BLT Sandwiches with Burger and Fry Sauce

This isn't your typical BLT sandwich.  This has your typical bacon, lettuce, and tomatoes, but also the addition of cheese and fry sauce.  The result?  A delicious and unforgettable sandwich!

I'm not typically a sandwich eater, but I simply can't resist a BLT!  Especially one that's homemade and packed with bacon in every bite ;)  

As I was looking through Sashi's blog, Get Off The Couch and Cook (awesome name, by the way!), I made quite a list of recipes that I wanted to make for this month's Secret Recipe Club. I love Sashi's stance on eating: avoiding prepacked foods while still enjoying the foods you love, made with real ingredients.  She's a woman after my own heart!  Some of the recipes that caught my eye were Gyro Pizza with Homemade Tzatziki and Greek Seasoning, Apple Pie French Toast, and Chicken Nachos.  Ultimately though, I had to make her BLT because I just couldn't resist it!  

The thing that caught my eye about this sandwich was the addition of Burger and Fry Sauce.  It reminded me of when my dad would mix mayo, ketchup, and mustard on his plate and dip his fries in it--but much better!  I opted to omit the chicken from this sandwich in the interest of time, and wanting a lighter meal, but I'll definitely be making these sandwiches with chicken too in the future.

You'll definitely want to make the Burger and Fry Sauce and keep it in a container in your fridge.  It's amazing on burgers too (of course!).  Sashi also recommended coating each side of the bread in a thin layer of mayonnaise before toasting it in the oven.  Don't skip that step--I'll never make BLTs another way!  All in all, this is one delicious sandwich!

BLT Sandwich

Makes 4 sandwiches

Ingredients:

8 slices thick cut bacon
8 slices whole wheat bread
1/4 cup mayonnaise
4 slices cheddar cheese
1/4 cup Burger and Fry Sauce (recipe below)
lettuce
sliced tomatoes

1.  Cook bacon until crisp.  I bake mine: place bacon in a single layer on a cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes, until crisp.  Drain on a plate lined with paper towel.

2.  Spread a thin layer of mayonnaise on both sides of each piece of bread.  Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees until bread is toasted, flipping to toast both sides.

3.  Assemble sandwiches by putting fry sauce on one slice of bread, top with tomato, lettuce, bacon, cheese, and a second slice of bread.  Serve warm.

Source: Get Off The Couch And Cook

Burger and Fry Sauce

Makes approximately 1 cup of sauce

Ingredients:

2/3 cup real mayonnaise
1/3 cup ketchup
1/4 cup relish
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Combine all ingredients and store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Source: Get Off The Couch And Cook

An InLinkz Link-up

Steak and Egg Sandwich

These hearty Steak and Egg Sandwiches are a filling and delicious way to start your day (or end it!)

Breakfast...honestly it's probably the most versatile meal of the day, in my opinion.  You can have breakfast foods any time of the day, breakfast, lunch, or dinner.  Lunch and dinner foods don't work so well for breakfast though, a burger at 7 am?  No, thank you!

If you haven't guessed from previous posts, my family often has breakfast foods for dinner.  Often it's pancakes or an omelet, but last week we tried something completely new, different, and completely delicious!  We had Steak and Egg Sandwiches.

The concept of adding steak to a breakfast sandwich was completely new to me.  We're no stranger to breakfast sandwiches, but they typically consist of an egg with cheese, between two slices of English muffin.  This breakfast sandwich turns it up a notch!  Mike and I both loved them, and they are a filling dinner, especially when paired with a side of fruit.  We ended up with enough for leftovers too, and they were just as good the next day.

I found this recipe on Nicole's blog, PicNic.  As I was searching for the perfect recipe for this month's Secret Recipe Club, I came across a variety of delicious recipes like Pizza Pinwheels, Caramel, Apple, and Almond Pancakes, Apple Caramel Scrolls, and Chili Chicken Pita Bread Pizzas (notice a breakfast and pizza trend?).  Nicole's blog is relatively new to me.  I "met" her a few months ago when she made my pizza casserole for her secret recipe.  I loved browsing through her recipes, and reading her stories.  There are quite a few recipes I'll be going back to again!

Steak and Egg Sandwiches

Serves 4

Ingredients:
4 ciabatta rolls
8 slices bacon
2 thin sliced steaks (mine were labeled for carne asada)
6 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1.  Cook bacon until crispy, then set aside.

