Chocolate Covered Bacon

This is a relatively easy recipe and full of delicious flavors. Ignore the unhealthy aspects of it and just eat it, you won't have any regrets!

You will need:

2 Pounds of Milk Chocolate Chips
1 Pound of Thick-Sliced Hickory-Smoked Bacon
20-24 Wooden Skewers (I use Bamboo)

Preheat your oven to 400.

Cut the bacon strips in half, giving you evenly portioned 4-5 inch long strips. Take each of these strips and slide one onto each skewer, bending the strip back and forth several times as you slide it onto the wooden shank. This will help the bacon keep a nice wavy texture, as well as give you a heat-proof handle for dipping and handling.

Place the bacon on a shallow baking dish, arranging them so none of them overlap. Put the dish and bacon into the 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, or until they are cooked through and crispy, but not burned. Once done, remove the skewered bacon and place onto a paper-towel covered plate to drain, and then place them into the fridge to cool.

After the bacon has been in the fridge for about 60-90 minutes, melt the chocolate down in a double boiler. If you do not have one, simply place a metal bowl on top of a pot of simmering water so that the bowl forms a tight seal with the pot. Maintain eye contact with the chocolate, stirring until it is thoroughly melted and smooth.

Using a spoon, pour the chocolate over the skewered bacon carefully and slowly. Take your time and do this over the pot of chocolate as to avoid a larger mess. Once each piece of bacon is covered in bacon, place onto a baking sheet covered with a non-stick sheet such as wax paper or parchment paper. When all the bacon is covered, move it back into a fridge to cool and harden. After about 30-45 minutes the chocolate coating should be hard enough to eat. Using the skewer like a Popsicle stick, enjoy your tasty creation.

ALSO: After coating each piece of bacon, you can add crushed peanuts, walnuts, pecans, sprinkles, or any other chosen topping to the still-wet chocolate coating. Adding a little chili powder to the melted chocolate in the boiler gives it a nice heat and smokey flavor. Make this dish your own by exploring the many different recipes and toppings that are possible with melted chocolate. Again, do not question the healthiness of this dish, if you are concerned this will make you fat, you are making it for the wrong reasons. Just make it and enjoy it, the flavor combination is well worth the effort. It also gives you a way to satisfy your bacon and chocolate cravings all at once.

~Bon Appétit~

Druid's Dragon Toes

This is a recipe not for the weak-willed or those who value their stomach. This recipe is about heat and flavor, and it will not forgive those who dare to attempt the eat the results. This recipe, is for my famous Dragon Toes, Fire Bombs, or Belly Burners, depending on what you decide to name them. This can be turned into an appetizer or a game-day treat for those brave enough to digest them.

Dragon Toes:

6-8 Whole Habanero Peppers (Or Ghost Chilis if you are really looking for a punishing dish)
1/2 Cup Mozzarella Cheese, finely shredded
1/2 Cup Medium Cheddar Cheese, finely shredded
1/2 LB of finely chopped cooked bacon
1 Whole Red or Green Jalapeno (just pick your favorite color)

Cut the stem off the habanero peppers and remove the seeds from inside, leaving the outer shell of the pepper intact. Remove the stem of the jalapeno and run the jalapeno (Include the seeds if you are brave enough) through a electric chopper to get it as finely diced as possible. Mix the Jalapeno with the cheese and bacon, mixing it all together in a small bowl until everything is well blended. Stuff each habanero with the cheese and bacon mixture and set aside.

Wet Batter:

1 Cup of your favorite beer
1 Cup All-Purpose Flour
1 TSP Baking Power
1 TBSP Worchestershire Sauce
2 TBSP Corn Meal
1 TSP Red or Yellow Curry Powder (Red for Mild, Yellow for not-so-mild)

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, using either an electic mixer or a hand-powered whisk to blend the ingredients into a decent wet batter. Set this aside as well.

Dry Dredge:

1 Cup Panko Bread Crumbs
1/2 Cup of Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 TSP Ancho Chili Powder
1/2 TSP Salt
1/2 TSP Ground Black Pepper
1 TSP Chinese Five Spice Mix

Pour all these ingredients into a shallow bowl and use a fork to mix them together.

Prepare your deep fryer according to the directions, you want the oil to be between 350 and 360 degrees, so this is definitely not a child's recipe. Remember, ujse caution when working with hot oil!

Dip the stuffed habanero peppers into the wet batter, coating the entire surface before rolling them in the dry dredging mixture. Carefully place the breaded peppers into the hot oil and lower them into the deep fryer. Let them fry for a good 5-7 minutes, or until the breading turns golden brown and crispy. Remove the cooked peppers from the fryer and drain off the excess oil before plating.

