Cuisine: Bacon

Caesar Salad with Pancetta

This is Ina Garten's Caesar Salad with Pancetta. It has crispy cubes of pancetta, which is an Italian bacon made of pork belly meat that is salt cured. She also adds roasted cherry tomatoes that are bursting with natural flavor.

By Leslie Blythe

The Original Hollywood Brown Derby Cobb Salad

From Hollywood’s Brown Derby restaurant and named for its owner, Robert Howard Cobb, the Cobb Salad is the original chopped salad. 

There’s some dispute about the recipe’s genesis. Was the first Cobb salad made by Cobb and theater mogul, Sid Grauman, while rummaging through the restaurant’s cooler for a late-night snack in 1939, or, by the restaurant’s executive chef Robert Kreis, who created it for the restaurant’s 1929 launch? Either way, the Cobb is one of America’s longest-standing salad favorites, inspiring dozens of different renditions. The original recipe consisted of a head of lettuce, watercress, avocado, tomatoes, cold breast of chicken, hard boiled eggs, cheese, crumbled bacon and some old-fashioned French dressing.

By Leslie Blythe

Black Eyed Peas for New Years Day

Eating Black Eyed Peas on New Year’s Day is a Southern Tradition for Luck and Prosperity in the New Year.  I think we could all use some luck in 2019!

By Leslie Blythe

Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Honey Sriracha and Bacon

These Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Honey Sriracha and Bacon make a great healthy snack! They are a perfect mix of sweet, spicy and salty. You can serve them as a snack or a side dish.

By Leslie Blythe

Cheese Ball

The Cheese Ball is the centerpiece of any Midwest cocktail party. There are many variations of this recipe. Last year I made this Sun-Dried Tomato & Basil Cheese Ball. I am not a big fan of serving a boring cheese platter at a party. It usually doesn't get eaten. I guarantee this cheese ball will be the hit of your next party. Cheese balls were all the rage in the 1970s. So easy to make and the best part is that it has to be made ahead, so you can enjoy your party.

By Leslie Blythe

Spinach Salad from The Plantation Cookbook

I recently made this Spinach Salad from The Plantation Cookbook. The salad dressing is absolutely spectacular. The key is to make the dressing at least 6 hours ahead or the day before.

By Leslie Blythe

Creamy Pumpkin Alfredo Pasta with Bacon and Crispy Sage

I was rummaging through the fridge and came up with this Creamy Pumpkin Alfredo Pasta with Bacon and Crispy Sage. I was inspired by Trader Joe's Autumnal Harvest Alfredo Sauce which is made with pumpkin and butternut squash purées. All I can say is that it's a great idea. You can cheat and just buy their sauce or make it yourself with canned pumpkin.

By Leslie Blythe

Costco Chicken Bakes

One of Costco's most famous menu items is the Costco Chicken Bake, the object of a cult following. It's cheesy bread roll encasing a gooey mix of chicken, bacon and Caesar dressing. Somehow, it just works.

By Leslie Blythe

Tomato, Bacon Tart with Blue Cheese & Gruyère

While rummaging through my kitchen to make something for dinner, I came up with this Tomato, Bacon Tart with Blue Cheese & Gruyère. It is kind of like a pizza, except the crust is flaky, buttery, crumbly puff pastry that you can serve as a meal with a green salad or as an appetizer cut into smaller pieces. Also, you can substitute any kind of cheeses and fresh herbs you like.

By Leslie Blythe

Avocado and BLT Salad with Roasted New Potatoes

My sister-in-law brought me the food magazine from Waitrose, which is a supermarket in the UK. This Avocado and BLT Salad with Roasted New Potatoes got my attention immediately. It was very easy and really delicious. And yes, there's bacon...

By Leslie Blythe