2.  Place steaks in a hot skillet and season with steak seasoning or salt and pepper.  Cook until done to your liking, mine took about 3 minutes per side.  Then set aside.

3.  Beat the eggs and milk.  Then cook like an omelet in a skillet.  (Don't fold the eggs over though.)  Sprinkle the cheese over the eggs and let the cheese melt.

4.  To assemble the sandwiches, cut the egg into 4 equal pieces, cut the steaks in half.  Place the egg slice, steak, and 2 slices of bacon (broken in half, if desired), on a toasted ciabatta roll.

Source: PicNic

An InLinkz Link-up

Apple Chicken Potato Hash

The unique mix of flavors in this dish is suprisingly delicious.  It's a great breakfast or dinner idea.

Smoked Mozzarella Chicken Pasta/ Cheese Recipe Challenge

Remember last week I posted about an upcoming recipe contest hosted by Cooking Planit and Formaggio?  Well, it's here!  You also voted on which recipe you wanted me to make using Formaggio cheese, so I'm excited to share that with you today too.  The winning recipe was Smoked Mozzarella Chicken Pasta.  This dish was delicious (thanks to the Formaggio cheese) and easy to make (thanks to Cooking Planit)!

Last week I received a box full of delicious Formaggio cheese.  You may remember seeing the picture I posted of Summer exploring the contents.  I received some Fresh Mozzarella, Smoked Mozzarella, Hickory Smoked Mozzarella, Pepperoni Wrapped Mozzarella, Marinated Mozzarella, and salad topping Mozzarella.  It's safe to say I'm set with mozzarella for the next week month!  

After downloading the Cooking Planit app, I was excited to explore it and give it a try.  I really appreciated how the recipes were set up.  They started with an ingredient and equipment list, followed by prep instructions, followed by cooking instructions.  The steps were easy to follow and it was extremely user friendly.  I look forward to making more recipes using the app!

The star of the Smoked Mozzarella Chicken pasta was, of course, the smoked Mozzarella.  The flavor was prevalent and made the dish taste gourmet.  The only change I made to the original recipe was using radiatore noodles instead of elbow macaroni.  I don't think that would change the taste of the dish though.  As I said before, the dish was delicious and the preparation and cooking went incredibly smoothly, thanks to Formaggio and the Cooking Planit app!  You can get the recipe here.

Now it's your turn!  The Cooking Planit Cheese Recipe Challenge kicks off today!  You can enter your own cheese-centric recipes on Cooking Planit's Facebook page.  The contest runs from June 9-19, so you'll want to get started submitting your recipe as soon as you can!  Hopefully you've already been thinking about which recipe you want to submit.  The top 5 overall recipes will be selected by June 23rd.  1st, 2nd, and 3rd place recipes will be announced on June 27th.  The top 3 winners will each receive a Formaggio Gift Basket ($100 value), a 5 Piece Cheese-Knives Set ($50 value), and your recipe will be enhanced by Chef Emily and added to the Cooking Planit recipe collection!  

So what are you waiting for?  Get started on your recipe today!

Cooking Planit / Formaggio Cheese Recipe Contest Bloggers
Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen	www.copykat.com	creolecontessa.blogspot.com
crowleyparty.blogspot.com	www.dearestlou.com	www.irunforwine.net
www.melissas-cuisine.com	myfashionjuice.com	www.myownblogreview.com
fountainavenuekitchen.com

Bacon Cheeseburgers {Flashback Friday}

These bacon cheeseburgers have a surprise--the bacon and cheese is in the burger! They're the perfect cook-out meal!

Is there anything better than a nice big juicy cheeseburger? No?  I don't think so either!  This version of bacon cheeseburgers is a favorite in our household and when I make homemade burgers, this is the recipe I always make!  When you find something this good, there's no reason to make anything else!

Get the recipe:  Bacon Cheeseburgers

Bacon Parmesan Chickpeas

Crisp and salty Bacon Parmesan Chickpeas are a unique and delicious snack. You won't be able to eat just one!

How was your Holiday weekend?  Were you lucky enough to get a 3 day weekend?  Did you spend lots of time with family and friends?  I had a busy, but fun, weekend.  On Saturday, we took a day trip to Shipshewana.  It's a little under a 2 hour drive from our house, so the perfect distance for a day away.  We did a lot of shopping and scored a lot of deals.  Oh the deals!  And the food...the food was amazing!  Sunday was our typical Sunday: church and then lunch with my parents.  We also got together with our small group, so that was a fun ending to our day.  Then Monday was a family/do stuff around the house day.  I did a bit of shopping, planted my garden, and did some random projects around the house.

