Dig the Pig

Smokey Pork Bolognese with Creamy Polenta
This recipe defies the expectation of easy summer cooking. It's mid-July and hot around here . . . so why on earth would I want a hearty bowl of slow-cooked bolognese? My easy-breezy summer has become hectic and packed with meetings, obligations, and rehearsal for Midsummer Night's Dream. My long days make way for long evenings making it difficult to dedicate a lot of time in the kitchen (or the grill for that matter). Enter large-batch make-it-and-forget-it recipes. A couple of weeks ago I bought a 10 pound pork shoulder and made a huge batch of Kaluah Pig, divided it into four generous portions, made one batch into a honey-ginger-soy version, and froze the other three. When time is a precious commodity, having a delicious recipe building-block on hand makes a home-cooked dinner possible. I must also confess, with little time to get to the grocery store at the moment, I came up with the recipe to use up stuff I already had in my pantry and fridge. Fridays we get the evening off of rehearsal, so that morning I took out one pork packet to defrost, went to work for the day, and got this deeply-flavored bolognese sauce finished in half the time it usually takes. Dinner was done shortly after my handsome-hubby got home from work and Friday night became a relaxing and cozy evening at home. I served the bolognese over a creamy polenta, but feel free to use the sauce with pasta, potatoes, or rice! Your call! This is your dinner!

INGREDIENTS
- 2-3 c. shredded Kaluah Pig
- 4 slices of bacon or 4 oz. pancetta, chopped
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
-2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 celery ribs, trimmed and diced
- 2 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 1/4 c. tomato paste
- 3-4 c. red wine
- 1/4 c. heavy cream
- salt and pepper
- chopped fresh oregano and thyme
- 1 c. uncooked polenta
- 1/4 c. creme fraiche
- 1 c. shredded Parmesan (plus extra for serving)
- 4. chicken broth
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 Tbsp. minced chives
- 1/2 c. chopped Italian parsley, divided

SMOKEY PORK BOLOGNESE
In a large Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high, add chopped bacon or pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and crisp. Remove cooked bacon with a slotted spoon and allow to drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Add onion, garlic, celery, carrot, red pepper flakes, and chopped thyme and oregano to the Dutch oven (using any of the remaining bacon grease to cook). Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook until softened and glossy, about 5-7 minutes. Add tomato paste to vegetable mixture and cook together for 1-2 minutes. Slowly pour wine into mixture and add cooked bacon and Kahlua pig. Mix ingredients together. If mixture seems dry, add water or chicken broth by the half-cup. Cook to a boil and then reduce heat to low and cook, partially covered for 1-2 hours. Check occasionally and stir ingredients together. After an hour or so, the bolognese should be very thick and the vegetables should be very soft. Slowly pour cream into sauce, stir, and season with salt and pepper. Allow sauce to simmer over a low heat for another 20-30 minutes while preparing the polenta (or whatever starch you plan to serve).

CREAMY POLENTA
Heat chicken broth to a boil over high heat in a large, heavy pot, add 1 tsp. of salt, and garlic clove and cook for 1-2 minutes. Reduce to a simmer and slowly pour dry polenta into the broth, stirring slowly with a whisk to prevent any lumps. Once the polenta in mixed into the both, stir gently while simmering for 8-10 minutes. Make sure ans scrape the bottom with wooden spoon to keep polenta from burning and sticking. After about 10 minutes, the polenta should be cooked, soft, and the mixture thick. If it is too thin, allow to cook for another minute or so. Remove from heat and stir in creme fraiche, Parmesan, chopped chives, and half the Italian parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To serve, divide polenta into bowls and ladle cooked, warm bolognese over. Garnish with additional Parmesan cheese and remaining Italian parsley. Yum!

