Brunch Pizza

Ingredients:
1 tube (8 ounces) refrigerated crescent rolls
½ pound sliced bacon, chopped
½ pound bulk pork
½ pound sliced fresh mushrooms
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon butter
8 eggs, lightly beaten
1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sour cream
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 ½ cups (6 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella
Optional: Picante sauce, extra sour cream

Directions:

• Unroll crescent dough in a greased thirteen by nine baking dish; seal seams and perforations.  Bake at 375° for six to eight minutes or until golden brown.
• Meanwhile, in a small skillet, cook bacon and sausage over medium heat until bacon is crisp,  and sausage is no longer pink  Using a slotted spoon, remove meat to paper towels; drain, reserving two Tablespoons of drippings.  Using the drippings, saute mushrooms, onion, and green pepper.  Remove and set aside.
• Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add eggs, cook and stir until almost set.  In a small bowl, beat cream cheese, sour cream, garlic, and Italian seasoning; spread over crust.  Layer with eggs, sausage, bacon, sauteed vegetables, tomatoes, and mozzarella.
• Bake at 375° for fifteen to eighteen minutes or until cheese is melted.  Serve with picante sauce and additional sour cream if desired.

Makes 12 servings.

Bacon-Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients:
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
½ cup real bacon bits
1 Tablespoon chopped green onion
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
1 pound whole fresh mushrooms, stems removed

Directions:
In a small bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth.  Stir in the bacon, onion, and garlic powder.  Spoon into mushroom caps.  Broil four to six inches from heat for four to six minutes or until heated through.  Serve warm.

Makes about 2 dozen.

Bacon Potato Waffles

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 ½ cups mashed potatoes (with added milk and butter)
1 cup 2% milk
5 Tablespoons canola oil
¼ cup finely chopped onion
3 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
Maple syrup or chunky applesauce
Optional: additional crumbled bacon

Directions:

• In large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.  In another bowl, whisk eggs, mashed potatoes, milk, and oil.  Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.  Fold in onion and bacon.
• Bake in preheated waffle iron according to the manufacturer's directions until golden brown.  Serve with syrup or applesauce  Sprinkle with additional bacon if desired.

Makes twelve waffles.

Bacon-Herb Muffins

Ingredients:
1 ½ cups sour cream
½ cup cooked, finely crumbled bacon
½ cup melted butter
¼ cup finely chopped assorted fresh herbs (suggestions: parsley, thyme, and oregano, or sage, rosemary, basil, chives)
2 green onions, chopped
½ teaspoon pepper
2 cups self rising flour
6 ounces cream cheese, softened

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375°.  Stir together first six ingredients.  Stir in flour until blended.  Mixture will be thick.  Spoon batter into lightly greased miniature muffin pans, filling completely full.
• Bake at 375° for twenty-six to twenty-eight minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from pans to wire rack; cool completely (about thirty minutes).  Spread or pipe tops of cupcakes with cream cheese.

Makes about 32 muffins.

Bacon Appetizers

Ingredients:
1 pound of bacon
1 ¾ (7 ounces) shredded Gouda
1 cup mayo
½ of a 16 ounce package of cocktail rye bread, lightly toasted
Optional: sun-dried tomato slivers, sliced ripe olives, fresh herbs

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350°.  Cook bacon in large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp; remove bacon and drain on paper towels.  Crumble bacon.  Combine with cheese and mayo.
• Spread over rye bread slices.  Place on ungreased sheet.  Bake at 350° for seven minutes until cheese is bubbly.  Garnish with optional ingredients if desired.  Serve warm.

Makes two dozen.

Amish Broccoli Casserole

Ingredients:
4 bunches broccoli, bite size
1 jar of bacon bits
1 large red onion (chopped)
1 cup mayo
¼ cup sugar
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon pepper

Directions:
Mix ingredients.  Chill.