Yes, a busy, but fun weekend indeed!

When it's so busy, I love to have quick snacks to grab on the go.  These Bacon Parmesan Chickpeas are the perfect snack.  You can grab a handful on the fly, or put a few in a bowl to enjoy while relaxing.  They're fun enough that you could serve them at a party too!

I tried baked chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans) a while back when some friends were raving about them.  To be honest, I wasn't impressed.  My chickpeas didn't get crispy, so it was like eating warm chickpeas.  Pretty boring if you ask me.  I wasn't really interested in trying them again until I saw a recipe on Authentic Suburban Gourmet, my assigned blog for last week's Secret Recipe Club reveal.  Since the Bacon Wrapped Pineapple Bites turned out so delicious, I thought I'd give these chickpeas a try.

I'm glad I did!  I don't know if it was the bacon, or the Parmesan, or the crisp chickpeas which did it for me, but whatever it was, I've been won over!  These chickpeas needed to bake for a long time to get crispy (where I failed last time I made them).  A few weren't so crisp, but most of them were and that made all the difference in this snack!

Besides, it has bacon in it.  How can you go wrong?!

Bacon Parmesan Chickpeas

Ingredients:
1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas
2 slices of bacon
salt
Parmesan cheese

1.  Drain and rinse chickpeas.  Remove any outer skins and discard.

2.  Cook bacon until crisp (don't drain the grease!).  Remove from pan and crumble.

3.  Add the chickpeas to the pan that you cooked the bacon in stir to coat the chickpeas in the bacon drippings.

4.  Spread chickpeas onto a cookie sheet.  Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, or until chickpeas are crisp.

5.  Remove chickpeas from the oven and top with crumbled bacon, salt, and Parmesan cheese.

Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

If you have leftovers, store them in a covered container in the fridge.  I did find that these are best eaten the day they are made.

Source: Authentic Suburban Gourmet

Bacon Wrapped Pineapple Bites

Bacon. Pineapple. Bites.  A sweet and savory appetizer that tastes both tropical and comfort food-esque.  And yes, I did just make that up!

As you know, I love fruit.  I can easily eat an entire pineapple in a matter of a day or two.  In fact, when I was pregnant I did!  That wives-tale about pineapple causing you to go into labor?  Well, it didn't work for me!  But I sure enjoyed the pineapple.

My friend once told me that the best way to enjoy pineapple is to let the fruit sit in the sun for a few hours to get warm before cutting it up.  This brings out all the juices and it's delicious!

This month I was assigned to Lisa's blog, Authentic Suburban Gourmet, for my Secret Recipe Club assignment.  Lisa's blog isn't new to me as she was assigned to my blog a couple months back and she made her version of my Chunky Chili.

I really enjoyed browsing Lisa's blog and I had a long list of recipes that sounded delicious.  Her Friday Night Bites recipes really stuck out to me because I was on the search for an appetizer to bring to Girl's Night.  I thought I had narrowed my list down, but then I came across the recipe for Bacon Wrapped Pineapple Bites, and I knew that's what I was going to make.

I had the ingredients already in the house--pretty simple because it's just bacon and pineapple.  I was able to whip these up in just a few minutes.  Mine took nearly double the amount of baking time as the original recipe called for, so I've adjusted that in my directions.  These bites were the perfect combination of sweet and salty; they reminded me of the flavors of Hawaiian Pizza, which happens to be my favorite.  They were also a hit with my cousins, and I have been enjoying the leftovers too.  They're good hot, room temperature, and even cold!

Bacon Wrapped Pineapple

Makes approximately 3 dozen

Ingredients:
1 package (approximately 12 slices) bacon
36 chunks of pineapple (check out my Tips and Tricks post for an easy way to slice your pineapple!)

1.  Cut bacon into 3 equal pieces.

2.  Wrap one piece of bacon around each chunk of pineapple.  Skewer with a toothpick to keep the bacon in place.

3.  Place pineapples on a baking sheet.

4.  Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes, until bacon is crispy.

Source:  Authentic Suburban Gourmet

An InLinkz Link-up

Cinnamon Roll Breakfast Sandwich

Bacon, eggs, and cheese sandwiched between two cinnamon rolls.  Your favorite breakfast foods in one delicious sandwich!

