Bacon Fat Parmesan Crisp

This was an accidental genius moment. After I made some delicious bacon, I wasn't sure what to do with the bacon fat. I cooked the potato in it, but after topping the potato with cheese, some of the cheese fell into the fat. After cooking, it had crisped into a cheesy, bacon fat piece of deliciousness.

Ingredients:

• Bacon fat
• Cheese (I used sharp cheddar)

Directions:

1. After cooking bacon, keep fat
2. Sprinkle cheese over fat
3. Cook at the temperature you were cooking the bacon (I use 400 degrees), and cook until crisp is, well, crispy (I did 5 minutes)

Enjoy!

Kelsey

The Best Bacon You'll Ever Make

 

I love bacon. I use it in a ton of recipes (see below). I've tried cooking it a ton of different ways, but this is what I have found to be the best way.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of bacon

Directions:

1. Cover two baking sheets in aluminum foil
2. Place bacon on foil
3. Put sheets in COLD OVEN and turn to 400 degrees
4. Cook for 20 minutes
5. Remove from oven and place between paper towels

Now I like my bacon really, really crisp, almost burnt. If you don't, start checking around 10/15 minutes and cook to your desired consistency.

You can also put a cooling rack on top of the baking sheet so that the bacon fat drips off, but I find everything more delicious if the bacon cooks in the fat.

Recipes to try:
Lentil Soup with Rosemary Ham and Bacon
Caramelized Brussel Sprouts with Bacon and Blue Cheese
Candied Bacon and Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches
Candied Bacon and Chocolate Chip Cookies
Pesto and Candied Bacon Grilled Cheese
Candied Bacon
Beer Candied Bacon
Maple Bacon Popcorn
Brown Sugar Crusted Bacon
Bacon and Fried Egg Grilled Cheese
Bacon Grilled Cheese
Cheese Bacon Hot Dog

Enjoy!

Kelsey

Boiled Asparagus

 

We needed a good veggie for our New Years Eve dinner, and asparagus sounded perfect!

Ingredients:

• Asparagus
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Remember when storing asparagus to keep it in water in the fridge

   

   So many uses for my Will's cup!

2. When ready to cook, clean and cut off about an inch of the ends
   
3. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil
4. Add asparagus and cook for 5 minutes
   
5. Remove and add to ice water
6. Drain and ate salt and pepper

Enjoy!

Kelsey

Homemade Sausage, Egg, and Cheese on a Kaiser Roll

 

Breakfast sandwiches are one of my favorite things in the world. Not proud of the fact that I used to eat a sausage, egg, and cheese McMuffin from McDonalds every weekend (thankfully one time they messed up the order and it was disgusting and I have since kicked the habit). I still love the sandwich though. My Mom/"Santa" bought me a breakfast sandwich maker (you can find it here) and I immediately put it to use. Seriously, after heating up, it only takes 5 minutes!

Ingredients:

• Kaiser roll
• 1 slice of white American cheese
• Pre-cooked turkey sausage
• 1 egg

Directions:

1. Assemble!

Enjoy!

Kelsey

Rtiz Rolo Sandwiches

I kept seeing this pop up on Pinterest - "Rolo Stuffed Ritz Crackers." I thought to myself, "I want that! Sweet? Salty? Perfect." Easiest thing ever.

Ingredients:

• Ritz crackers
• Rolos

(The best part? If you want 5, make 5 (like I did). If you want 30, make 30!)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees
2. Place one Ritz cracker on baking sheet
3. Top with Rolo
4. Place in oven for 4 minutes
5. Remove and squeeze down another Ritz cracker on top
6. Wait until cool before enjoying (I couldn't wait and burned my tongue!)

Hint: buy the individually wrapped Rolos. It takes more work to unwrap them, but it tastes better vs. the Rolos that comes in the bag already unwrapped. In my opinion at least :)

Enjoy!

Kelsey

Quinoa and Veggie Quesadilla

 

I wanted to make a quesadilla, but I didn't have any meat around that I could use. So I decided to use some already made quinoa that was in my fridge. It turned out quite delicious! Great substituion.

Ingredients:

• 2 tortillas
• 1/2 c. quinoa
• 1/2 c. cheese (I used sharp cheddar)
• Any veggies (I used shredded carrots, shredded sweet potato, and spinach)
• 1 tbsp. olive oil

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat
2. When hot, put down one tortilla
3. Top with quinoa, cheese, and veggies
   
4. Top with other tortilla
5. Cook for 5 minutes, and then flip
6. Cook until cheese is melted and tortilla is cooked to desired crispiness (I like mine almost burned)
7. Remove and cut 
   

Enjoy!

Kelsey

Sweet Potato Egg Nest

I follow a blog called Against All Grain which focuses on gluten free food. She posted a picture of a sweet potato nest a few months ago, and said she used a spiralizer, or a spiral cutter. I put it on my Christmas/Birthday list, and got it! You can find it here. It's the easiest thing! You can put anything in, spin, and it makes "noodles". I've only tried with a sweet potato, but you could use a carrot, zucchini, anything!

Ingredients:

• Sweet potato, cleaned
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• Egg
• Salt and pepper

Ingredients:

1. Put a nonstick pan over medium heat and add olive oil
2. When oil is hot enough, use spiral cutter to make sweet potato "noodles"
   
3. Cook for 5 minutes, or to your liking (more time = more crispy)
4. Crack egg on top of "nest"
   
5. Cook until your liking of your egg (I like it runnier these days, but up to you!)
6. Top with salt and pepper

The crispiness of the sweet potato combined with the runny egg was such an amazing combination. I can't wait to try this with other veggies!

Enjoy!

Kelsey