Almond-Bacon Cheese Crostini

Ingredients:
1 French bread baguette (1 pound), cut into thirty-six slices
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2/3 cup mayo
½ cup sliced almonds, toasted
6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
1 green onion, chopped
Dash of salt
Optional: Additional toasted almonds

Directions:
Place bread on ungreased baking sheet.  Bake at 400° for eight to nine minutes or until lightly browned.  Meanwhile, combine cheese, mayo, almonds, bacon, onion, and salt.  Spread over bread.  Bake seven minutes or until cheese is melted.  Sprinkle with additional almonds if desired.  Serve warm.

Makes three dozen.

Bacon Swiss Meat Loaf

Ingredients:
1 egg
¼ cup evaporated milk
1½ cups (6 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese, divided
1 cup crumbled cooked bacon (about 12 bacon strips), divided
½ cup soft bread crumbs
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ onion powder
1½ pounds ground beef

Directions:

• In a large bowl, combine egg, milk, one cup of Swiss cheese, ¾ cups bacon, bread crumbs, garlic powder, and onion powder.  Crumble beef over mixture and mix well.  Shape into a loaf in greased eleven by seven baking dish.
• Bake, uncovered, at 350° for one hour until no longer pink and temperature reaches 160°.  Drain.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bacon.  Bake three to five minutes longer until cheese is melted.  Let stand for ten minutes before slicing.

Makes 6 servings.

Stuffed Potato Skins

Ingredients:
4 large baking potatoes (12 ounces each)
8 slices of bacon
1 large head broccoli, cut into florets
1 bag (8 ounces) shredded Mexican cheese blend
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup sour cream blended with 2 Tablespoons chopped scallion

Directions:

• Scrub potatoes and pierce with a fork.  Place on paper towels.  Microwave for sixteen minutes until tender.
• Cook bacon in large skillet over medium heat until crisp, approximately eight minutes.  Drain on paper towels.  Cook broccoli in boiling salted water for four minutes.  Drain and set aside
• Position rack approximate six inches from heat.  Heat broiler.  Line backing sheet with foil.  Slice potatoes in half lengthwise; scoop out, leaving a quarter inch edge.  Place, cut sides down, on baking sheet.  Coat with spray.  Broil three minutes.
• Remove from oven.  Flip over; sprinkle with two Tablespoons cheese, one slice bacon, crumbled, ¼ cup of broccoli, salt, and pepper, and two more Tablespoons of cheese.  Broil four more minutes.  Serve with sour cream.

Makes 4 servings.

Twice-Baked Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:
2 ½ pounds medium potatoes, peeled
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
¼ cup milk
2 tablespoon butter, melted
1 ½ cups (6 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
½ cup chopped onion
5 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
½ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

• Place potatoes in large saucepan and cover with water.  Bring to boil.  Reduce heat; cover and cook for fifteen to twenty minutes or until tender. Drain.
• In large bowl, mash potatoes.  Add sour cream, milk, butter, and one cup of cheese.  Stir in onion, bacon, salt, and pepper.  Spoon into greased 2-quart baking dish.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
• Bake, uncovered, at 350° for thirty to thirty-five minutes or until heated through.

Makes six servings.

Pepper Jack Mac

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni
2 bacon strips, chopped
¼ cup chopped onion
¼ cup sliced fresh mushroom
1 ½ teaspoons butter
1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
¼ cup plus 2 Tablespoons chicken broth
¼ cup plus 2 Tablespoons 2% milk
¾ cups shredded pepper Jack cheese
¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning
Dash of salt and pepper

Directions:
Cook macaroni.  Meanwhile, in a small skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp.  Remove to paper towels with a slotted spoon; drain, reserving 3/4 teaspoon of drippings.  In same skillet, saute onion and mushrooms in drippins and butter until tender.  Stir in flout until blended; gradually stir in broth and milk.  Bring to a boil; cook and stir for one to two minutes or until thickened.  Stir in cheese, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.  Cook and stir over medium heat until cheese is melted.  Drain macaroni; stir macaroni and bacon into sauce.

Makes two servings.