8 Great Bacon Recipes

Recipes that prove bacon makes everything — chicken, cheese, pasta, and more — taste better! Here are 8 great Epicurious Dot Com recipes from Yahoo! Shine:

Grilled Cheddar, Tomato, and Bacon Sandwiches
Ingredients
• 8 thick-cut bacon slices
• 8 slices country-style sourdough bread or batard (cut on deep diagonal into 5x3x1/2-inch slices)
• 2 cups (packed) grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese (about 8 ounces)
• 8 tomato slices, seeds removed, slices drained on paper towels
• 4 tablespoons mayonnaise

Preparation
Cook bacon in heavy large skillet over medium heat until brown and crisp, turning occasionally, about 6 minutes. Transfer bacon to paper towels and drain. Wash and dry skillet.

Place 4 bread slices on work surface. Press 1/4 cup grated cheese onto each slice. Top each with 2 tomato slices. Sprinkle with pepper. Place 2 bacon slices atop each, breaking into pieces if necessary to fit. Press 1/4 cup grated cheese over bacon on each. Top sandwiches with remaining bread slices, then spread 1/2 tablespoon mayonnaise over top of each sandwich. Heat 2 heavy large skillets over medium heat. Add 2 sandwiches, mayonnaise side down, to each skillet. Place plate atop both sandwiches to weigh down. Cook sandwiches until bottom is golden brown, about 2 minutes. Spread top of each sandwich with 1/2 tablespoon mayonnaise. Turn sandwiches over, mayonnaise side down. Top with plates and cook until golden brown on bottom, about 2 minutes. Transfer sandwiches to work surface. Cut sandwiches crosswise in half and serve.


Sweet and Spicy Bacon

Ingredients
• 1 1/2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• Rounded 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• Rounded 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 lb thick-cut bacon (12 slices)

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F.


Stir together brown sugar, cayenne, and black pepper in a small bowl.

Arrange bacon slices in l layer on a large broiler pan and bake in middle of oven (or upper third of oven if baking with eggs) 20 minutes. Turn slices over and sprinkle evenly with spiced sugar. Continue baking until bacon is crisp and brown, 15 to 20 minutes more, then transfer to paper towels to drain.

Note: This one I tried, and although I did it in a nonstick frying pan rather than in the oven, it turned out very well. I love it!


Onion, Cheese, and Bacon Tart

Ingredients
Crust
• 1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons chilled solid vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons (or more) ice water

Filling
• 3 thick-cut bacon slices, chopped
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• Pinch of sugar
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Generous pinch of salt
• Generous pinch of ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup (packed) coarsely grated Gruyère cheese

Preparation
For crust:
Blend flour and salt in processor. Add butter and shortening; using on/off turns, cut in until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 2 tablespoons ice water and process until moist clumps form, adding more ice water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and chill at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Roll out dough on lightly floured work surface to 11-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Press dough onto bottom and up sides of pan. Pierce crust all over with fork. Freeze 10 minutes. Line crust with foil; fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake crust 10 minutes. Remove foil and beans. Bake until crust is set and partially cooked through, about 15 minutes longer. Cool crust while making filling. Maintain oven temperature.

For filling:
Sauté bacon in medium skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 4 minutes. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Add onion and pinch of sugar to drippings in skillet and sauté until onion is deep golden brown, about 20 minutes. Whisk cream, egg, egg yolk, pepper, salt, and nutmeg in small bowl to blend. Spread onion over bottom of baked crust; sprinkle bacon over, then cheese. Pour cream mixture over.

Bake until tart is puffed and filling is set, about 25 minutes. Cool tart on rack 10 minutes. Remove pan sides. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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