Here is a very simple recipe for a delightfully delicious and temptingly tasty substitute for that “a little too regular, increasingly boring, every-day vegetable soup that literally every loves but is simply getting a bit tired of / bored with after too many appearances on the kitchen table this year.

There certainly will be no “suffering with THIS succotash, as this flavorful break away from the ordinary is sure to put smiles on everyone’s faces and a good feeling in your heart and mind, knowing that you fed them some seriously good eatin’! Enjoy!

(Serves

1 lb. Gourmet Sun-dried Tomato Bacon

8 ears of corn, chopped into thirds

2 large red bell peppers, chopped

2 large onions, chopped

2 “15 oz” cans of low-sodium chicken broth

4 cups of fresh lima beans

4 cups of green squash 

6 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tsp. of dried thyme

½ tsp. crushed red pepper

½ tsp. salt

Instructions:

Heat a large frying pan over a medium-high heat and place the bacon in the pan. Cook the bacon till crisp by frying for 3 to 4 minutes on each side.

When bacon is crispy, remove to paper towel lined plate and once cool enough to touch, pat with another paper towel to remove excess grease.

Now add the onion to pan and cook, stirring and turning continually until lightly browned.

Add the bell pepper, squash, garlic, thyme, salt and red pepper flakes to the pan of onions and cook while continuously stirring for another 3 to 4 minutes.

Pour the chicken broth into the pan, being sure to stir up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

Now add the corn and lima beans, turning then often so that they cook evenly and until the corn and beans are tender and the liquid reduces slightly to a thicker, soupy broth like consistency, approximately 5 minutes.

Now chop the bacon into quarters and stir into the mixture, allowing the bacon to saturate itself into the mix for about 5 minutes on a very low flame / heat.

Serve and Enjoy!

Growing up in a family that was originally from a very tropical place, meant that there was always fruit in the house. The counter was always littered with slices or baskets of watermelons, oranges, strawberries, blackberries, mangos, grapes, etc. etc. etc. With such a variety of fruit always at an arm’s reach, it was almost natural to love fruit salads.

Everyone makes fruit salads differently. It’s all about personal preferences. My favorite type of fruit salad has small square shaped chunks of fruit, mixed together with a little bit of condensed milk with grated mozzarella cheese and coconut on top. For anyone who hasn’t tried it, it’s delicious but you have to make sure to use at least 6 different types of fruits (mangos, bananas, apples, strawberries, oranges, and grapes work well). As the end of summer approaches, I decided to look up fun picnic meals. Here is where I discovered the bacon fruit salad.

I didn’t really look too much at what was in the salad (aside from remembering there was watermelon). But the idea of adding bacon to my favorite fruit salad, suddenly seemed amazing. That little bit of salt, I’m not sure if the condense milk would still be as good but I might try it both ways. But the bacon could replace the cheese, or who knows the cheese might be as delicious on the fruit with the added compliment of the bacon. I wanted to share my excitement and suggest to all fellow bacon and possible fruit lovers this awesome combination.

Thank goodness for great weather, great times, great friends and great opportunities to eat outside under the wide open, sunny skies or cloudless, moonlit evenings with our family and all the other people who are truly near and dear and very important in our lives.

Here’s a great recipe that Boss Hog’s family has been handing down generation after generation, for those really special times when it people get hungry, but it’s more important to be spending time with the prized company at hand, than being off in the kitchen for hours sweating over a hot stove.

Enjoy the scrumptious simplicity and delightful “deliciousity” of Boss Hog’s Bodacious BBQ Bacon And Bean Salad!

Boss Hog’s Bodacious BBQ Bacon And Bean Salad

(Serves 8 )

Ingredients:

1 lb. Boss Hog Honey BBQ Rubbed Bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 large onions, diced

4 “15 oz.” cans of white beans, drained

1 jar or 15 oz. can of olives (black, green, or mixed)15 oz.” cans of corn kernels, drained

2 “15 oz.” cans of corn kernels, drained

1 cup Gourmet BBQ Sauce

½ cup chives, finely chopped medium bulbs of fennel, finely chopped tbsp. apple cider vinegar

2 medium bulbs of fennel, finely chopped

2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp. garlic powder

1tsp. powered cayenne pepper

1 tsp. smoked paprikaSalt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Cook the bacon till lightly browned in a large frying pan, over a medium flame or heat, approximately 4 to 5 minutes.the bacon is nice and crispy and the onions are tender and lightly browned

Now pour the chopped onions into the pan along with the bacon; and sauté them until

Take the pan off of the stove.

