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Bacon – It’s Not Just for Breakfast

Susie's Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza

Breakfast… lunch… dinner … dessert… there aren’t many meals I can’t add bacon to. My dream day would be to have bacon (in some way) at every meal. This week, I thought I would share five Blue Ribbon recipes that feature bacon and go beyond breakfast!

If you love bacon, Nellie Rickey’s (Vancouver, WA) Bacon Jam Spread will quickly become a favorite. “I promise you that this is not as odd as you might think… and once you taste it, you will become a believer,” thinks Nellie. And, she’s right.

The key is to cook the bacon and onions low and slow. Maple syrup and brown sugar help everything to caramelize. You’ll be finding excuses to enjoy this sweet, smoky, and delicious jam. Try it jam on a buttered biscuit, poured over warm baked brie, or on top of a burger.

Another fantastic bacony snack is Sherry Monfils’ (Worcester, MA) Bacon Cheeseburger Queso Dip. Queso with bacon? Yes, please!

“Oh my, do men seem to love this dip,” shares Sherry. “It’s meaty and cheesy and with bacon? Oh yeah!! Serve with hearty slices of bread and thick tortilla chips.”

This dip is going to go over well with everyone. It’s cheesy, smoky, and super easy to make. If you’re hosting a party for the big game in a couple of weeks, add this appetizer recipe to your menu now.

I love that Christine Schnepp (Sarasota, FL) decided to pair BBQ and bacon together when she came up with her Bacon BBQ Grilled Cheese Sandwich. Oh my.

“If you like bacon and BBQ then you will love this treat,” says Christine. “This is one of my hubby’s favorites. So simple and yummy.”

The sweetness of the BBQ sauce and the savory bacon go really well together and smoked provolone is a great addition. This is a quick, easy and yummy lunch or dinner. A nice change from a plain grilled cheese.

Make pizza night a little more special by serving Sue Lally’s (Vacaville, CA) Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza. It’s easy to follow with delicious results.

“I had some ground beef I needed to use up and wanted a cheeseburger, but didn’t have any hamburger buns,” reveals Sue. “So I thought… pizza!”

Honestly, this does taste like a bacon cheeseburger in pizza form. The “sauce” is what you’d expect to taste on a cheeseburger. It’s what makes this pizza a little different. This pizza has the perfect homemade crust as a base. Thick and slightly chewy… just the right texture.

Y’all know my fondness for sweets. Lauren Katz’s Ultimate Maple-Bacon Bourbon Cream Sandwich Cookies marries my two favorites – dessert and bacon.

“One of my all-time favorite cookies is the maple cream sandwich, and my idea of an ultimate flavor combination would have to include maple, bacon, bourbon, and brown sugar,” says Lauren. “I decided to throw caution to the wind and meld all these ingredients together into the most amazing cookies I have ever tasted.”

The Test Kitchen smelled heavenly while these were baking! We tasted each layer of the recipe as it’s being prepared, so we knew this was going to be good. The shortbread cookie is buttery and tender. With bourbon and maple extract, the buttercream center has a wonderful smoky-sweet flavor.

My favorite part, though, is the maple bacon drizzle. Reserved bacon fat is mixed with powdered sugar, maple syrup, and milk to create the most amazing glaze. One I could just eat with a spoon. Once assembled, you have an amazing bacon dessert.

If you suddenly have the urge to eat bacon after checking out these recipes, you’ll find even more ideas in our Bring on the Bacon recipe collection. Happy Pinching!