I would recommend either a nacho cheese sauce or sour cream for a dipping sauce to accompany these delicious fiery treats. Use these a sinus-clearing appetizer at your next dinner, or serve them as a snack during the big game. These are not a treat for the timid, the weak, or those who might be watching their weight. These little peppers come with high flavor, satisfaction, and enough heat to melt your insides. Dragon toes could be made with any pepper, but the habanero is great because of it's thin skin and sweet flavor, and if you go the ghost chili (Naga Bhut Jolokia Pepper) route, you might want to have those eating it sign health waivers before consuming them.

So make these for your friends and family, but be sure to warn them before hand, unless you are sick and twisted and enjoy watching people in pain. Change the cheeses and maybe use a type of sausage instead of the bacon, turn these into your next favorite snack. I might suggest making a bunch of these and storing the extra in the freezer for future uses.

Again: Hot oil and hot peppers, use caution... and don't rub your eyes after handling the peppers. Make sure to remove any pepper oil from your hands before touching your face or other sensitive areas.

~Bon Appetit~

...and good luck.

Southern Style Fried Corn

This is far from a "healthy" dish, but it is quite delicious. It is rather simple, but can take a little while to make. The benefits of this dish are taste, and the fact it only needs one skillet to make.

Southern Fried Corn:

1 pound of Hickory Smoked Bacon
4-6 Ears of Corn on the Cob
2 TBSP Butter
2 TSP Brown Sugar
1 TSP Sea Salt
1 TSP Black Pepper
2 TSP Chinese Five-Spice

1: Cook the bacon in a hot skillet until semi-crispy, leaving the grease in the hot pan for later. Dice and chop the bacon into small pieces and toss into a bowl. Sprinkle the sugar and Chinese Five-Spice over the bacon and mix together thoroughly.

2: Carefully remove the corn from the cobs, until you have as much corn as you desire. Place the corn into the hot pan with the bacon grease, add the butter, and black pepper, and cook for 5-10 minutes over medium heat.

3: Add the bacon mixture to the corn in the skillet and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and sprinkle with the salt before giving the corn and bacon a final stir. Once completed and combined, serve this as a side as your favorite meal, or as a tasty dish to enjoy greedily on its own.

As stated above, this dish is far from what most people would consider to be healthy, but it is very delicious and worth a try. If you are looking for ways to make this your own, you could use your favorite type of sausage instead of bacon, or even some diced ham (as long as you render down some fat to cook the corn in). Play with the spices and ingredients until you find a dish that you and your family can enjoy.

~Bon Appétit~

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Bobby Flay 12-In. Cast-Iron Skillet (Google Affiliate Ad)
Lodge Enamel 11-inch Skillet - Red - Lodge Enameled Cast Iron (Google Affiliate Ad)

Druid's Potato Salad

This recipe is for a simple delicious potato salad that is sure to please everyone you serve it to. Try different ingredients to make it your own, and trade the recipe with your family and friends.

Potato Salad:

4 Boiled and Cubed Yukon Gold Potatoes

4 Boiled and Cubed Red Potatoes

1 pound of crumbled cooked bacon or diced ham

1 TBSP Salt

1 TBSP Paprika

1 TBSP Black pepper

2 Cups Miracle Whip Salad Dressing

1 Cup French's Yellow Mustard

1 TBSP Pickle Juice

1 Cup Chopped Dill Pickles

1 Cup Diced Black Olives

1 Cup Chopped Onion

2 Cups Chopped Hard Boiled Eggs

Combine all ingredients into a large bowl and stir together until everything is well mixed and with a creamy texture. Add more or less Miracle Whip and or mustard to suit your flavor. This is simple and delicious, and can be served with your favorite meals.

~Bon Appétit~

Druid's Mac & Cheese

This a delicious simple recipe that is sure to be a hit with everyone you know. It is especially good during the chilly autumn months when you are looking for something hearty and delicious to keep you warm. This takes roughly 30-45 minutes to put together, and another 30 minutes to bake, but the end result is well worth the effort it takes to create this wonderful dish.

16-18 Ounces of your favorite pasta (Elbow Macaroni being the most common, but I use Fusilli)
1/2 cup of cooked, crumbled bacon
2 Cups of shredded Colby Jack Cheese or Cheddar Cheese
1/2 Cup grated Parmesan Cheese or Cream Cheese
3 Cups Milk
1/4 Cup Butter
2 1/2 TBSP Flour

1: Cook the pasta according to the package directions, drain and set aside.