Drain all but about 2 tbsp. of bacon grease from the pan, leaving the bacon and onions in the pan.

Now slowly and carefully stir in the smoked paprika and the Gourmet BBQ Sauce.

Transfer the contents of the pan into a bowl and place the bowl in the freezer for 12 minutes.mix the corn, beans, olives and fennel together.

Now in a large mixing bowl,

Now toss in the cooled bacon mixture and toss it well.

Sprinkle in the apple cider vinegar and season with garlic powder, salt and pepper.

Garnish with the chopped chives.

Serve with chips and dip / salsa, some multigrain bread and a nice cold glass of Sangria and fruit juice or lemonade for the kids!

Enjoy!

There have been so many numerous incarnations and variations of the Bacon Burger over the past few months, that everybody’s favorite “Gourmet Guru” Emiril Lagasse; finally decided that enough is enough … and so BAM … he has now just released this absolutely awesome recipe from his very own personal collection “tempting taste treat treasures.”

This recipe is specifically custom crafted for us genuine gourmands who are seeking a more elevated evolution of the “busy burgers” currently being bantered about by every single fast food chain on the planet.

Emeril’s Home-Ground Burgers with Bacon, Cheese, and Fresh Thyme

(Serves 4)

Ingredients

2 pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes

6 ounces bacon, chopped

1 cup finely chopped onion

3 tablespoons thinly sliced garlic

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

8 slices cheddar cheese

4 sesame-seed hamburger rolls, lightly toasted

1 1/2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce

8 thin slices tomato

Mayonnaise, for serving

Ketchup, for serving

Mustard, for serving

Pickles, for serving

Ingredients for Orange-Habanero Ketchup

2 tablespoons olive oil

3/4 cup finely chopped onion

1 habanero chile, stemmed and seeded

1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

2 teaspoons grated orange zest

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground mustard

1/4 teaspoon ground mace

One 28-ounce can whole plum tomatoes (with the juice), broken into pieces

Cooking Directions

1. Place the diced chuck in a large bowl.

2. Set a 10-inch sauté pan over medium heat and add the bacon. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is crisp and most of the fat has been rendered (for about 7 or 8 minutes.)

3. Add the onions to the pan and cook them until they are softened (about 4 to 5 minutes.)

4. Add the garlic and cook for about a minute, until it’s fragrant.

5. Add the thyme and toss to combine.

6. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the mixture over the diced chuck. Drizzle with the Worcestershire, and season with the salt and pepper. Toss gently but thoroughly to combine. Cover and set aside to marinate, refrigerated, for 1 hour.

7. Assemble a home grinder according to the manufacturer’s instructions, using a medium die for grinding. Grind the meat mixture and then gently form it into 4 patties, being careful not to overwork it. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.

8. Pre-heat a grill to medium, and lightly oil the grate.

9. Remove the patties from the refrigerator and place them on the grill. Cook for 7 to 8 minutes. Then turn them over and place 2 slices of the cheddar on each burger. Cook for another 7 to 8 minutes for medium-rare to medium, or until the burgers are cooked to the desired degree of doneness.

10. Place a burger on the bottom of each of the 4 toasted buns. Dress with the lettuce

and tomatoes, and add mayo, ketchup, mustard, and pickles as desired. Serve immediately.

How to Prepare the Orange-Habanero Ketchup

1. Set a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the onions, habanero, garlic, and ginger and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes, until softened.

2. Add the wine vinegar, cider vinegar, brown sugar, orange juice, orange zest, kosher salt, mustard, and mace. Stir to combine.