The Three Bs

Sweet and Smoky Beans with Beer and Bacon
I love beans. I could eat them every day and never get bored. Flavorful, versatile, and budget-friendly, beans are a nutritional home run! They are naturally low in fat, protein-packed, and full of iron, folate, fiber, and B vitamins . . . and did I mention they are delicious? One of our household goals in 2014 is to be more budget-conscious (particularly where trips to the grocery store are concerned) and beans are a great staple to include in the rotation. Slow-cooked with an inexpensive cut of meat or as the backbone to a tasty vegetarian chili, these little babies will keep our bellies and wallets full.  I was craving something a little sweet, a little spicy, and very meaty the other night and came up with this delicious winter dish. Using a coupon and timing the sale just right, I got a hold of an organic pork tenderloin for less than $5 and added some of my pantry ingredients. It wasn't exactly a "quick" dinner, but it was easy and delicious. Slow cooking inexpensive cuts is a great way to get tender,  flavorful meat on a budget. While I cooked it over low heat in my Dutch oven, this could easily be made in a Crock Pot. Coming home to hot dinner? Yes please!

Ingredients
- 1 lb. dried pinto beans, rinsed then soaked overnight in cold water 
- 6 slices smoky bacon, chopped
- 2 Tbsp. chopped chili peppers in adobo sauce
- 1 pork tenderloin, cut into 2" chunks and sprinkled with salt and pepper
- 1 onion, peeled and roughly riced
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 20 oz. of ale (I used a sour cherry ale - worked great, but use what you have/like)
- 3 c. chicken broth
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 Tbsp. yellow mustard
- 2 Tbsp. ketchup
- 3 Tbsp. brown sugar
- juice from 1 lemon
- 1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
- salt and pepper
- 1 Tbsp. smoked paprika
- sour cream, avocado, tortilla chips or crusty bread for serving

Cook bacon in a large, heavy Dutch oven over medium heat until the fat begins to render. Remove from heat with slotted spoon and add olive oil to pan. Using tongs, arrange pork chunks in a single layer in hot pot. Allow meat to brown on each side (about a minute per side). Remove from heat and add chopped onion. Stir onion in rendered bacon fat and olive oil until it begins to soften slightly, about 3 minutes. Then turn up heat and pour ale into the pot. Deglaze the pan, scraping up browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon.

Return bacon and pork chunks to pot. Drain beans from their soaking liquid and rinse in cold water. Add beans to pot with chicken broth, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, mustard, ketchup, chilis in their sauce, lemon juice, vinegar, brown sugar, and paprika. Stir all ingredients to combine and raise the heat to high.

Once the mixture starts to boil, partially cover the pot and reduce heat to medium-low. Allow beans to simmer for an hour and a half, stirring occasionally. (You will find after about the first hour the meat will become tough . .  don't despair! The connective tissues will break down and the meat will become incredibly tender with more time and low heat.)

After the first hour and a half, check on the meat and beans, give it a good stir and season liberally with salt and pepper. Taste. Return the pot to heat and allow it to simmer an additional half hour or so. Check again, at this point he meat should shred easily with a wooden spoon - shred meat chunks and remove from heat.

Serve up with sliced avocado and sour cream if desired. (Matt had his with a little grated cheddar cheese - also yummy!) It's great with bread or tortilla chips! Feeds a hungry army of eaters! Beer . . . beans . . . AND bacon . . . what's not to like?



 

Getting Fresh With You

Fabulously Fast Summer Pasta
There is just so much good produce at my disposal right now! The tomatoes are red and ripe, the arugula is perfectly crisp and peppery, and the garlic is fragrantly sweet. During these warmer months I love abandoning my beloved cheesy-creamy sauces for fresher, lighter ingredients in my pastas. This extremely quick and easy dinner was put together using the bright and fresh ingredients from the co-op. It comes together in a snap and is a tasty way to make the most of summer's bounty.

Ingredients
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 12 oz. small-shaped pasta
- 2 c. fresh arugula
- 4 slices, thick cut bacon, diced
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- juice from 1 lemon
- 8 large fresh basil leaves, sliced into thin strips
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 2 Tbsp. cooking sherry
- salt and pepper
- 3 oz. crumbled feta cheese

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a rolling boil. Add pasta and cook to al dente, about 7-8 minutes. Drain, reserving about a cup of the pasta cooking water, and set aside. While waiting for the water to boil, make the quick tomato sauce.

Place bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium high until it becomes slightly brown and has rendered most of its fatty goodness. Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon from pan and place on a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Reserve about a tablespoonful of bacon fat in the pan. Add olive oil and heat to medium high.

