent Peppered Bacon, diced
2 garlic cloves
4 whole eggs
1 C Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 lb. Spaghetti Pasta
Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

Boil pasta noodles in a large pot per package directions. While cooking pasta, in a sauté pan heat the olive oil and bacon pieces cooking until crispy. Add garlic and cook another minute. Remove bacon and garlic mixture, set aside in a large bowl (I mean big). In a small bowl, combine ½ c. cheese and eggs and set aside until pasta is al dente. Once the pasta is al dente, pull out with tongs and place in the large bowl with the bacon and garlic, the pasta will be dripping wet toss to combine. Quickly while the pasta is still mostly hot pour the egg mixture and toss to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add some pasta water (start with a tablespoon) and mix to get desired creamy texture. Serve warm and top with the additional parmesan cheese.

These 3 recipes are just the start of what any cook can do to bring more flavor to the kitchen. What ways have you used peppered bacon?

Broadbent B&B Foods
manager@broadbenthams.com

Broadbent B & B Foods, have been producing Old Fashioned Country Hams since 1909. A Truly American Food that has been on this continent since colonial days, it was a staple that sustained many of our first settlers as they moved west. The climate had to be just right to cure hams in the days before electricity, and Kentucky's climate fit the bill! Therefore, the Broadbent family brought those traditions with them and used them to dry cure and preserve their pork. Today, we are still dry curing Country Ham, Bacon, and Sausage like our forefathers did. In modern cuisine, country ham is far from a Staple. It is found on the menus of ritzy restaurants across The United States. While it is still, in fact, Country Ham, it is often cut paper thin, and labelled as Prosciutto; which is used as the center piece for many Charcuterie Boards.