bacon - Around My Family Table

Stuffed BBQ Shrimp

February 14, 2013 · by Wendy O'Neal · 6 Comments

Happy Valentine’s Day! I have the perfect easy {yet impressive} meal for you to surprise your sweetie with! I made these Claim Jumper copy cat stuffed BBQ shrimp for Hubbyman. He feel in love with them the last time we ate at Claim Jumper. One small problem though, I couldn’t taste those wonderful looking bacon wrapped shrimp that were perched up on a bed of rice on Hubbyman’s plate. So, I had to figure out a way to make them for both of us to enjoy!

I think this is the perfect bite of food! Seriously, what could be better than jumbo shrimp stuffed with cream cheese and jalapeno then wrapped in bacon and glazed in BBQ sauce all served over a bed of rice. Is your mouth watering yet?

Don’t let the idea of wrapping shrimp in bacon with jalapenos scare you. Really, it couldn’t be any easier. I can’t even truly call it a recipe…more of a how to.

That’s it in a nut shell. Slice a jalepeno, top with a tad of cream cheese (or vegan cream cheese, like I did), stick the shrimp on top, and wrap in bacon. Cook and Eat!

What do you think? Are they worthy of making for your special someone? My Hubbyman would say absolutely!

Stuffed BBQ Shrimp

Jumbo shrimp are stuffed with cream cheese and jalapeno then wrapped in bacon and glazed in a sweet BBQ sauce.

12 raw jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/4 cup {vegan} cream cheese

2 large jalapenos, sliced on the bias

6 slices bacon, uncooked

1/4 cup sweet BBQ sauce

Preheat oven to 425F. Line a baking sheet with tin foil.

Cut bacon in half, making 12 short slices of uncooked bacon. Lay out sliced jalapenos in a single layer and top each one with a small amount of cream cheese. Place a shrimp on top of each jalepeno/cream cheese piece and then gently wrap bacon around shrimp (making sure that the seem of the bacon is on the bottom side of the jalapeno).

Place on prepared baking sheet and baste with BBQ sauce. Bake for 10 minutes and then gently turn over bacon wrapped shrimp. Baste with more BBQ sauce. Cook an additional 5-10 minutes or until bacon is fully cooked.

http://www.aroundmyfamilytable.com/2013/02/stuffed-bbq-shrimp/

Filed Under: appetizers, df appetizers, df main dishes, ef appetizers, ef main dishes, gf appetizers, gf main dishes, seafood · Tagged: appetizer, bacon, dairy free, gluten free, main dish, seafood

Shrimp and Bacon Kabobs

May 24, 2012 · by Wendy O'Neal · 29 Comments

Around our house, we celebrate summer with kabobs! If we can put it on a skewer then we grill it up. One of my favorites is shrimp and bacon. It’s very versatile and goes with a ton of different marinades. However, over the years we have figured out a couple tricks for these tasty suppers on a stick.

I recently had the change to try some of Lawry’s new marinades and when I opened up the new Santa Fe Chili marinade, I knew it would be PERFECT for my shrimp and bacon skewers. It wasn’t spicy at all, but full of flavor with tons of herbs and spices and a little bit sweet. Honestly, this was the first time we were able to get our kiddos to try shrimp..and they loved it.

I was checking out Lawry’s site and saw that I could make my own Dinnertisement (aka my own commercial). It was fun and took just a minute or two and then the kids made me play it over and over and OVER! Here is mine: AMFT Dinnertisement

Shrimp and Bacon Kabobs

12 oz 41-60 shrimp, peeled and deviened

6 slices thick-cut bacon, uncooked

1/2 bottle Lawry's Santa Fe Chili Marinade*

6 bamboo skewers

paper towels

lime wedges

Place shrimp in a large zip-top baggie (or medium bowl) and cover with marinade. Place in refrigerator and allow to marinade for 30-60 minutes.