3. Bring the sauce to a boil, and add the tomatoes and tomato juices. Continue to cook for about 20 or 25 minutes until the liquid has been reduced by half.

2. Remove the pan from the heat and set it aside to cool briefly, then transfer the mixture to a food processor, and puree until very smooth. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.

3. Store the ketchup in a clean non-reactive container in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. This preparation yields about 3 cups.

Special thanks for this recipe go out to Chef Emeril Lagasse, from the book “Emeril at the Grill,” published by Harper Studio Publisher , New York, 2009, courtesy of Martha Stewart’s MSLO, Inc.

While off looking for a new, exciting twist on the ever popular Bacon Cup, a most visually stunning version of a recipe for Bacon Cups popped onto the computer screen and I knew immediately that I had to share it with you, even if just for the excellent photos that come with the recipe.

The recipe and the photos come to us from Megan Reardon of the blog “Not Martha” and her “artistic eye” for aesthetic expression and passionate photographic prowess is truly impressive, check this out:

Bacon Cups

I had an occasion calling for bacon themed food and my mind immediately turned towards the famed bacon mat. I needed something a little more single-serving though, so I decided to attempt bacon cups. In the bacon mat instructions there is mention of draping the mat over an overturned metal bowl and cooking it so that it would turn out in as a bowl shape. I decided to try using the backs of various muffin and mini cake pans, I ran out of bacon before I got to try as many as I would have liked so I’ll have to try more at a later date. Any excuse for more bacon.

I set the oven at 400 degrees and carefully formed foil over the back of the muffin pan. I did not coat with cooking spray, it would have been easier to remove but I suspect that the bacon would not have held the form as well if the foil was oiled and would have popped apart half way through cooking. On the other hand some bacon did break when I was peeling away the foil. I cooked the bacon, moving the pans around, until it was crisp looking and waited for it to cool before removing the foil and shaped bacon.

This all took three hours and my house filled with smoke, but it was worth it. Be sure to put a cookie sheet with a rim below the cooking bacon in the oven, there was a lot of dripping fat and I saw a few flames. Watch your oven carefully!

For cup shapes I used the back of this Wilton King-Size Muffin Pan. These are the width of jumbo muffins but are almost twice as tall (see this cupcake for a visual).

For the first try I used two layers of bacon on the sides and wove it like a basket, or at least like I imagine a basket would be woven.

I turned out to not be enough after the bacon cooked and shrank.

It held its structure very well though.

The next time I used three layers of bacon on the sides, this worked out better.

For as floppy as the bacon is when trying to weave it, it keeps its shape really well once cooked to the point that it is crisp.

I also tried to make small round bowls using the back of a Betty Crocker mini filled cake pan.

It shrank up quite a lot, leaving more of a shallow rounded shape.

Going for a breadless BLT I filled the cups with lettuce (the arugula was the best) and sliced cherry tomato. After some serious investigation it was determined that the shallow bowls were the easiest to eat as finger food, while the cups were dramatic.

I had hoped to make a mayo-based salad dressing to really fill out my BLT theme but I completely ran out of time. Overall, a success.

Boss Hog doesn’t mean to completely blow your mind or make all of the “Fast Food” joints out there feel bad and sorry for what they are doing, but here’s the “dag burn” truth of the matter!

The fact is, you can enjoy serving up 4 of the most outrageously delicious, top quality, premium, country style gourmet BBQ Bacon Cheeseburgers for less money than it would cost to go pick them up at a drive through window, and the burgers will be twice as big, 4 times more healthy and 5 times as tasty and enjoyable, while simultaneously being about 180 calories lighter with about 20% more protein, 30% less fat and 30% less saturated fat, while maintaining a carbohydrate percentage that is actually lower than the store bought burgers.

It’s not a miracle; it’s simply choosing to use only the finest, freshest, top of the line ingredients in the preparation of the meal.

Sound good? Then let’s do this thing!

Boss Hog’s Authentic, Country Style Gourmet BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger

(Serves 4)

Ingredients: ounces of prime, ground beef  

16

2 tbsp freshly ground garlic

Salt to taste.

