bacon

Neiman Marcus Dip

/ Jodi / 41 Comments

neiman marcus dip

Next Sunday is the Super Bowl – an annual event in the U.S. that even non-football fans often enjoy just for the great commercials, celebrity national anthem and half-time show, parties, cocktails, beer, and yummy food and SNACKS!

This Neiman Marcus Dip is a MUST-HAVE for Super Bowl parties, whether you are hosting, taking something as a guest to a party you are going to, or just hanging with the family at home.

It is so amazingly easy and even  more incredibly addictive and delicious (though probably should not be eaten too often as it is a bit far from healthy, which is probably why it is so amazing!)   

I am pretty sure you will be considered a snack dip rock star if you make and serve this to your family and friends.

neiman marcus dip closeup

I first tried this Neiman Marcus Dip at my DIL Colleen’s Christmas Cookie Exchange Party this past December, and I made it for a recent Steelers Playoff game when the family was all over.

And though our Pittsburgh Steelers did not make it to the Super Bowl this year, we will still be watching, and we will surely be snackin’!

So whoever you are rooting for, win or lose, you will still be happy that you had this yummy dip!

Neiman Marcus Dip

Ingredients:neiman marcus dip closeup

  • 4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1 lb bacon, chopped and cooked very crispy
  • 1 cup chopped green onions
  • 1 cup slivered almonds
  • 2 cups mayonnaise

Directions:  Mix all together in large bowl and refrigerate at least 2 hours for flavors to meld together well.  (The day before is even good.)

Serve with crackers, corn chips, tortilla chips or celery sticks.

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Roasted New Potatoes with Garlic, Bacon & Blue Cheese

/ Jodi / 23 Comments

Roasted New Potatoes with Garlic, Bacon, & Blue Cheese on fork

Can you imagine any more amazing way to make potatoes?

Garlic, Crisp Smokey Bacon, and Creamy Blue Cheese?!?!

If you are looking for a SIMPLE, but KNOCK-OUT potato dish to serve for special company, with a steak for dinner, or to take to a potluck, get ready to make a lot of new friends with this dish and make your tummy VERY happy too!

Roasted New Potatoes with Garlic, Bacon, & Blue Cheese

My friend Janet came over for dinner the other evening, so I wanted to step up the potatoes a little and thought of this.  We had them with marinated grilled London Broil, Sauteed Fresh Green Beans and Fresh, Sweet Cantaloupe.  YUM!

And if you don’t like Blue Cheese (I realize some people do have an aversion for this cheese that I absolutely ADORE), you can substitute Cheddar or Swiss, or Monterrey Jack, or your favorite cheese – or – you can even eat them without cheese.  They are good that way too.

Here’s the recipe.  I dare you to not like this!

Roasted New Potatoes with Garlic, Bacon & Blue Cheese

Ingredients:Roasted New Potatoes with Garlic, Bacon, & Blue Cheese on fork

  • 3 lbs Baby New Potatoes – I used 1.5 lbs of Yukon Golds and 1.5 lbs of Red
  • 8-10 Strips Thick Sliced Bacon – I used Peppered Slab Bacon
  • 4 Large Cloves Garlic, Minced
  • 2-3 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • Salt & Pepper to taste
  • 4-6 oz. High Quality Blue Cheese, Crumbled

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
  • Dice bacon into small bite-sized pieces and fry in skillet until cooked well, but not too crisp as it will continue to cook and crisp when you roast the potatoes in the oven.
  • Drain the diced bacon on paper towels, and remove all but 1 Tbsp of bacon drippings from pan.
  • Add Olive Oil, Garlic and Potatoes.  Mix to coat potatoes.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and stir fry for 3-4 minutes.  Add bacon back in, and stir.
  • Place all in a shallow baking dish and roast at 450 for 20 minutes or until potatoes are done.
  • Remove from oven and crumble blue cheese over all.  Stir to coat, and ENJOY!

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

Bacon-Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Blue Cheese

/ Jodi / 27 Comments

bacon wrapped blue cheese stuffed dates

Are you looking for the ULTIMATE easy and amazingly delicious party appetizer?

bacon wrapped blue cheese stuffed dates 2

Well – look no further!  This might sound unusual, but do not doubt that EVERY guest will love this recipe!

bacon wrapped blue cheese stuffed dates 3

Not only do these taste AMAZING… they are actually SUPER SIMPLE too.

And even people that THINK they don’t like dates or blue cheese….

(because EVERYbody loves bacon – right?!)

will LOVE these.

bacon wrapped blue cheese stuffed dates 4

I took these to our “best ever book club” party this weekend, and I can tell you they didn’t last long.