Mike and I have a tradition of having breakfast sandwiches on Sunday mornings.  Since Mike starts work insanely early during the week, and I don't have time for much more than a quick bowl of cereal or a smoothie, it's nice to take the time to make a special breakfast.  In fact, in recent months, Mike has taken responsibility for making our Sunday morning breakfast.  I get to play with Summer and he whips up breakfast.  It's a winning situation for everyone!

Typically, our breakfast sandwiches are pretty simple: eggs and cheese on a toasted English muffin.  We have a neat egg cooker that makes it super easy to make eggs for the sandwich.  If you don't have one, you could cook the egg in a ramekin or make an egg like an omelet and fold it up to fit on the sandwich.  Anyway, for a few weeks I had an idea rolling around in my head to use cinnamon rolls in place of English muffins.

On Easter Sunday, I decided it was time for my idea to become reality.  I flattened a few Pillsbury cinnamon rolls before baking them.  Then Mike cooked the eggs while I crisped the bacon.  I topped our eggs with a slice of Sargento ultra thin cheese (courtesy of Influenster!).  At the last minute I decided to drizzle a bit of icing over the cinnamon rolls.This was, without contest, the best breakfast sandwich I have ever had!

In fact, just this past Sunday, Mike went to make our breakfast sandwiches and decided that we needed to have cinnamon rolls again instead of English muffins.  He said, isn't that our new thing?  Yes. Yes, I think it is!

Cinnamon Roll Breakfast Sandwich

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 tube (8 rolls) Pillsbury cinnamon rolls with icing
4 eggs
4 Tablespoons milk, divided
4 slices Sargento ultra thin cheese
8 slices bacon, cooked

1.  Flatten cinnamon rolls slightly between your palms.  Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake according to instructions on the tube.

2.  Mix each egg with 1 Tablespoon of milk and cook.  We use this Nordic Ware Microwave Eggs 'n Muffin Breakfast Pan and cook for 1 minute.  You can also cook eggs individually in a ramekin or all together in a pan and then cut into 4 pieces.

3.  Place cooked egg on top of a cinnamon roll.

4.  Top with cheese, two slices of bacon, and another cinnamon roll.

5.  Drizzle with icing and serve immediately.

This post contains affiliate links.

Bacon Cheddar Beer Bread

Bacon. Cheddar Cheese. Beer. Oh, and bread. Four ingredients to win the heart of any man, or woman!

This beer bread is definitely my favorite version I have made so far.  I took my basic beer bread recipe, which was already pretty amazing, and amped it up by adding in a generous amount of bacon and cheddar cheese.

Because bacon and cheese make everything better, am I right?

I served this bread with a generous bowl of chili, which coincidentally also has beer in it.  If you're a beer lover, you'll want to try this bread.  Actually, even if you're not, you'll want to try this bread.

I'm not a fan of beer, honestly, I can't stand the smell.  But there is just something about beer bread.  The alcohol and most of the beer flavor bakes out leaving you with a nutty and somewhat sweet bread.  Perfect for dipping in chili, slathering with butter, or (my favorite) as the best grilled cheese sandwich you'll ever have!

Bacon Cheddar Beer Bread

Makes one loaf, approximately 10 servings

Ingredients:

3 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (12-ounce) can beer
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
3 tablespoons butter, melted

1. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl.

2. Add beer and mix until combined.

3.  Stir in cheese and bacon.

4. Place dough in a greased bread pan.

5. Pour melted butter over dough.

6. Bake at 350 for 55 minutes, until golden brown.

Allow the bread to cool before slicing.

Cheesy Potato Soup {Flashback Friday}

Sometimes you just need a big bowl of comfort food. And this Cheesy Potato Soup, my friends, will satisfy those desires!

It feels like it has done nothing but snow this winter.  And every time it snows we end up under a Winter Weather Advisory, or Watch, or Warning....  What ever happened to a little light snow fall?  Enough of this craziness!  We've already surpassed our average seasonal snowfall and it's only the end of January. Ay yi yi...

I don't know about you, but when the weather is this cold and dreary, I find myself craving comfort foods: homemade macaroni and cheese, chili, cheesy potato soup.  Foods that warm the body and the soul.  This Cheesy Potato Soup certainly fits my idea of comfort food, a big bowl of it whisks the cold chill away.  Every one who tries this soup loves it and I'm constantly asked for the recipe.  Give it a try, I'm sure you'll love it too!