12 slices of Bacon Freak’s Bourbon Street Cajun Style Smoked Country Bacon

4 wheat hamburger buns

4 slices sharp cheddar cheese

4 slices jack cheese

4 thick slices of red onion

4 thick slices of tomato

1 jar of Coastal Vineyards Gourmet BBQ Sauce

Instructions:

Grind your prime beef till it has the consistency of common, uncooked hamburger meat.ack the beef tightly together with your hands.

Mix the ground garlic into the meat and p

Shape the meat into 4-inch-diameter patties on a sheet of wax paper.

Sprinkle lightly with salt on both sides, and then place in the freezer for 10 minutes in order to help the patty maintain its shape.Preheat a grill to high.

Place the bacon on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven at 400 degrees for about 16 minutes, turning the bacon every 4 minutes until the bacon is cooked to your preferred level of crispiness.

Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to absorb all excess bacon grease.emove the patties from the freezer and allow them to marinate in a bowl of the BBQ sauce for about 5 minutes.

R

Now place the burgers on the grill.

Cook to desired preference of “done-ness, turning the burger ever 2 minutes to get a consistent grilling for the meat.

Toast the bun halves on an upper grill rack for 30 seconds to 1 minute, watching them carefully.

Place the cheese on top of the burger for the last few seconds of cooking so it just begins to melt.Add the patty to the toasted bun bottom.

Crisscross the 3 bacon strips on top of the burger.

Generously lather the cooked burgers with more BBQ Sauce on the top of the burger and then carefully place the onion and tomato on top.

Serve with some potato salad, or natural cut French fried potatoes, large dill pickles and a beverage of your choice.  Enjoy!

Boss Hog likes to serve this up deliciously delectable dish up, whenever the Bacon Freak gang gets together to have some “fashionably freaky” food and family fun! It truly is the perfect balance between elegantly sophisticated culinary “gourmet-manship” and a good ole fashioned, western fireside feast.

This is an absolutely amazing recipe, as the sautéed mushrooms and onions are simmered in the wonderful Bordeaux marinade that naturally gives this rich sauce a subtle hint of slightly sweet caramel. Be sure to take the time to marinate the steak the very first thing in the morning before you go do anything else, and you will be thankful once you put the first bite of this delicacy in your mouth.

Boss Hog’s “Baby Bubba” Bacon-wrapped, Bordeaux Basted Beef Banquet

(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

1 pound Bacon Freak Baby Bubba’s Butcher Block Hickory Smoked & Peppered Bacon

2 cups premium Bordeaux wine

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 

2 teaspoons dried oregano 

1 teaspoon salt 

1 teaspoon ground black pepper 

1 teaspoon minced garlic 

1 tablespoon premium, gourmet olive oil

2 cups sliced mushrooms 

1/2 cup chopped onion 

Directions:

Place your strips of steak into bowl or glass dish.

To create your marinade, mix together the Bordeaux wine, parsley, oregano, salt, pepper and garlic.

Pour the marinade over the steak and allow it to soak in the sauce solution for at least 8 hours in the refrigerator.

When ready to cook, first cook your bacon just enough to ensure that it is brown on both sides, but still flexible and able to be wrapped.

Now pour enough gourmet olive oil into a large skillet to slowly sauté the mushrooms and onions without them burning or sticking to the bottom of the pan. Sauté until they are browned and soft.

Remove vegetables from skillet and set aside.

Remove the steak strips from the marinade and set the reserve marinade aside for later.

Brown the steak strips in the same skillet. Brown them to the point that the steak is cooked, but still rare to medium rare.

Now wrap the still flexible bacon slices around the steak strips and use a toothpick to hold the bacon intact.

Add the reserve marinade, as well as the mushrooms and onions to the skillet and allow the contents to slowly continue cooking on a low heat for about 30 minutes. Be sure to continue to turn the steak ever 5 minutes to ensure that both sides are cooked consistently and throughout as well as ensure that the wrapped bacon is completely cooked.

When the steak and bacon are cooked to your preference, serve it all up on a plate with your favorite side dishes and have yourself a “Hog Heaven” hootenanny!