Add garlic to pan and stir for about 30 seconds until it becomes sweet and fragrant. Add cooking sherry to hot skillet to de-glaze the pan. Stir vigorously, scraping brown bits from the bottom. Add halved tomatoes and lemon juice to the skillet and turn heat down to medium. Stir occasionally until the tomatoes begin to wither and soften. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and sugar. Cook for about 5-7 minutes until the tomatoes have burst.

Add cooked pasta, arugula, basil, and pasta water to the tomato mixture. Toss together and heat over medium high for about 1-2 minutes until ingredients are thoroughly cooked through and hot. Transfer cooked pasta to a large serving bowl and sprinkle with cooked bacon and crumbled feta cheese. Toss to combine thoroughly. Eat!
 

Farmer's Market Fun

 Spring Time Pepper Bacon Carbonara
The return of spring brings the Saturday farmer's market back to the riverfront and with it a bounty of fruits, veggies, and sustainably farmed meats. I thought this summer it would be fun to do a series of farmer's market recipes, seeing what I could devise from the seasonal selection. On my first trip to this year's Saturday market, I happened upon the most amazing thick-cut pepper bacon and a beautiful selection of sweet onions. With a refrigerator full of Angie's free-range fresh eggs and penne pasta in the pantry, a simple carbonara recipe seemed perfect. Enjoy!


Ingredients
- 6 slices thick cut pepper bacon, diced
- 2 medium sweet onions with green stems, white and light green parts diced
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 large handful Italian parsley, chopped
- 1 c. grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for sprinkling 
- 1 lb. dried penne pasta
- salt and pepper to taste

Heat a large pot of salted water and bring to a boil. Chop and prepare other ingredients while waiting for the water to boil. Crack eggs into a medium bowl and whisk together with grated Parmesan cheese. Set aside. When the water comes to a boil, add penne and cook to al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain cooked pasta, reserving about a cup of pasta cooking water.


Place chopped bacon into a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat until bacon begins to brown, 6-8 minutes. Before bacon become too crisp, remove from pan with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel-lined plate, leaving fat reserved in the skillet. Return skillet to heat and add chopped onions. Season with a sprinkle of salt and pepper and cook over medium heat until onions begin to soften. Using about 1/4 c. of reserved pasta water de-glaze the pan, scrapping browned bits from pan. Set aside. 


Slowly add about 1/2 c. of warmed pasta water to the beaten eggs, whisking together to incorporate and bring the temperature of the eggs up so that they won't curdle. Add cooked pasta to pan of onions and pour egg mixture over pasta. Return skillet to medium-low heat, stirring and cooking until egg mixture begins to cook. Add cooked bacon and chopped parsley to mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with additional Parmesan cheese.

One-Dish Wonders

Chicken and Artichoke Pasta Bake

One of my favorite "secret recipes" to whip up for parties is my Artichoke and Jalapeno Dip. Bubbly, warm, and cheesy, it's always a hit. I was planning on making it for a Friday night roommate gathering of movies and Wii, but plans came up we had to delay. I had all the ingredients for my dip in the fridge and wanted to find a way to repurpose them for an easy one-dish Saturday night meal. A couple of chicken breasts and some extra cheese helped make this tasty bake possible.

Ingredients
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 2" chunks
- 4 slices bacon, diced
- 1 yellow onion, peeled and diced
- 1 14 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
- 1 handful parsley, chopped
- 8 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
- 8 oz. cream cheese
- 4 Tbsp. butter
- 1/4 c. flour
- 2 c. whole milk
- 2 c. grated goat Gouda cheese (found in at good ol' Trader Joe's)
- 1 c. dried bread crumbs
- salt and pepper to taste
- lemon pepper
- 1 Tbsp. Sriracha hot sauce
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 lb. penne pasta

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Butter a 13x9" baking dish and set aside. Heat olive oil in a medium sized skillet oven medium heat. Add chicken chunks and season with salt and lemon pepper. Saute until cooked through and no longer pink. Remove from heat and set aside.

Meanwhile begin to boil water and cook penne pasta to al dente, about 8-9 minutes. Remove from heat, drain, and reserve about 1 cup of pasta cooking water.

Cook diced bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium until cooked through, and just starting to crisp up. Remove from Dutch oven with a slotted spoon allowing bacon to drain on a paper towel lined plate.