2: In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in enough flour to make a creamy roux. Add milk to the sauce slowly, stirring constantly. Stir in cheeses and bacon, and cook over low heat until cheese is melted and the sauce is a little thick. Put pasta in large casserole dish, and pour sauce over pasta. Stir well.

Topping:

2 TBSP Butter
1/2 Cup Bread Crumbs
1/8 TSP Paprika
1/8 TSP Ancho Chili Powder
1/8 TSP Dried Parsley Flakes
1/8 TSP Garlic Powder

3: Melt butter over medium heat, add breadcrumbs and cook until brown. Remove from heat, sprinkle with the spices and spread over the pasta.

4: Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove the pasta from the oven, and allow to sit for 3-5 minutes before serving. 

This can be served as a side dish to something else, or use this as the main course for a warm, delicious meal that the whole family will enjoy. Instead of bacon, try cooked ground beef and add a little mustard to the sauce for a yummy Cheeseburger Macaroni. The possibilities are endless for this dish when it comes to making your own. So cook, eat, and enjoy.

Hint: If you start the roux at the same time you start the water boiling for the pasta, then add the cheese once you add the pasta to the water, it will be done at the same time. Also as a dish-saving step, once you drain the pasta and water from the one pot, you can use this same pot to do the bread crumb topping.

~Bon Appétit~ 

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Creamy Chicken Carbonara

This is a favorite dish of mine when I go out, so I did some research and taught myself how to make it as well. It goes well with any pasta, on rice, or even as the filling for a hot sandwich. Since we are in the fall months, and things are cooling down, I figured this was a perfect time to share this recipe.

4-6 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs, chopped into 1/2 inch cubes

1 LB. of Hickory Smoked Bacon, chopped into roughly 1/2 inch pieces

2 Cups Heavy Cream

1 Cup Diced Yellow Onion or Shallots

1/2 Cup Chopped Button Mushrooms

1 TSP Finely Minced Garlic

2 TBSP Butter

1 Cup grated Parmesan Cheese

1/4 Cup shredded Asiago Cheese

1/4 Cup shredded Provalone Cheese

4 Egg Yolks

1: In a large sauce pan sauté the chopped bacon until golden brown but still tender. Drain off half the grease and add the butter, chicken, garlic, mushrooms, and onion. Cook until chicken is tender.

2: Add the cream, and salt and pepper to taste, then heat to boiling, stirring frequently.

3: Stir in the grated cheese and egg yolks, mixing the ingredients together well. Serve over rice, pasta, in a bread bowl, or on a sandwich. Sprinkle with the shredded cheeses and enjoy immediately.

This is a warm, hearty, flavor-filled dish that I fell in love with years ago, and when I like something, I have to figure out how to replicate it. Feel free to add peas, olives, try different cheeses, or even use mild Italian sausage instead of chicken. Make this dish your own, and enjoy it with friends and family.

~Bon Appétit~

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Burgers' Smokehouse Sliced Bacon Sampler - Bacon & Sausage (Google Affiliate Ad)

Druid's Potato & Leek Soup

It's Autumn, and it's time to start thinking about warm, savory soups to keep us heated and going during the chilly months. So here is my recipe for a delicious simple soup that your family will crave after the first taste.

6-8 Red Potatoes
2 Leeks
1 Shallot, or 1 Cup Yellow Onion
2 10.4oz Cans of Cream of Celery Soup
1 10.4oz Can of Cream of Broccoli Soup
2 Cups of Chicken Broth
2 Cups of Chopped Bacon
1/2 Cup Butter
1/4 Cup Thyme
2 TBSP Black Pepper

1: Sauté the shallot (or onion), and leeks together in a skillet until lightly wilted and starting to brown. (I use the same pan I cook the bacon in, so I can use the grease, and it's already hot)

2: Cut the potatoes into 1/2 inch thick cubes the best you can. I realize potatoes are roundish and not square, so just do what you can with what nature gives you.

3: Combine all the ingredients in a crock pot or other similar slow cooker, stirring everything together until mixed thoroughly. Set the temperature controls to low, and allow to cook for 7-8 hours.

4: Serve with a light side salad and enjoy!

This is a dish that you can literally prepare in the morning, and it will be ready to eat when you come home from work or school. Yes, some of you will cry foul over my use of condensed soup in the recipe, saying I am cheating, but this recipe is for the everyday cook. For the person that works 8-10 hours a day, and doesn't have time or the energy to whip it all together from scratch.