Give this YUMmy recipe a try.  (And I will accept your “thank you’s” later!)   🙂

Bacon Wrapped Dates stuffed with Blue Cheese

Ingredients:

Pitted Dates
Danish Blue Cheese
Bacon

Directions:
Slit date. Stuff as much high quality blue cheese into the date as you can fit. Squeeze together. Wrap with a half of a slice of bacon. Secure with a toothpick. Bake at 400 degrees F for 30 minutes.

With party season upon us, add this to your file of must-do gotta-love recipes!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Soft Pretzels stuffed with Bacon, Spinach & Artichoke Dip

/ Jodi / 17 Comments

stuffed soft pretzels

Imagine if steamy, fresh baked, salty soft pretzels had a love child with ooey gooey, creamy, cheesy bacon spinach artichoke dip…….

stuffed soft pretzels 3 filling

Can you E V E N imagine the gloriousness?

And then maybe kick up that pretzel bread dough with just enough beer to make it magical…

Look no further!  Here is the most amazing appetizer/snack/meal in a pretzel ever created!  Are you ready for the deliciousness?

stuffed soft pretzels 4

Though this is not a difficult recipe, it is definitely a bit time consuming.   But….  It is so worth it!

stuffed soft pretzels 5

If you are looking for a WOW factor treat to make and share, look no further.   Get your apron on and get ready to rock your socks!

stuffed soft pretzels 6

My son, Nick, originally found this recipe on an amazing food blog, Half Baked Harvest, and asked if I was up for “attempting these.”  Are you kidding?!?!  I live for this stuff!

Thank you Tieghan for sharing!  I tweaked it up just a bit – you know…. maybe just a bit more bacon (have you ever heard of using only two slices of bacon?!?) and always more garlic!  🙂 , but this is pretty true to Tieghan’s amazing recipe.

stuffed soft pretzels 2

Oh…. and besides going amazing well with a great draft beer, these go amazingly well with (yep – you guessed it…. a great red wine!)  🙂

Soft Pretzels Stuffed with Bacon, Spinach & Artichoke Dip

  • Servings: 8 Giant Stuffed Pretzels
  • Print

Pretzel Dough Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup warm waterstuffed soft pretzels
  • 2 Tbsp light brown sugar
  • 1 pkg (2 1/4 tsp) active dry yeast
  • 1 cup beer
  • 1 stick butter, melted
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 2/3 cup baking soda (for boiling pretzels)
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • Coarse sea salt

Spinach and Artichoke Dip Filling Ingredients:

  • 6 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
  • 1 Tbsp butter
  • 3 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 Tbsp flour
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 oz. cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
  • 1 box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
  • 1 8 oz. can marinated artichoke hearts, chopped

Instructions:

Pretzel dough:  Combine water, brown sugar and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix with the dough hook until combined. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Add melted butter, beer, salt, and flour to the mixture.  Mix on low speed until combined. Increase to medium speed and continue kneading until the dough is smooth and begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl, about 3 – 4 mins.  Remove dough from bowl and knead into a ball with your hands.

Coat a large bowl with oil, add dough and turn to coat with the oil. Cover with a clean towel and place in a warm spot until the dough doubles in size.

In the meantime, make the filling:  Fry bacon until crispy.  Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.  In the same skillet, melt  butter, add garlic, and cook for a couple of minutes. Whisk in flour until it makes a paste. Cook over medium-low heat for 1-2 mins, then pour in milk. Stir and cook 1 more minute.

Add cream cheese, mozzarella, Parmesan and black pepper. Stir until cheeses are melted. Stir in yogurt until smooth. Add chopped artichokes, spinach, and bacon, and stir to combine.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

When pretzel dough has doubled, punch down and divide into 8 equal balls.  Roll each out into a 11×3 inch rectangle.  Spread about 2 Tbsp dip filling along the length of each piece. Roll the dough up into a log, enclosing the filling inside. Pinch the seams together and then very gently roll the dough with your hands to form an even cylinder and fully enclose the filling.  Form into a pretzel shape, and press to seal.

Slowly add the baking soda to the boiling water. Boil the pretzels in the water solution, 2 at a time for 1 minute, splashing the tops with the warmed water using a spoon. Remove with a large flat slotted spatula.

Place pretzels on baking sheet about 2 inches apart.  Brush tops with beaten egg and season liberally with sea salt.

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until pretzels are golden brown.

Remove pretzels from oven and let cool five minutes.

If made ahead, you can reheat the pretzels at 350 degrees F. for 15 minutes or until warm.  (But they are BEST fresh out of the oven!)