Enjoy!

Looking for a something flavorfully zesty, “bodaciously bacony” and simply sizzlin’ with a scrumptious southern style, just wild enough to keep your alertly excited taste buds at full attention, while being sophisticated enough to keep your all of your genuine, gourmet “good buddies” thoroughly impressed and coming back for more?

Introducing Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Shrimp!

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Shrimp

(Yields 32 appetizers) 

Ingredients:

1 quart gourmet olive oil

32 peeled and de-veined medium shrimp, tail-on

4 ounces of pickled jalapeno peppers, cut into slivers

Now that lobster season has officially opened up in beautiful northern Atlantic coastal regions, it’s time to celebrate the arrival of “Surf and Turf” time with a delicious dish that is actually more of a “Surf & Trotter” meal that always gets Boss Hog smiling form ear to ear.

If you like bacon, cheese and lobster, then you are absolutely going to love …

Boss Hog’s Bacon, Lobster, Macaroni & Cheese Delight

(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

1 ½ lb. lobster  cooked, shelled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

5 oz. Boss Hog’s Hickory Smoked, Brown Sugar Cured Bacon chopped into ½ inch segments and lightly browned in the oven or frying pan.

2 cups of dry elbow noodles

For the Sauce:

1/4 cup of unsalted butter

1 small clove of garlic finely chopped

1 shallot peeled and minced

3 oz of all-purpose flour

3 cups of 2% milk

1 bay leaf

1 pinch nutmeg

2 cups of grated aged white cheddar cheese

1 cup of grated Boss Hog’s Smoked Mozzarella Cheese

Salt and pepper, to taste

For The Crumb Topping:

1 cup of breadcrumbs

1 oz. smoked bacon

1 oz grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Sauce Directions:

In a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, melt butter.

Add garlic and shallot to butter and cook for 1 minute.

Add flour and stir with a wooden spoon until roux is formed.

Gently whisk in milk, 1 cup at a time, being sure to work out any lumps.

Add bay leaf and nutmeg and let slow simmer for 5 minutes on low heat.

Stir in cheeses and seasoning and continue cooking and stirring until cheese is completely melted and incorporated.

Crumb Topping Directions:

Place all crumb topping ingredients in a food processor and mix on low speed until bacon is fully incorporated into the mix.

Lobster and Noodles Directions:

In a large pot of boiling water, cook the noodles until “al dente.”

Strain noodles from the water and add into sauce with lobster and bacon.

Place in a casserole dish and top with crumb mixture.

Bake in the oven at 350 degrees, until crumb topping is golden.

Remove from oven and serve.

Bon Appetit!

It’s finally that time of the year, when we spend lots of time (A) eating bacon (B) outdoors entertaining guests (C) eating bacon (D) grilling food out on the barbecue and of course, (E) eating bacon!

Here’s a wonderful way of deliciously tying all 5 activities into one totally awesome recipe that will have your friends and family absolutely begging for more!

Bacon Wrapped Corn On The Cob

(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

8 ears corn

1 lb  Sun-Dried Tomato Bacon

Tools:

Long Tongs

A large bucket or other container full of fresh drinking water

Butcher’s string

A soft brush

Directions:

Carefully peel back the husk of the corn, expose the kernels without separating the husk from the end of the cob.

Using a soft brush, carefully remove the corn silk from the corn kernels.

Place the corn in the container of water and allow the corn, with it’s husks still connected at the end, in the water for ½ hour in order to soak the husks thoroughly, preventing charring during the grilling process

Preheat your grill to medium temperature.

Remove the soaked corn from the water and pat them dry.

Now wrap strips of bacon around the corn kernels like a swirling barber pole, on each of the ears of corn.

Fold the husks back over the wrapped bacon and kernels.

Tie the husks tightly to all eight pieces of corn with butcher’s string.

Grill the corn over a medium flame /coals heat, turning them every 5 minutes for 15 to 20 minutes or until the bacon is cooked to preferential crispiness and the corn is tender.

Cut the butcher’s string away from the husks and serve.

Enjoy!