Soak bamboo skewers, while bacon cooks. place 2 paper towels n a microwave safe plate, lay bacon in a single layer on towels, top with two more paper towels. Cook on high heat for 5 minutes. Check bacon. It should still be little uncooked, enough that it can bend and be threaded on the skewers. If it's too raw, then it won't finish cooking on the grill and too done and it won't thread on the skewers. Bacon should look similar to this:

Remove skewers from water. Place a shrimp on skewer, then add the bacon, another shrimp, weave the bacon around and back onto the skewer. Repeat for about 5 shrimps or until bacon is used up. Repeat for other 5 skewers.

Lightly oil grill and preheat to medium-high heat. Turn down to medium heat. Place skewers over direct heat and cook. Use fresh marinade to baste the shrimp and bacon while cooking. Shrimp cook fast, only a couple minutes on each side (this is why partially pre-cooking the bacon is so important).

*Or use your favorite marinade

http://www.aroundmyfamilytable.com/2012/05/shrimp-and-bacon-kabobs/

Disclaimer: I was compensated for my post and provided product to use. The opinions are my own.

Filed Under: grilling, main dishes, seafood · Tagged: bacon, grilling, shrimp

Bacon Cheddar Scones

May 21, 2012 · by Wendy O'Neal · 21 Comments

We went on a short staycation last week and ate WAY too much! We had a blast, loved all the fun activities, and ate WAY too much. Yes, it was worth repeating! But we had some amazing food. Trust me…I will share all about our staycation in a couple weeks, but I had to recreate one dish this weekend.

On Mother’s Day, we ate at a nice restaurant at the Westin Kierland Resort in Scottsdale, AZ. I ordered the scones, one sweet and one savory…they said it was a Scottish savory scone. Um…okay. Sounded good to me! Well…I had to fight off the rest of my family for my scone…my Mother’s Day breakfast was under attack. I knew then that I had to recreate it at home.

I’ve made several scone recipes before, but they were sweet. And I had the most amazing Irish cheddar cheese sitting in my fridge dying to be used in a tasty dish. Is that wrong? I used Irish cheese in a “Scottish” scone? I might have broken some sort of UK law. Shhh…don’t tell! So, I got up early yesterday morning and started playing around with the recipe.

Okay, so at 6:45 in the morning, I’m not always functional. I couldn’t find my biscuit cutter anywhere…so I dipped a cup in a little flour and then cut my scones with it! This dough is so tender that it worked perfectly.

Bake…Smell…Wait…Drool

Awwww…FINALLY!

Bacon Cheddar Scones

2 cups AP flour (plus more for kneading)

2 tbls sugar

1 tbl baking powder

5 tbls cold butter, cut into to small cubes

3/4-1 cup half and half (whole milk or heavy cream work well too)

5 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled

4 oz cheddar cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 400. Prepare a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray or parchment. In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, and baking powder. Cut in butter with pastry blender or fork until crumbly. Stir in half and half. Gently fold in cheddar cheese and bacon.

On a lightly floured surface, knead dough 5 or 6 times. Roll dough into a 1/2-inch thick circle.** Use a biscuit cutter, or cup, dipped in flour and cut out scones. Combine scraps and cut again. Place dough circles on prepared pan. Brush tops with a little half and half.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. When scones have cooled completely, sprinkle with powdered sugar.

**Or divide dough in half and make two smaller circles. Cut into 8 triangles each. This makes a nice size for taking to a brunch potluck or if you are having a lot of other food.

http://www.aroundmyfamilytable.com/2012/05/bacon-cheddar-scones/

Seriously…If you want sneak peaks, you have to follow me on Instagram (myfamilytable)!

Thank you Kerrygold for beginning my obsession with this cheese! It’s absolutely amazing. Kerrygold USA was a Camp Blogaway Sponsor. I was not obligated to use their product! But why wouldn’t I…it’s delicious!

Filed Under: breakfasts, savory · Tagged: bacon, baking, breakfast, brunch, cheese, scone

Nutella & Bacon Crescent Rolls

May 9, 2012 · by Wendy O'Neal · 10 Comments

I usually share my own recipes, but this one I just couldn’t hold off on sharing any longer. I had a Ladies Brunch several months ago and asked that everyone bring a dish to share. My friend, who makes the Eggplant Meatballs, brought this dish. We were all a little hesitant at first to try it….afterall it had Nutells and Bacon?!?!?