Add diced onion to bacon fat and cook oven medium heat until it begins to turn translucent. Season with salt and pepper. Add butter to Dutch oven and allow to melt before adding flour. Whisk butter and flour constantly over medium heat for 1 minute until a thick paste forms. Slowly add milk to mixture, about 1/2 cup at a time and whisk until sauce begins to thicken. When sauce is warmed through and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, lower head and add cream cheese and Gouda and allow to melt into mixture. Remove from heat and add cooked pasta, chicken, bacon artichoke hearts, spinach, and parsley. Stir ingredients thoroughly to combine. Season with salt, pepper, and Sriracha sauce to taste. Add reserved pasta cooking water to mixture if the cheese sauce is too thick. Pour pasta mixture into prepared baking dish and sprinkle with an even layer of dried bread crumbs.

Bake for about 30-35 minutes until it is hot through and the top begins to brown. Eat up!

Hey There Hot Tomato!

Thick and Creamy Tomato Soup With Cheddar and Bacon Paninis

I love many forms of tomato soup. It is a particularly effective soup for sandwich dipping- one of my favorite edible activities. The cold weather around here seems to be back with a furious vengeance in the last few days- we even had a few inches of wet snow! When the temperature drops like that my desire to sit on the couch in a hoodie and warm my hands and stomach with a big bowl of soup increases. I put together this very thick, rich tomato soup for these chilly February days. The paninis seem like a great companion piece.

Ingredients
- 1 sweet yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 c. tomato paste
- 1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
- 3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
- 1 Tbsp. sugar
- 2 tsp. dried oregano
- 2 tsp. dried basil
- 1 c. heavy cream
- salt and pepper to taste
- sliced cheddar cheese
- 4 slices cooked pepper bacon
- 1 tomato sliced crosswise about 1/4 " thick
- 4 slices sour dough bread

TOMATO SOUP
Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil in a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook about 5 minutes until they are softened and begin to turn translucent, season with salt and pepper. Add garlic and tomato paste and stir constantly for about 1 minute. Add diced tomatoes, dried herbs, sugar, and salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. When the tomatoes have softened, slowly add cream and stir to combine. Adding more if soup is too thick. Season to taste and serve with paninis.

PANINIS
While soup is simmering, turn the panini press to high heat. Brush one side of each piece of sourdough bread with olive oil. With the oiled side out, arrange sandwiches with cheese, bacon, tomato slices, an additional piece of cheese, and top with a piece of sourdough oiled side up. Place on heated panini press and cook about 5 minutes until sandwiches become toasty and cheese is melted. Remove and serve with soup.

Bacon . . . What Can't It Do?

Autumn Chicken Carbonara

Here's one of my secrets of cooking- much of my inspiration comes from whatever is lying around in the refrigerator. In the case of this recipe, I happened to have four pieces of bacon and a pound of colorful and ripe heirloom tomatoes destined for something. BLTs? A nice idea, but I was (as I often am) in the mood for pasta and the presence of eggs and Parmesan cheese really got the wheels turning in my brain. A quick trip to Trader Joe's for pasta, Italian parsley, and two chicken breasts and a new recipe was born. I am a fan of one pot meals AND bacon, I hope you enjoy this fast, cheap, colorful meal as much as I did.

Ingredients
- 1 lb. penne pasta
- two boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1" chunks
- olive oil
- 4 slices bacon, chopped
- 1 yellow onion, peeled and diced
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 c. grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for sprinkling
- 1 lb. heirloom tomatoes, cut into 1" chunks
- 1 handful chopped Italian parsley
- salt and pepper to taste
- a pinch of sugar

Boil pasta according to package directions to al dente (about 9 minutes) reserving 1/2 c. pasta cooking water.

Meanwhile, place diced bacon in a large Dutch oven. Cook over medium until cooked through, but not too crispy. Remove and drain on a paper towel lined plate. Reserve rendered bacon fat in Dutch oven and add onion and garlic. Cook over medium, stirring often until onions start to become translucent. If Dutch oven becomes dry, add a little olive oil. Add chicken to pot and cook over heat until meat is cooked through and no longer pink. Remove from heat.

