Wednesday, April 8, 2009

This & That Kitchen Junk Drawer Wednesday & Bacon, Bacon Where's The Bacon!!


I have been giving you healthy, good for you recipes, but believe me these two recipes are anything but that...Since we will soon be wearing sandals (I hope) I am also including a recipe for a Peppermint Foot Scrub!!

I know the Bacon Explosion is probably getting old for some of you, but an idea came to me: substitute hamburger for the sausage! Add cheese! Bacon Cheeseburger Explosion!

This was my first-ever bacon mat, and creating it was strangely satisfying. I used a whole 12 ounce package of applewood smoked bacon.

Next came a pound of 85% lean hamburger. I wish I hadn’t flattened it directly onto the bacon mat, as it stuck to the bacon and made it difficult to roll up. Next time I’ll measure out a piece of foil or waxed paper for the burger layer. I topped the meat with pepper and a little paprika, figuring that the bacon would provide enough salt. After that came 3 slices of deli cut American cheese and just a little pickled jalapeno for a kick. (could have used at least twice this much.)

Then I rolled it up with much difficulty, and patched any holes. I should have just put the cheese on one end and not tried to roll it into the whole thing. Would have been much easier.

Finally, I wrapped it in its cozy mat, and popped it in the oven at 350 degrees for one hour. The internal temperature when done was about 165 degrees. I let it sit for 10 minute before slicing.

As you can see, a lot of the cheese melted out and made a cheesy crust on the outside. I’m sure the cheese added some flavor to the meat, but I would really have preferred it if more of it had remained on the inside. Maybe a heartier cheese, like mozzarella, would have worked better. Should have just thrown in a string cheese.

All in all, I’d say it was a success. The end pieces went to the dog because, believe it or not, there was just too much bacon. Also, next time I make it, I’ll use a bit more hamburger so the roll has a larger diameter and the bacon mat just barely fits around. Any overlapping bacon stayed a bit soggy, which is not my thing. But for the most part it had a good burger to bacon ratio, and the jalapenos added a lot to the flavor. Not bad for a first try.

FRIED MAC & CHEESE:

Mac & Cheese Recipe:
4 cups cooked elbow macaroni, drained
2 cups grated Cheddar
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sour cream
4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Once you have the macaroni cooked and drained, place in a large bowl and while still hot, add the cheddar. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and add to the macaroni mixture. Pour macaroni mixture into a casserole dish and bake for 30 to 45 minutes. Top with additional cheese if desired.
The Fried Mac & Cheese
Ingredients
1 recipe prepared Mac & Cheese, chilled in the refrigerator overnight, and cut into 15 squares,
1 pound bacon
Flour
2 eggs, beaten
Plain bread crumbs
oil for frying
Directions
Heat oil to 350 degrees F.
Wrap each square of Mac & Cheese with 1 strip of bacon, and fasten with toothpick. Dredge each square in flour then egg and then bread crumbs to coat. Fry for about 3 minutes until golden brown.

PEPPERMINT FOOT SCRUB

1 cup white sugar
1 cup fine ground sea salt
1/2 cup green tea
1/8 cup peppermint oil
2 tablespoons pureed peppermint leaves
Mix salt & sugar in metal bowl...In separate bowl mix hot tea with oil & leaves. Pour into sugar mixture and stir well....Using hand held blender, blend for about 2-3 minutes. Place in clean lidded container and store in cool dry place...
DOUBLE DUTY:
I make a great home-made hand cleaner that also works to clean the leaves of dusty plants. Mix a cup of water, a teaspoon of soap and a teaspoon of olive oil into a spray bottle. Use it to clean your hands and keep those plants leaves dust free!




5 comments:

Janene said...

You ate that and are still losing weight?
I am so jealous!
Have a great Wednesday...and thank you for the recipes!

~Tonja~ said...

Wonderful job on the wrap..it all looks so good...and the others sound
good to...gonna have to try these...
Thanks for sharing...
Prim Blessings...
Tonja

Times of old creations said...

How you have managed to make your bacon wrap into a work of art...your are definitely the queen! That looks like something that crafting people could use to add to a doll or for a table decoration!LOL Looks too good and I love the idea of your peppermint scrub for feet. If it can make my feet look that young,as in your picture, I would be the happiest person around! Anti-aging recipe for younger looking feet!LOL Thanks for sharing all of this information!


Deb

RR Mama said...

Thanks for stopping1 Nice to meet you. I am going to have to try the bacon recipe. It looks yummy!! Have a Happy Easter

NorthwindStar said...

My mouth is watering and tummy growling now, thanks to your delicious recipes and wonderful pics to go with them! Thank you Sue for sharing. Always enjoy your blog so much!
Sending you and your loved ones a truly Blessed Easter my friend *s*
Hugs,
Lex