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

BLT with Fresh Basil Mayonnaise – A Simple Sunday Supper

/ Jodi / 2 Comments

blt

We had such a wonderful weekend – starting with The Best Book Club Ever Friday evening followed by a fun Saturday with family and friends eating, shopping, brewery touring and tasting, and lake cruisin’ at #ConneautLake.

After a busy weekend away, a simple Sunday supper was in order:  Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato (BLT) Sammies with fresh corn on the cob.

basil mayo

The fresh basil mayo is what REALLY puts this sandwich over the top (thanks Joyce for teaching me this yummy twist!).   Simply mix some chopped fresh basil and a sprinkle of sea salt to mayonnaise.  You WILL NOT REGRET it!

Mediterranean Sourdough

I picked up a loaf of Mediterranean Sourdough bread at the local farm market  (#Soergels) where I also got the Yellow Heirloom Tomatoes and Corn on the Cob.

All you need do is:  Toast the bread, then generously spread with some fresh basil mayo.  Top that with lettuce of your choice, fresh sliced tomato and a couple slices of crisp smoky bacon.  Smoosh it together and ENJOY!

blt cut

Add a side of corn on the cob with a sprinkle of Old Bay Seasoning (thanks Rob for this idea, because now I don’t even want or need butter on it!) – and that completes a yummy, but simple Sunday supper.

corn on cob with old bay

I’m just guessing, but I think this dinner would also taste good ANY night of the week :).

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

 

Jack Daniel’s Bacon Mac n Cheese

/ Jodi / 6 Comments

JD Mac N Cheese Cover

If you are looking for an extra special version of Mac n Cheese to take to a picnic or party or special event – meet Jack Daniel’s Bacon Mac n Cheese.

We were heading to “The Best Book Club Ever” this weekend and were to bring wine and cheese or a cheese dish.

Well – knowing “The Best Book Club Ever” host’s love of all things Jack Daniel’s…

JD Mac N Cheese JD

and pretty much everyone’s love of bacon – I couldn’t resist this combo to try out and take.

JD Mac N Cheese Bacon

I found a recipe by Julie Espy of White Lights on Wednesday and tweaked it up Jodi-style, then doubled the recipe since we were feeding a crowd, and put it in the crockpot to keep warm after baking.

JD Mac N Cheese Hot from Oven

I have to say – it was a hit.  What a yummy combination of bourbon soaked smoky bacon that gets candied with brown sugar and cayenne for a kick that stays with ya and creamy cheese and noodles.

JD Mac N Cheese

This should probably not be on your regular weekly dinner menu (though you may want and crave it after experiencing) because it is only low-fat and low-calorie when served at parties….

JD Mac N Cheese Plated

But when partyin’, it goes great with an icy glass of Jack and lime.

If you want a crowd pleaser, make this for your next gathering!

Jack Daniel’s Bacon Mac n Cheese

1 lb thick sliced bacon
½ cup Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey + 1 Tbsp
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 pound macaroni pasta
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1 cup extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (do not use pre-shredded cheese in the bag!)
1 cup smoked gouda cheese, shredded
1 lb ball fresh mozzarella cheese, broken into pieces
½ teaspoon paprika
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a small saucepan, bring ½ cup Jack Daniel’s to a boil. (WATCH CAREFULLY – and cover with a lid.  I didn’t put a lid on mine and was making double.  I put it on to boil, turned around, and when I looked back, a flame 2 feet high was rising from the boiling alcohol.  No worries – we all survived – just lost a little Jack in the process.)  Reduce heat to medium, and simmer until reduced to 2 tablespoons. (My flaming alcohol reduced very quickly, but I don’t recommend that method!)  Remove from heat.  (I really think you could make this without even heating the Jack and may just skip next time, so feel free to do that if  you prefer.)

On a plate, combine brown sugar and cayenne. Dip bacon into Jack Daniels and then press each side into brown sugar mixture to coat. Place on a baking sheet (with sides if you don’t want bacon grease and alcohol dripping in your oven).  Bake for 7 minutes, then flip and bake for about 5 more minutes.  Remove the bacon to a plate coated with non-stick cooking spray to cool.  Chop bacon when cool.

Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Add macaroni and cook until al dente. Drain pasta; set aside.

While pasta is cooking, melt butter in a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add flour, and whisk to combine.  Add 1 tablespoon Jack Daniel’s and whisk into roux. Whisk in 1 cup milk until combined. Add remaining milk. Whisk frequently until sauce thickens and begins to bubble. Add cheeses; whisk until cheeses melt and sauce is smooth. Add paprika and salt and pepper to taste. Pour sauce over pasta, and add chopped bacon. Stir until pasta is completely coated in sauce.

Bake for 30-40 minutes uncovered until top begins to brown and cheese sauce is bubbling.

ENJOY!

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi