Editors of Adams Media - Bacon!: From Bacon Tacos to Bacon Mac N Cheese, 50 Sizzling Recipes!

Bacon. The word conjures images of crisp, salty, juicy strips of pork that can make any recipe extraordinarynot to mention the mouthwatering aroma. But its use in everything from breakfasts to desserts is not just a popular, passing food trend. Bacon is a kitchen staple, an essential ingredient, a guilty pleasure, the meat you cant live withoutin essence, the ultimate combination of sweet and salty flavors in a crispy, tender, and meltingly delicious package. Who could resist it?

If you share this incredible passion for bacon, then this cookbook is the complete resource for all your bacon cravings. Want to jazz up your regular breakfast routine? Individual Bacon and Egg Breakfast Pies will break you out of the usual eggs-and-toast rut. Need some comfort food? Try the humble yet satisfying Bacon Mac n Cheese. Craving a big, hearty, juicy bacon burger? The incredibly decadent Double Bacon Burgers feature bacon inside and out of the patties. And who could resist Bacon Butterscotch Cupcakes or some Chocolate, Walnut, and Bacon Fudge? From party fare to date-night delights, upscale recipe twists to down-home favorites, the fifty recipes in this book will satisfy every bacon lover in your life.

No matter what you choose to make, when you break out the bacon, you are in for a salty, sweet, and irresistible treat. So grab your frying pan, choose your favorite cut, and get cooking. We agree that nothing is better than bacon!

Yields 8 waffles

Bacon with waffles is fine, but bacon in waffles takes it to another level. These maple bacon waffles are a complete breakfast, and they have it all over plain waffles!

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

12 teaspoon salt

3 eggs

14 cup maple syrup

14 cup butter, melted and cooled

14 cup melted bacon fat

112 cups buttermilk

12 teaspoon vanilla extract

12 pound maple bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled

1. Preheat the waffle iron. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl beat the eggs lightly, then add the maple syrup, butter, bacon fat, buttermilk, and vanilla. Mix until well blended.
2. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. With a spatula, mix until the flour is just moistened, then add in the crumbled bacon and mix to distribute. The batter should have some small lumps. Allow to stand at room temperature for 5 minutes.
3. Cook the waffles on the heated waffle iron, making sure not to overfill the iron. Place any waffles that are to be held for longer than 5 minutes onto a baking sheet, and hold in an oven heated to 250F. The waffles will stay crisp and moist for 30 minutes. Serve hot with butter and syrup.

Serves 4

If you have never had the pleasure of eating eggs fried in fresh, hot bacon grease, then you are in for a life-changing experience! Each egg is gently smothered in bacon fat, infusing each bite with bacon flavor. Be sure to have plenty of buttered toast on hand for sopping up the egg yolks.

12 strips thick-cut smoked bacon

8 eggs

Sea salt, to taste

Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

1. Heat a heavy skillet, cast-iron preferred, to medium heat. Once heated add the bacon, making sure not to crowd the pan. Cook until the bacon is crisp and the fat has rendered, about 10 minutes. Drain the cooked bacon on a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat with any remaining bacon. Pour off half the fat and reserve.
2. Turn the heat up to medium-high. Working with 2 or 3 eggs at a time, carefully crack the eggs into the bacon grease. With a heatproof spatula, gently coat the tops of the eggs with the hot bacon fat three or four times, or until the eggs reach your desired level of doneness. Add additional bacon fat as needed.
3. Once cooked, remove the eggs from the pan and drain lightly on a paper towel. Season the eggs with sea salt and black pepper. Serve with the crisp bacon.

Serves 4

Ultra creamy, very cheesy, and loaded with baconthese grits are not for the timid. These grits are best when the yolk is still a little runny so it can be mixed into the grits with each bite.

8 strips thick-cut maple or smoked bacon, diced

12 cup diced onion

2 cups water

1 cup whole milk

1 cup half and half

1 cup quick-cooking corn grits

1 ounce cream cheese

12 cup sharp Cheddar cheese

Hot sauce, to taste

4 eggs

Sea salt, to taste

Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 350F and spray a 9 9 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Once hot add the diced bacon and cook until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crisp, about 8 minutes. Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside. Drain all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat from the pan.
3. Add the diced onion to the pan and cook until the onion is tender, about 4 minutes, then whisk in the water, milk, and half and half. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Slowly whisk in the grits. Cook the grits, whisking constantly, until they thicken and can coat a spoon thickly but drip off easily, about 35 minutes. If the grits are too stiff add additional milk or water to thin them, 1 tablespoon at a time. Reduce the heat to low and add 34 of the cooked bacon, and the cream cheese, Cheddar cheese, and hot sauce. Stir until the cheese is completely melted.
4. Pour the grits into the prepared baking dish. Create four pockets in the top of the grits and crack the eggs into them. Season each egg with sea salt and black pepper, and sprinkle the top of the grits with the remaining cooked bacon. Bake uncovered until the eggs are cooked to your liking, about 1214 minutes for medium eggs. Allow the grits to cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Yields 2 dozen

Regular doughnuts will not be enough after you sink your teeth into these sweet and salty fritters! The glaze is spiked with a little bourbon, but you could use apple liqueur, apple juice, or cola instead.

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

12 teaspoon salt