It didn’t take long after the first brave soul tried one for the rest of us to jump in and DEVOUR the platter of crescent roll heaven. Salty, sweet, light, and fluffy! They are perfect for breakfast, brunch, snacks, or dessert. I will never admit how many of these bad boys I ate, but let’s just leave it at A LOT!!!!

My friend, did not come up with the recipe…it’s straight from the Pillsbury website. Why mess with a perfectly good recipe!

Nutella & Bacon Crescent Rolls

1 can (8 oz) refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

8 tsps Nutella

8 slices bacon, crisply cooked, crumbled

Powdered sugar, if desired

Heat oven to 350°F. Separate dough into 8 triangles. Spread 1 tsp Nutella on surface of each triangle. Sprinkle with small amount of crumbled bacon.

Roll up each triangle, starting at shortest side, rolling to opposite point. Sprinkle a little extra bacon on top of each roll. Place rolls point side down on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Enjoy!

Serve warm or room temperature.

http://www.aroundmyfamilytable.com/2012/05/nutella-bacon-crescent-rolls/

Filed Under: appetizers, breakfasts, brownies/bars, desserts, savory, sweet · Tagged: bacon, brunch, nutella

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers

October 4, 2011 · by Wendy O'Neal · 9 Comments

We were recently visiting with my cousin and he mentioned how they make bacon wrapped jalapenos while camping. He had a tasty little picture on his phone and it looked AMAZING. Hubbyman quickly reminded me that we had a jalapeno popper tray that we got on clearance and hadn’t use yet. I know what he was thinking!

This is my version of what my cousin described and they were soooo good. I can’t believe how simple they were. I actually used a smoked salt that hubbyman experimented with making the last time we used our smoker. I’ll share that some other time. Feel free to use kosher salt or even seasoning salt.

Check out my cool bacon tip below!

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers

10 jalapeno peppers
5 slices of bacon, cut in half
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp kosher salt

Wash peppers and cut the tops off. Use a pairing knife to cut out the seeds and membranes from the inside without cutting the pepper (wear gloves if you need to). Combine cheeses and salt in a small mixing bowl.

Gently wrap bacon* around the jalapenos and place jalapenos in a jalapeno popper stand. Put the cheese mixture in a pastry bag (or zip baggie with one corner cut off). Fill the jalapenos with cheese mixture.

Preheat grill to medium heat. Place popper rack on the grill over direct heat. Cook for approximately 5-10 minutes. Rotate rack once during cooking so that they cook evenly.

*Note: If you have trouble getting the bacon done and crispy, put bacon on a plate lined with a paper towel and one on top in the microwave for 1-2 minutes. This precooks the bacon just a little bit. This works for bacon wrapped shrimp on a skewer and for bacon wrapped tenderloins (aka filet mignon) too!

Filed Under: appetizers, grilling · Tagged: appetizers, bacon, grilling, jalapenos

Skillet Bacon Jam Review

July 30, 2011 · by Wendy O'Neal · 1 Comment

When I first heard about Skillet Bacon Jam, I was very intrigued on what this could possibly taste like. My whole family are bacon fans, so as soon as my package arrived we tore into and found anything we could to put it on. Luckily, we had some leftover buttermilk biscuits from the previous night’s supper to try it on! It was everything I thought it would be and actually had a very similar flavor to my pot roast.

We started brainstorming some other things to put it in: BLT’s, ranch dip for veggies, topping for a creamy soup, the possibilities are endless.

In short, this bacon spread condiment called bacon jam. They use niman ranch bacon and render it down with onions, balsamic vinegar, and other spices. It cooks for several hours until it is a perfect blend of smoky, tangy, savory and slightly sweet….basically spreadable bacony goodness! YUM!

For more information visit Skillet Bacon Jam online or send them a quick email (eat@skilletstreetfood.com).

Disclaimer: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Filed Under: foods, review · Tagged: bacon, reviews

Jalapeno Bacon Cheeseburger

February 18, 2011 · by Wendy O'Neal · 6 Comments

This is my all-time favorite way to eat a hamburger. It is perfect in every way….of course, having hubbyman that is an awesome grill master helps!

