I LOVE bacon. I also love coffee.  So how could this go wrong?

Coffee Glazed Bacon

Ingredients:

• 6 to 8 slices of Smoked Bacon
• 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
• 1/4 cup Hot Espresso
• 1/4 tsp Paprika
• 1/4 tsp Black Pepper

Directions:

You’re gonna have to pop over to Instructables to get those (and see step-by-step photos).

Yup, that’s what I said, bacon + bourbon + brownies.  That equals deliciousness!

See that “crumble” on the top?  That’s diced bacon my friends.

I got wind of these from over at The Food in my Beard (now that sounds like a food blog I could get behind). He’s got great step-by-step photo instructions but no recipe.  For that, you’ll have to use what he did over at Food and Wine.

What goes better with yesterday’s cake with bacon flavored frosting than some homemade bacon flavored ice cream of the future?

This AWESOME mom decided to play with molecular gastronomy for Instructable’s Mad Science Fair and created her own version of “Dippin’ Dots“.

Alas no real bacon was used in the recipe, just Torani’s bacon flavored syrup, but still big props to her!

Check out the full recipe and step-by-step photo over at Instructable.

We’ve reached the end of our Thankin’ for Bacon week.  Our table is quite full, here’s the run down…

1. Bacon Apple Pie
2. Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts
3. Spinach, Bacon and Onion Dip
4. Green Beans and Bacon Sauté
5. Carrots with Country Bacon
6. Cheddar and Mashed Potato Gratin
7. Wild Rice Cranberry and Cornbread Stuffing

And now for the last piece of the puzzle!

Awwwwwwwwww yeah!

Head over to The Runaway Spoon for very detailed instructions on how to cook up this absolutely beautiful bird!

We’ll be off for the weekend so from my family to yours, have a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving!

It’s a twofer tonight as we finish out our side dishes.  So far on our Thankin’ for Bacon Thanksgiving table we have:

1. Bacon Apple Pie – Dessert
2. Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts – Appetizer
3. Spinach, Bacon and Onion Dip – Appetizer
4. Green Beans and Bacon Sauté – Veggie Side
5. Carrots with Country Bacon – Veggie Side

What’s missing?  Some good old, stick to the ribs, potatoes and stuffing!

Let’s start with the taters…

Cheddar and Mashed Potato Gratin

Ingredients:

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Cook bacon and shallots in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat until bacon is crisp, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes.
3. Stir in mashed potatoes and herbs. Mix in 1/4 cup milk, adding more milk if mixture is dry. Season potato mixture with salt and pepper.
4. Transfer to 2-quart gratin dish. Sprinkle cheese over and bake until cheese is beginning to brown, about 30 minutes.

Aren’t those yummy?!?  With something as heavy as that, I thought we’d go a slightly different route with the stuffing…

Wild Rice Cranberry and Cornbread Stuffing

Ingredients:

Directions:

1. Cook bacon until crisp, remove and set aside.
2. Add butter to pan and melt. Add onions, celery and mushrooms. Saute for 8 to 10 minutes until vegetables are tender.
3. Add cranberries and chicken broth. Bring to boil, then remove from heat.
4. Add corn bread, cooked wild rice, pecans and bacon.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Roast inside turkey or in casserole dish (about 30 minutes at 350 degrees).

We wrap up our week tomorrow with the star of the show…

both recipes and photos via yummly – dish 1 | dish 2

It’s Thankin’ for Bacon week and the table is starting to fill up!  We’ve got…

1. Bacon Apple Pie – Dessert
2. Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts – Appetizer
3. Spinach, Bacon and Onion Dip – Appetizer
4. Green Beans and Bacon Sauté – Veggie Side

and today we’ll add another vegetable to the table (you’ve got to have some variety you know).

Carrots with Country Bacon

Country bacon in this recipe refers to thick-sliced or wood-smoked bacon.

Ingredients

• 4 thick bacon slices
• 2 pounds carrots, peeled and diagonally sliced into 12 cups water
• 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

Directions

1. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Drain, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings in skillet. Crumble bacon, and set aside.
2. Add carrots and next 3 ingredients to skillet. Bring to a boil. Cook over medium-high heat 30 to 35 minutes or until liquid is reduced to a glaze and carrots are tender.
3. Sprinkle with thyme and reserved bacon.

via myrecipes.com

As we continue Thankin’ for Bacon week it’s time to get to what’s going on the big table!

So far we’ve got:

1. Bacon Apple Pie – Dessert
2. Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts – Appetizer
3. Spinach, Bacon and Onion Dip – Appetizer

Today we bring a modified version of a Thanksgiving table staple, the green bean casserole.  Leave that canned soup in the cupboard and go Au natural…

Green Beans and Bacon Sauté

via Bent County Democrat

Our bacon Thanksgiving celebration menu so far includes:

1. Bacon Apple Pie – Dessert
2. Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts – Appetizer

Today, we are providing another appetizer recipe.  What good host/hostess only serves ONE appetizer?

I was searching for something easy to make and complimentary to our previous appetizer, but with bacon as a role player instead of star.  Look no further than to Martha Stewart for the answer – Spinach, Bacon and Onion Dip.

Ingredients

• 4 slices bacon, thinly sliced crosswise
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced medium
• coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
• 2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 bar (8 ounces) cream cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• Crostini or pita chips, for serving

There is nothing easier, and in my humble opinion more tastier, than a simple bacon wrapped water chestnut.  I have great memories of attending holiday parties at the home of Sam and Marie Cole.  Sam was a wonderful mentor and father figure to me.  His wife Marie the most sweetest, caring woman I knew (aside from my dear mother of course).

With that as a backdrop, I couldn’t think of anything more fitting to feature as our first appetizer in this Thankin’ for Bacon weekend…

Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts

Ingredients

As we lead up to Thanksgiving next Thursday, I thought I’d work on featuring a recipe each day through Wednesday that you could incorporate into your family meal.  We are callin’ it “Thankin’ for Bacon!” (It’s a rough rhyme, I know, just go with it…)

I thought we’d start with dessert.

As a kid (and still today) I didn’t dig on pumpkin pie so my Grandma would always make an apple pie just for me.  I think she’s approve of this modification to the classic…

Get the entire recipe and more great photos over at Tasty Trails.

Appetizer tomorrow.