BACON RECIPES: How do you like your Bacon? Crispy vs. Chewy?

(Guest Blog Post by Liz Yin from our friends from Curate Hub)

(Bacon | Image credit: rikomatic)

Hey there Bacon Fanatic! Not one yet? No worries. Just wanted to share some creative bacon treats and discuss crispy vs. chewy bacon.  Which do you prefer?

We often eat bacon with eggs or some other breakfast items but personally I get tired of eating bacon straight from the pan.

Here are three alternative methods that make delicious bacon treats:

1). Bacon Bowls

(Bacon Bowl | Image credit: Mark Dumont)

Have an extra muffin or cupcake tray you’re not using? Great! They’re perfect for making innovative bacon bowls. We’ve seen people take these trays and flip them over with some foil on top and covering the innovative mold with strips of bacon. Or as an alternative, you can find products on the market specifically to make bacon bowls. Bacon strips can be weaved for a better structure or just shaped on top. Pop them in the oven and wait till they’re golden brown, or however you like your bacon. 

(Bacon Cup | Image credit: V&A Steamworks)

Voila, you’re ready to decide what to put inside. Go original with scrambled eggs, cheese, and a tomato salsa. Create a cheesy bacon masterpiece combo by adding some mac n cheese with bacon bits on top. Or even add some greens to make a bacon salad bowl! Combinations are endless, but a crispy bacon bowl is guaranteed every time. 

 

2). Bacon Wrapped Everything

(Bacon Wrapped | Image credit: mobile247)

The next best alternatives are bacon wrapped items. Think of any delicious vegetable or protein and just with a strip of bacon wrapped around, it becomes an exquisite appetite. Some delectable examples include jalapenos, asparagus and mushrooms or prawns, sausages, and scallops.

(Bacon Wrapped Hotdogs | Image credit: JesseMenn)

Perfect for the grill when skewered, add these items to your next cookout and you’ll have more than satisfied guests. Additionally, a very similar fan favorite (at least in sunny Los Angeles) are Danger Dogs, LA’s famous bacon wrapped hotdogs, served with a grilled bun, and layered with several traditional condiments, grilled onions and grilled bell peppers, available only on street carts. 

 

3). Chocolate Covered Bacon Strips

(Choc Covered Bacon | Image credit: mobile247)

For those with a sweet tooth, a great compliment to bacon is chocolate and what better way to eat them than like candy bars. The best chocolate bacon strips need to be crispy to hold the chocolate in bar form. After being fried to crispy perfection, they should be dipped into melted chocolate and put aside on wax paper to cool.  For an added creative touch, before letting the chocolate cool completely, take the chocolate bacon strip and roll it in a pile of bacon bits, almonds, or any nuts for an outer coating.  

(Choc Covered Bacon Banana | Image credit: ModCloth)

If you want to be a little different, you can even make chocolate-dipped bacon-wrapped bananas. I know, as bizarre and complicated as it sounds, the concept isn’t too far out when you think about chocolate-dipped bananas and just combine that with chocolate-dipped bacon. Now this combo is sure to keep your guests talking about dessert for dinner parties to come. 

 

Now, for the ultimate bacon question… crispy or chewy bacon. Both sides have a list of pros and cons but what does it come down to for you?

(Crispy Bacon | Image credit: Dave77459)

The crispy bacon camp declares that the crunchiness of the bacon is the only way to go, but chewy bacon enthusiasts site that the juiciness and flavor of the meat stays when not burnt to a crisp.

What do you have to say?

Are you craving bacon now? For tasty bacon recipes, download the Bacon Book, a digital cookbook containing decadent recipes good for any meal from breakfast to dessert, here: http://www.curatehub.com/baconbook/.