Jalapeno Bacon Cheeseburger

1 1/2 lbs ground beef

1-2 tbls grill seasoning (such as McCormick Montreal Grill Seasoning)

1-2 tbls Worcestershire sauce

1 onion, diced

1 jalapeno, sliced into rings

8 slices of bacon, cooked (see my oven method)

2-4 tbls BBQ sauce

4 slices of cheese

4 hamburger buns

Combine ground beef, seasoning, and Worcestershire sauce. Divide into 4equal parts and form into patties. Grill over medium heat, flipping once, until they are thoroughly cooked ~10 mins. Toast buns at the same time, if desired.

Meanwhile, saute diced onions in a large skillet on high. Allow them to caramelize (letting them turn a little translucent and then brown on the edges). Do not cover or add water as that will just steam the onions. You want them to get sweet.

When the burgers and onions are done, assemble them. Bottom bun, BBQ sauce, burger, cheese, 2 slices of bacon, a couple slices of jalepeno, and a spoonful of onions, more BBQ sauce if desired, and finely top bun! Enjoy!!!

Serves 4.

Filed Under: beef, grilling, main dishes · Tagged: bacon, beef, cheese, grilling, sandwiches

Layered Salad

December 29, 2010 · by Wendy O'Neal · 1 Comment

I have been making this salad for years. It’s such an easy salad to make for a large group, potluck, or holiday. It’s pretty and tastes great too.

I know the thought of Miracle Whip all over your salad will freak some of you out. Just try it! I am not a huge Miracle Whip fan myself, but this salad is tasty with it. NO, you cannot use mayo….Miracle Whip is actually a dressing, so it works perfectly here.

Layered Salad
6 cups iceberg lettuce, shredded
2 cups chopped tomatoes
1 can sliced black olives (3.8 oz)
10 oz frozen green peas, thawed and drained
4 oz cheddar cheese, cubed
1 cup diced red onion
1 jar Miracle Whip (16 oz)
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded

Layer lettuce, tomato, olives, peas, cubed cheese, and onion in a 2-3 qt serving bowl or trifle bowl.
Spread dressing over onions to edge of bowl to seal. Cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight.
Garnish with bacon and shredded cheese.

Filed Under: appetizers, salads · Tagged: bacon, make ahead, party food, salad, veggies

Apple Sausage Dressing

December 7, 2010 · by Wendy O'Neal · 3 Comments

Dressing or Stuffing? Stuffing or Dressing? Which do you like? Do you even know the difference? They are essentially the same exact thing….except stuffing is “stuffed” into the bird and cooked there, while dressing is cooked in a pan. I can’t stand stuffing….Hubbyman doesn’t really care for dressing. It was a rough few years of marriage trying to decide which one to have.

Luckily, many years ago, we visited friends for Thanksgiving. They made the most wonderful spread of food and totally different than what we normally made. Our feud ended that day when we both fell in love with this dressing! I’ve changed it just a little over the years and it gets rave reviews every time I make it.

Apple Sausage Dressing
1 lb. sausage links, diced
1 package bacon, diced
1 lg onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup celery, chopped
1/2 lb. mushrooms, sliced
2 apples, diced & cored (peel on, leaving the peel on keeps the apple from breaking down)
1/4 cup dried parsley
1 tsp dried sage
1 tsp dried thyme
1 lb. bread cubes (1 package)*
2-3 cups chicken broth
Salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350.

Brown sausage in a large skillet until no longer pink. Remove from pan and add in bacon. Cook until completely crisp (it won’t “crisp” up any more than what it is here). Remove from pan.

Drain off a little of the bacon fat, leaving about 2 tbls. Add onion, celery, mushrooms, apples, and garlic to the pan to saute. Add parsley, sage, and thyme. Continue sauteing until vegetables are tender.

When everything is cooked, add sausage, bacon, and vegetable mix to a large tin foil turkey roaster. Mix in bread cubes. Slowly add in broth. Mix well to ensure everything is well coated and moist. Cover with foil and cook for about 1 hour.

Make a day ahead, only bake for 30 minutes and refrigerate. On day of serving, cook for about 1 hour to heat through.

*Unseasoned works best if you can find it, but the seasoned bread cubes work too!