Place beaten eggs in a medium bowl, slowly add 1/4 c. warm pasta cooking water to temper the eggs, beat in Parmesan cheese. Place warm pasta in the Dutch oven with chicken and onions, stir to combine, slowly add the egg and cheese mixture to the pasta. Stir to combine. The warm pasta will cook the egg mixture. Add tomatoes, parsley, bacon, and a pinch of sugar. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve with an additional sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

Bringin' Home the Bacon

Matt Smith's Pants-Droppin' Carbonara with Yummy Asparagus and Bacon

So . . . entertaining a house full of boys tonight. What to do? What to do? As luck had it I just so happened to have a refrigerator full of unused bacon. Hungry boys + bacon = a successful meal. Matt Smith was coming over for video games and good times. Ahh . . . Matt Smith, the perpetual undergrad (8 years running) full of jokes and an appetite for life. For some reason Matt Smith has some weird joke about dropping his pants. Over our pre-dinner wine and snacks (homemade hummus with pita wedges and eggplant cheese toasts, duh) I promised I'd name this recipe after him. So here we go: Matt Smith's Pants-Droppin' Carbonara. He giggled with delight, by the way, at this title for the recipe. It comes together in a snap- a pasta dish light enough to be enjoyed as springtime freshness turns to the humidity of the fall. Enjoy!

Ingredients
- 6 sliced bacon, diced
- 3 large shallots, peeled and sliced crosswise
- 1 lb. asparagus, sliced crosswise into 2" bite-sized pieces
- salt and pepper to taste
- a good splash of dry white wine
- 8 oz. penne pasta
- 1 c. grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 eggs, room temperature

Place diced bacon in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook bacon until it starts to turn golden brown. Remove cooked bacon from skillet with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Set aside. Scoop out excess bacon fat reserving about 3 Tbsp. in skillet. Return skillet to heat and add shallots. Cook over medium until shallots are softened and start to turn brown. Add asparagus to pan with a splash of wine. Cover and cook about 2 minutes until asparagus is bright green and tender-crisp. Turn heat to low to keep warm.

Meanwhile, boil a large pot of water and cook penne pasta to al dente according to package directions. While pasta is working, beat eggs in a medium bowl with grated Parmesan cheese until thoroughly combined. When pasta is cooked, drain, reserving 1/4 c. of cooking liquid. Slowly beat into egg mixture until combined. Add cooked pasta to asparagus and shallot mixture then pour egg and cheese mixture in. Heat over low to cook the raw egg. Add bacon to mixture and stir to combine. Divide among four plates and sprinkle with extra Parmesan cheese. It's super fast, easy, and good in your face. I hope you like it! By the way, Matt Smith had two helpings. Granted, this is a boy who likes food in his face . . . but still . . . I think he liked it!

A Comfort Food Kinda Night

Cheesy Chicken, Broccoli, and Bacon Bake

Sometimes you just need a little comfort food . . . right? Rainy, dreary days (ah springtime in Oregon) can stir up the desire for something warm and oven-baked. I know I'm often in the mood for those great one-dish meals, packed with veggies . . . no side salad necessary. And I'm going to go back to one of my favorite food truisms: EVERYTHING IS BETTER WITH BACON.

Ingredients
- 1 lb. chicken breast meat, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 3 slices bacon, diced
- 1 large yellow onion, peeled and diced
- 1 lb. broccoli florets
- 1 qt. whole milk
- 1 lb. sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- 1 handful Italian parsley, chopped
- 7-8 oz. mascarpone cheese
- 1/4 c. flour
- 1/4 c. dried breadcrumbs
- 4 Tbsp. butter
- 1 lb. penne pasta

Butter a 9x13" baking dish and set aside.

Place diced bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook about 5-6 minutes until bacon just begins to crisp. Remove from Dutch oven and drain on a paper-towel lined plate. Place chicken breast pieces in Dutch oven with rendered bacon fat, season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink. Remove from Dutch oven and set aside. Add onion to Dutch oven and cook in remaining fat (if pan has become dry, add a little olive oil), stir often, and season with salt and pepper. Add Italian parsley and stir to combine. Melt butter in Dutch oven with onions and parsley. Add flour and whisk to combine. Whisk constantly for 1 minute to create a thick paste. Slowly add milk by 1/4 cupfuls, whisking to combine. Let milk warm over heat, then add cheddar and mascarpone cheeses and stir thoroughly to combine.