Get the recipe:  Cheesy Potato Soup

Crock-pot Cheeseburger Soup

This past weekend, we had the opportunity to celebrate my Grandma's 80th birthday with our extended family.  My mom's family lives in Canada, so we made the trip to visit everyone.  It's about an 8 hour drive ...depending on how much of a lead foot your husband has and how long the baby wants to nurse for.  The trip went really well, we stopped every couple hours to feed Summer and it worked well because I felt like our stops made the trip not feel like it was so long.  Summer traveled well and only cried during the last 30 minutes of the trip when we were in stop & go traffic around Toronto.

My Grandma was so excited to meet her great-grand-daughter! She had balloons and a sign that read Welcome to my little sweetheart Summer Joy!  Of course, as soon as we walked into the door she took Summer out of my arms.  It took her a few minutes before she said hi to Mike and I.  It was so precious to see Grandma's excitement over meeting Summer.

On Saturday, we had an open house and then a family dinner to celebrate.  Grandma should have been the star of the show, but I think Summer was, and Grandma didn't mind a bit!  Summer got passed around and met about a hundred people, she was mostly smiles the whole time!  Mike and I had to come home on Sunday so we could go back to work today, but the celebration in Canada goes through today!  They sure know how to party!

Over the weekend, the weather took a drastic change.  It definitely feels like Fall is here to stay now!  These Cheeseburger Soup is my new favorite fall food.  It was so easy to make, I just put the ingredients into the Crock-pot before work one day.  Then when Mike got home, he added the Velveeta cheese.

I used an entire bag of shredded potatoes, so I thought that it needed more liquid so I added extra chicken broth.  I think that addition made the soup a little less thick than the original recipe.  However, I really enjoyed the soup's texture this way.  This recipe made about 8 servings, so Mike and I had plenty of soup for leftovers.  It heated up well and we enjoyed a few more delicious lunches!

Crock-pot Cheeseburger Soup 

Serves 8

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef, cooked and drained
1 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 pounds (1 bag) shredded hash browns
64 ounces (2 boxes) chicken broth
2 pounds (1 box) Velveeta cheese, cubed

1.  Put ground beef, crumbled bacon, shredded hash browns, and chicken broth into your Crock-pot.

2.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

3.  About 30 minutes before serving, add cubed Velveeta cheese to the soup and stir.  The cheese will melt on its own.

4.  Cover the Crock-pot again and cook about 30 more minutes.  Stir before serving.

Source: Well Cooked (original source site unavailable)

Breakfast Pizza

How often do you eat breakfast for dinner?  Mike and I have breakfast for dinner at least once a week.  Our go-to meal is an omelet, but I've been known to whip up a batch of pancakes or French toast if we have the time.

One of the best things about breakfast for dinner is how simple it is.  Plus, if you have any leftovers, they make a great breakfast!  Pot roast for breakfast...not so much...

I'm really excited to work with I Can't Believe It's Not Butter for their Breakfast After Dark campaign.  Not only have I been a ICBINB fan for years (I love their spray), but I just love anything that has to do with breakfast.

I wanted to take a step back from our typical breakfast for dinner recipes and come up with something different.  I have to give credit for the inspiration for this recipe to Mike's co-workers.  He told me a couple weeks ago that they were talking about having breakfast pizza when they had to work a Saturday.  They were disappointed that there are no local restaurants that make or deliver breakfast pizza.  That got me thinking, and I decided one of these days I'll make a few breakfast pizzas to take over on a Saturday morning.  But first, I had to perfect the recipe.

I used a new pizza dough recipe for this breakfast pizza, and I substituted the olive oil with melted I Can't Believe It's Not Butter. I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter has 70% less saturated fat than butter, no hydrogenated oils and is made from a blend of vegetable oils. It's a product that I feel good about eating, and serving to my family.

If you are interested in viewing some breakfast recipes or finding your own inspiration for Breakfast After Dark, I suggest checking out I Can't Believe It's Not Butter's webisodes and recipe collection. The toasted breakfast burrito is calling my name!

Breakfast Pizza

Ingredients:
1 cup warm water, approximately 110 degrees
1-3/4 teaspoons yeast
3/4 teaspoon honey
1-1/2 Tablespoons I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, melted
3-1/4 cup flour
1-1/2 teaspoons salt

8 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
8 eggs, scrambled
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1.  Pour the warm water into the bowl of your stand mixer.

