Bacon Ranch Spinach Pinwheels

    I've been playing around with the idea of tortilla pinwheels. I tried the buffalo chicken pinwheel a couple of weeks ago and I wasn't impressed. For our fourth of July shindig I actually made two different pinwheels. One was a cheddar, black olive, and green onion version that was pretty good. I really liked these ranch and bacon spinach pinwheels though!

Bacon Ranch Spinach Pinwheels

Ingredients:

- 1 (10 ounce) package of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

- 4 ounces of softened cream cheese, half of a package

- 1/2 cup of sour cream

- 1/2 of an envelope of ranch dip mix

- 3 bacon strips, cooked and chopped (about 1/4 cup)

- 3 green onions, chopped

- 3 or 4 (10 inch) flour tortillas

    In a medium sized bowl, beat together the cream cheese, sour cream, and ranch mix. Stir in the green onions, bacon, and spinach. Spread the mixture onto the tortillas, roll them up, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for an hour. Remove from refrigerator and slice into pinwheels. Serve chilled.

Bacon and Caramelized Onion Frittata

Happy Easter everyone! I whipped up a little breakfast for my family this morning! 

Bacon and Caramelized Onion Frittata

Ingredients:

- 12 slices of bacon

- 1 onion, roughly chopped

- 1 teaspoon of minced garlic

- 10 large eggs

- 1/4 cup of heavy whipping cream

- freshly ground pepper

- 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat a 10 inch cast iron skillet over medium heat and cook the bacon until crisp. I cooked them 4 slices at a time. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and whipping cream then, set aside. Lay the cooked bacon slices on a plate lined with paper towels and set aside. Drain most of the bacon fat, save about two tablespoons in the pan and toss in the onions. Saute the onions and grind black pepper to taste on top. Add the minced garlic and saute for a couple more minutes, until the onions start to caramelize. Cut the bacon into smaller pieces and add into the onion mixture. Pour the egg mixture on top and mix together. Let cook on the stove for about 5 minutes, stirring the eggs occasionally. Spread the shredded cheese on top and place the whole skillet into the oven for about 10 minutes. Once the middle has set and the cheese has melted, slice and enjoy. 

Bacon Wrapped Chicken and Pineapple Skewers

    This is another awesome recipe from my brother's going away party. This chicken came out perfect! I was running around like a crazy person so, my cousin helped by grilling these up for us and she did such an awesome job on them. Thank you Mindy!!

Bacon Wrapped Chicken and Pineapple Skewers

Ingredients: 

  For the brine:

- 7 cups of cold water
- 1 and 1/2 cup of soy sauce
- 1/4 cup of sugar
- 2 tablespoons of salt
  For the chicken:
- 2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1 pound of halved bacon slices
- 1 pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into chunks
- teriyaki sauce
- wooden skewers, soaked in water for at least an hour
    Mix together all of the ingredients for the brine in a large bowl, Place the whole chicken breasts in the brine, cover, and refrigerate for 45 minutes to an hour. Remove from the brine, cut the chicken breasts into chunks. Wrap the chicken pieces in bacon and skewer them with the chunks of pineapple. On a prepared barbecue grill, place the skewers and brush them with teriyaki sauce. Grill until the chicken has cooked all the way through. 

Bacon Brie and Pear Grilled Cheese Sandwich

    So, today is my 27th birthday! I invited my good friend Katrina over for lunch with my mom and I. While I was finishing up my Chickpea Cucumber Salad, my little brother showed up and surprised me! I made us all grilled cheese sandwiches full of bacon, brie cheese, onions, and pear! I will most definitely be making these again!

Bacon Brie and Pear Grilled Cheese

Ingredients:

- 1/2 of a ripe pear, thinly sliced

- 1/4 of a medium onion, sliced

- 1 tablespoon of butter, divided

- 4 large slices of brie cheese

- 3 large slices of cooked bacon

- 2 large slices of your favorite bread

    In a skillet, heat half of the butter and add the onion. Then, add the pear slices just to soften them a bit. Remove onion and pear from the pan. Spread butter on one side of both slices of bread. On medium heat, place one slice of bread, butter side down. Layer the onions, pear, cheese, and bacon. Place other slice on top, butter side up. Flip the sandwich when the bottom side is golden brown. When the top has browned and the cheese has melted it's finished. 

Slow Cooker Bacon Little Smokies

 These little bacon wrapped sausages are always a hit. You really can't go wrong with bacon!

Slow Cooker Bacon Little Smokies

Ingredients:

- 1 (16 ounce) package of bacon

- 2 (8 ounce) packages of cocktail sausages

- 1 and 1/2 cups of brown sugar

    Wrap each sausage in a third of a piece of bacon and secure with toothpicks. Place sausages in slow cooker. Sprinkle brown sugar over the top. Cook in slow cooker on high for 3.5 -4 hours. 

Bacon Cheddar Ranch Dip

    You really can't go wrong when bacon and cheese are involved!

Bacon Cheddar Ranch Dip

Ingredients:

- 1 16 ounce container of sour cream

- 1 8 ounce package of cream cheese, softened

- 1 packet of hidden valley ranch mix

- 1 cup of crumpled bacon

- 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese

    Mix everything together in the crock-pot and heat, on low, for 2 hours. Serve with crackers or chips. That's it! So easy! 

The Perfect Bacon

    I'm one of those die hard bacon fans. You know, those people who feel like it should have it's own food group and holiday. I've tried cooking it in a frying pan. I've even popped it in the microwave. The absolute best way to cook bacon is in the oven. Hands down. The best!

    All you have to do is cover a baking sheet with tin foil. This will make for easy clean up. Place your bacon strips in rows and bake at 375 degrees for 18-20 minutes. Voila, perfect crispy bacon. You don't even need to flip it once. It just comes out crispy and amazing!