Meanwhile, blanch broccoli in boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain and set aside. In the same pot, heat water and cook penne pasta to al dente (about 8 minutes). Drain.

Remove cheese sauce from heat, add cooked chicken, broccoli, pasta, and bacon. Stir to combine thoroughly. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish and top evenly with breadcrumbs. Refrigerate to heat and eat later or cook for 35-45 minutes in a preheated 375˚ oven. Cook until the pasta is heated through and the top begins to brown.

Soup Night

Fully-Loaded Baked Potato and Beer Soup with Cheddar and Chive Dippers

A new year is upon us full of new challenges and possibilities, but the weather has yet to change. January in Oregon is typically wet, cold, and grey. Being the frugal girl I am, I'll do anything not to turn on the heat in my apartment even though it's like living in a giant refrigerator. On nights such as these- I am in need of a hearty dinner that will warm me from the inside out. I put this recipe together as a twist on one of my favorite side dishes . . . the noble baked potato. But here, rather than playing second-fiddle to a rib-eye steak , the potato takes center stage.

Ingredients
- 4 slices thick-cut bacon, diced
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 lb. small, yellow potatoes such as Yukon Gold, diced
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 c. water
- 1 12 oz. bottle of dark ale
- 1 c. heavy cream
- 1 lb. grated sharp white cheddar cheese, divided
- 1 loaf ciabatta bread, sliced down the center
- 1/2 c. mayonnaise
- 1/4 c. chopped fresh chives
- salt and pepper to taste
- sour cream and extra chives for garnish

In a large, heavy soup pot heat olive oil over medium. Add diced bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned. With a slotted spoon, remove bacon from pot and place on paper-towel lined plate to drain. Reserve bacon fat in pot. Return to heat and add onion. Cook over medium until onions are softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add potatoes, water, and bottle of beer. Raise heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer about 20 minutes until potatoes are soft.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine half of the grated cheese, mayonnaise, and chives. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide mixture evenly among ciabatta bread slices and spread evenly on top. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Turn on broiler. Broil until cheese is melted and bubbly, about 5-7 minutes. Pay attention so that toasts do not burn. Remove toasts from oven and cover with foil to keep warm.

When potatoes are cooked through, remove soup from heat. Working in batches, blend about half of the soup in a blender (or use your trusty immersion blender) until creamy. Leave some potato chunks in the soup. Return soup in pot to low heat, add cream and remaining shredded cheese. Stir and cook until combined and warmed through. Add diced bacon to soup, season with salt and pepper.

Remove soup from heat. Divide among four bowls. Top with a dollop of sour cream and pinch of chives. Serve each bowl with a cheddar and chive dipper. Enjoy!

Everything's Better With Bacon

Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaf with Roasted Garlic Smashed Potatoes and Bacony Brussels Sprouts

Meatloaf is just one of those great comfort foods perfect for warm and fuzzy family dinners or (in my case tonight) friends and Scrabble. A moist and well-seasoned meatloaf is a great and hearty meal for meat-lovers and a sneaky way of slipping lots of vegetables onto the plate of a picky eater.

This recipe is a full dinner menu- complete with two easy and delicious side dishes. The roasted garlic addition to the mashed potatoes steps up a tried and true side dish to something a little more elegant and, in the case of the Brussels sprouts (as this blog title would indicate) . . . bacon just makes it better! The sides can also compliment other great dinners, try them with roast chicken or a pork loin.

Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 2 slices of whole wheat bread, ground up in food processor into breadcrumbs
- 3 carrots, peeled and minced
- 3 sticks celery, trimmed and minced
- 1 large onion, peeled and minced
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 Tbsp. grill seasoning
- 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. pepper
- 1 Tbsp. ketchup
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 c. barbecue sauce plus 1 Tbsp.
- 8 slices bacon
- 1 head garlic
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 lb. russet potatoes, scrubbed clean and quartered
- 2 Tbsp. half and half
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- fresh chives, minced
- 1 lb. brussels sprouts, trimmed
- 3 slices bacon, diced
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tsp. dried Herbs d' Provence