2.  Sprinkle yeast on top of the water and pour in the honey.  Allow the mixture to sit, untouched for 5 minutes.

3.  Add melted ICBINB, flour, and salt and mix on low speed until the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl.

4.  Increase the mixer speed and knead for 5 minutes.

5.  Spray the top of the dough with cooking spray and cover the bowl with plastic wrap.  Set in a warm spot and allow it to rise for 2 hours. (See note**)

6.  Punch the dough down and press it onto a greased pizza pan.

7.  Poke the dough with a fork to avoid air bubbles.

8.  Bake the crust at  375 degrees for 15 minutes, until the crust is lightly browned.

9.  Remove the crust from the oven and top with scrambled eggs, crumbled bacon, and shredded cheddar cheese.

10.  Return the pizza to the oven for approximately 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted.

**Note:  I made the pizza dough the night before, as this meal was served for dinner (I knew I wouldn't have time to make the dough after work!).  I mixed the dough after dinner and then allowed it to rise for 2 hours and then punched it down.  I refrigerated the dough in the bowl overnight.  Then, when I needed the dough, I pulled it out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature (about an hour--but I was able to fry the bacon and scramble the eggs while waiting) before rolling it out.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Bacon Appetizers

Bacon.  Cheese.  Crackers.  Any of those three are absolutely delicious on their own, but when you combine the three the results are out of this world!

I made these for our New Year's Eve get together this past year.  They were a hit with everyone.  Now the Superbowl is just over a week away, and these would make a great Superbowl appetizer.

The great thing about these appetizers is how versatile they are.  I topped some of the crackers with brown sugar, and others with grated Parmesan cheese, before wrapping with bacon.  I think apricot jam would be delicious as well.

Bacon Appetizers

Ingredients:

1 package Town House crackers
1 pound thin sliced bacon, cut in half
grated Parmesan cheese
brown sugar

1.  Lay crackers face up on a baking sheet with a cooking rack on it.

2.  Top each cracker with either a teaspoon of Parmesan cheese or a teaspoon of brown sugar.

3.  Carefully wrap the half slice of bacon around each cracker, making sure the topping doesn't fall off.  The bacon should completely cover the cracker.

4.  Place the bacon wrapped crackers back on the cooking rack.

5.  Place in a 250 degree oven for 2 hours, until the bacon is crispy.

Serve hot or at room temperature.

Source: The Pioneer Woman

Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf

Last Monday was Mike's birthday.  We've carried on a tradition that both of us grew up with--choosing your birthday dinner.  Mike's family always went out to a restaurant, while my family got to choose any meal for one of my parents to prepare.  We do a mix of our family's traditions, choosing either a restaurant or a meal.  This year, Mike chose to have me make him a meal. 

At first he chose Hamburger Helper.  I questioned his choice, saying if he really wanted that, I would certainly make it, but that's something we could have any time.  He quickly changed his mind and requested meatloaf.  I asked him if there was any way he wanted the meatloaf prepared and he said he didn't have a preference.

I decided to  make a Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf.  Nothing about this meatloaf is remotely healthy--it contains bacon, cheese, and beef--but it was so good!  One of the reasons Mike chose meatloaf for dinner is because he loves to have meatloaf sandwiches for lunch at work.  Of course, with just the two of us eating dinner, we had plenty of meatloaf left over for him to enjoy a couple meatloaf sandwiches for lunch too.

Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf

Serves 8

Ingredients:
1 egg
1-1/2 pounds ground beef
1 cup Italian breadcrumbs
8 slices bacon, fried crisp and broken into pieces
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 Tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup brown sugar

1.  In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg.

2.  Add the ground beef, bread crumbs, bacon pieces, cheddar cheese, and garlic powder to the egg and stir until completely combined.

3.  Press meat mixture into a bread pan.

4.  In a small bowl, combine the ketchup and brown sugar.

5.  Spread the ketchup mixture on top of the meatloaf.

6.  Bake at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes, until the interior temperature is 165 degrees.

7.  Allow the meatloaf to cool slightly before cutting and serving.

Cover and refrigerate any leftovers.

Ranch Style Chicken Sandwich

As much as I love to spend time in the kitchen, there are some days when I'd prefer a dinner that is quick and easy to throw together.  Whether I've had a long day at work or I'm just feeling lazy, it's always nice to have some easy meals to fall back on.