I will be posting a recipe eventually for bread bowls to serve this soup in, just keep in mind, I do not like sourdough. So if you want a sourdough bread bowl, you will have to find or make one yourself. I know, it's kind of a mean attitude to have, but when I post the recipe for bread bowls, it will either be garlic rosemary bread, or some kind of pop-over puff.

~Bon Appétit~

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Creamy Tater Tot Casserole

This is a very easy, filling dish you can make, and is perfect for those colder nights that are coming. It takes only minimal effort to create, and is very delicious. You will need a deep 9x13 cake pan, an oven, and a appetite for savory, yummy food.

Frozen Tater Tots
Frozen Peas or Corn
1lb of Lean Ground Beef
1/2lb of Bacon
1 10.4oz Can Cambell's Cheddar Cheese Soup
1 10.4oz Can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 Cup of Finely Chopped Yellow Onion
1/4 Cup of Finely Diced Garlic
2 TBSP Worcestershire Sauce
Ground Black Pepper
French's French Fried Onions

1: Brown the bacon and ground beef in a skillet with the onion and garlic, drain most of the grease away. Mix together the soups and your chosen (if any) frozen veggies in a separate dish and set aside.

2: Spray your 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray if needed. Place a single layer of tater tots on the bottom of the pan, cover with a little of the combined soups, then place the meat mixture into the dish in an even layer. Top with remaining soup mixture and another layer of tater tots.

3: Sprinkle the top of the casserole with a light dusting of ground black pepper, and drizzle with worcestershire sauce. Place dish in a 400 degree oven for 30-40 minutes, until top later of tater tots is brown and crispy, but not overcooked.

4: Pull cooked casserole from the oven, and crumble french fried onions over the dish. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes, then serve and enjoy.

There really isn't much more to it than this. It's a very simple, delicious, easy to enjoy dish that the entire family will love. Take this recipe, use it, make it your own by adding things to it, or doing things differently. I have seen recipes out there calling for tomato-based sauces instead of soups, and you are more than welcome to find them and try them. Let me know how they turn out!

~Bon Appétit~

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Braised Seabass with Pancetta

This comes to me from a close friend, so it is not a recipe I have tested yet, but I will be testing it within the next few days. From what I have read, it sounds absolutely delicious. It is not often I eat seabass, but I do love catfish, so I may test it with either tuna or catfish, which is easier to get a hold of here. 

Olive oil to fry

2 lbs. Chilean seabass fillets (or any other firm fish)

Salt and pepper

½ cup chopped onions

¼ lb. pancetta or bacon, finely chopped

1/8 to 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

The pulp from 5 heads of roasted garlic:

Recipe: Cut off blossom end of each head of garlic enough to expose inside of all cloves.  Brush with olive oil.  Place in baking dish which is just large enough to fit all 5 heads into, cut side up.  Add about 4 tablespoons chicken broth to bottom of baking dish.  Cover with foil and bake at 350° for 1 hour.  Squeeze whole head from sides to extract pulp from all cloves.  Set aside.

½ cup white wine

½ tsp. dried thyme

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

2 Tbsp. tomato paste

1 cup cream

2 cups chicken broth

4 Tbsp. (or more) green peas, steamed

4 Tbsp. chopped tomatoes marinated in a small amount of olive oil

4 thick slices pancetta or bacon, cut in thick pieces, diced, and browned to crisp

Additional chopped fresh parsley

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy skillet.  Season the fish with salt and pepper and brown it over medium-high heat.  Fillets will be about half cooked when done.  Remove fish from pan and keep warm.

Add more olive oil to skillet as needed to sauté.  Add chopped onions, chopped pancetta, red pepper flakes, and roasted garlic to pan.  Cook and stir for a few minutes, mashing garlic with back of a wooden spoon.  Add wine and cook for another minute.  Add thyme, 2 Tbsp. parsley, and tomato paste, stirring to combine.  Add cream and chicken broth.  Bring to a gentle boil and reduce to sauce consistency. 

Re-add fish fillets to pan.  Simmer until fish is done, basting occasionally.

Plate the fish and spoon sauce over.  Garnish with steamed peas, chopped tomatoes, crisped bacon, and chopped parsley.

If someone gets to try this before I do, let me know how it turns out. I'm very interested. It looks and sounds delicious. And if you or a friend have a recipe you would like to share with the world, just let me know. I'm always glad and eager to help budding chefs share their own talent with the world.

~Bon Appetit~