In a large mixing bowl combine ground beef, bread crumbs, ketchup, 1 Tbsp. barbecue sauce, celery, carrots, onion, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, egg, grill seasoning, and salt and pepper. I find that the best way to combine meatloaf ingredients is with your bare hards. Work the mixture until all the ingredients are well combined. Transfer mixture to an 13" oval or rectangular baking dish and shape it into a 10x4" loaf shape. Brush loaf with half of the 1/4 c. of barbecue sauce, then wrap loaf in eight strips of bacon laying them lengthwise across. Brush bacon layer with remaining barbecue sauce. Place loaf pan into a preheated 350˚ oven and bake 40-50 minutes until meat is cooked through.

While meatloaf is baking, take head of garlic and trim top 1/2" away to expose individual cloves, place in a small sheet of foil, drizzle with 1 Tbsp. olive oil, and sprinkle with salt. Wrap head of garlic in foil and then place in oven on rack beside meat loaf pan. Roast garlic about 30 minutes, remove from oven, and allow to cool before handling.

While garlic is roasting, scrub and quarter potatoes (leave skins on), trim brussles sprouts, chop chives, dice bacon, and bring two medium heavy sauce pots of water to a boil. Place potatoes in boiling water and cook until they are soft enough to pierce easily with the tip of a knife (about 12-15 minutes). Drain potatoes and return to pot, add half and half, butter, chives, salt and pepper, and squeeze roasted garlic cloves from their skins into mixture. Whip potatoes with a hand-held mixer until creamy, add more salt and pepper to taste. Cover to keep warm. When meatloaf is cooked through, remove from oven, cover with foil, and allow to rest about 10 minutes before cutting.

While meatloaf is resting, blanch brussles sprouts in boiling water until slightly softened and bright green (2-3 minutes). Drain. While sprouts are blanching, cook diced bacon in a medium skillet over medium heat until it begins to brown. Remove bacon from skillet and allow to drain on a paper towel-lined plate, reserve 2 Tbsp. rendered bacon fat in pan. Return pan to medium heat, add sprouts, and cook 3-4 minutes until softened. Season with salt and pepper and Herbs de Provence. Remove from heat and toss with diced, cooked bacon.

That's it! While not a lightening-fast dinner in 30 minutes, it's easy enough to put it all together in about an hour . . . not too shabby. Serve it all together! What a lovely plate. Serve potatoes with extra butter and try the meatloaf with either ketchup or barbecue sauce as a topping. It's quite tasty and really filling. I think you'll like it.

Chili October Nights

Kick-Ass Chili for Carnivores

Chili . . . a staple of tailgate parties, potlucks, game day gatherings around the t.v., and community cook-offs. This is a perfect one-pot meal. It's filling, easy, fast, and cheap- full of fiber, protein, and plenty of spice. I threw together this recipe for all the meat lovers out there! It's pretty spicy, so if you prefer things a bit milder back off on the red pepper flakes and cayenne pepper.

Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 4 slices thick cut bacon, diced
- 1 large yellow onion, peeled and diced
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 Tbsp. ground cumin
- 1 Tbsp. chipotle chili powder
- 2 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 2 tsp. ground cardamom
- 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper
- 1 14.5 oz can fire roasted tomatoes with green chilies
- 1 15 oz. can pinto beans
- 1 15 oz. can black beans
- 1 15 oz. can kidney beans
- grated pepper jack cheese
- 1 small bag of thick cut corn chips such as Fritos

Place chopped bacon in a large sauce pot or Dutch oven and heat over medium. Cook bacon until it just begins to brown- don't let it get crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon from pot and drain on paper towels. Set aside. Put chopped onion into pot with bacon fat and cook over medium heat until onion begins to turn translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add ground beef and garlic. Cook over medium heat until meat begins to brown, about 3 minutes, breaking meat apart with wooden spoon. Season with salt and pepper. Add cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, cardamom, and pepper flakes. Stir to combine and cook for about 1 minute. Add beans with the liquid and tomatoes. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer chili for 20 minutes to thicken. Add bacon to chili and stir to incorporate all ingredients. Remove from heat. Season to taste with extra salt and pepper. Sprinkle a few chips into each bowl for serving then spoon chili over the chips. Sprinkle with pepper jack cheese and serve.