This sandwich is one of those meals!  It's quick, easy, mostly healthy, and delicious.  I typically marinade the chicken in the fridge while I'm at work, and it has such a great flavor.  Then once I get home it's simple to fry up some bacon and cook the chicken.  Just pair this sandwich with a fresh salad, and in less than 20 minutes, supper is served!  You can also skip the bread and serve the chicken with a side of baked potato or whatever your heart desires.  However you eat it, I guarantee you'll enjoy it!

Ranch Style Chicken Sandwich

Serves 2

Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup honey
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
4 slices thick sliced bacon
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 Ciabatta rolls, sliced in half

1.  Pound the chicken breasts with a mallet to 1/2" thick.

2.  Pour the Dijon mustard, honey, and lemon into a Ziplock bag.  Seal bag and shake gently to mix.

3.  Place chicken into marinade and seal the bag.  Refrigerate at least 2 hours (I often do 8+).

4.  Fry the bacon, and place on a paper towel lined plate to drain.  Leave the grease in the pan.

5.  Remove the chicken from the fridge and pour off the excess marinade. 

6.  Heat bacon grease in frying pan and add the chicken.  Cook on high until browned on each side, about 2 minutes per side.

7.  Reduce heat and cover frying pan.  Cook chicken until completely cooked, about 10-12 minutes, flipping as needed.

8.  Place 2 pieces of bacon on each chicken breast and top with shredded cheddar cheese.

9.  Cover pan again and heat until cheese is melted.

10.  Place chicken on Ciabatta rolls and serve immediately.

Source: The Pioneer Woman

Brown Sugar Baked Bacon

I just can't believe that we have just 12 days left in 2011...where has this year gone?  And now, once again, it's the 3rd Monday of the month.  By now, I'm sure you know what that means!  It's reveal date for Group C of the Secret Recipe Club.  You also know how much fun I have browsing though my assigned blog each month to find a delicious looking recipe to try out.

This month was no different.  I was assigned to Kimberly's blog, Rhubarb and Honey. Kimberly loves to share healthy and delicous food, and prefers to buy food produced locally and in a sustainable manner.  I can totally relate to that!  After reading through her many recipes, I decide on her Brown Sugar Baked Bacon .  Simple, and delicous!

Growing up, I remember my brother always dipping his bacon into syrup when we had bacon with pancakes or waffles.  I figured this was a similar concept, sweet bacon.  I thought this was a fun way to make bacon a little differently, and I think it could also be used in baked goods, similar to how people use chocolate covered bacon.  One note though, as you can see, some of the edges of my bacon got rather dark (I think the sugar started to burn), while the middle stayed a bit wobbly.  (Probably because I used regular bacon, not thick cut.)  Just keep an eye on the bacon and you should be fine!    

Brown Sugar Baked Bacon

1 pound thick cut bacon (I used regular bacon)
1/2 cup brown sugar

1.  Preheat oven to 375 and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

2.  Place the bacon on the cookie sheet side by side.

3.  Sprinkle brown sugar over the bacon and rub it in a bit. 

4.  Place the pan on the top rack of the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, until browned and crispy. 

Serve hot.

Cheesy Bacon Ranch Potatoes

One of Mike's absolulte favorite potato dishes is cheesy potatoes.  Every time we have a family gathering, he asks who is bringing the cheesy potatoes!  He was thrilled on the day after Thanksgiving when someone unexpectedly brought cheesy potatoes to the family potluck. 

When I received an offer to try Simply Potatoes potato products through the Foodbuzz Tastemakers Program, I knew I would have to create a version of cheesy potatoes for my husband.  I added in some ranch flavor to kick it up and notch, along with one of his favorite foods--bacon. We both really enjoyed this recipe.  It was simple to put together and made enough for us to enjoy at two meals.

Cheesy Bacon Ranch Potatoes

Serves 4-6

You will need:

1 bag Simply Potatoes Hash Browns

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 (1 ounce) packet ranch dressing mix

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, plus some for topping

1/4 cup bacon pieces

1.  In a medium bowl combine hash browns, heavy cream, dressing mix, cheddar cheese, and bacon pieces.

2.  Place in a greased 8x8" pan.

3.  Sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese.

4.  Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes, until bubbly.

I received coupons to try Simply Potatoes Products as part of the Foodbuzz Tastemakers Program.  All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.