Mmm, bacon, I wish I could quit you. But you are the reason why I will probably never go completely meatless. #Bacon! Just looking at this photo makes me want to go fry up a few strips.
Bacon is a food rock star, one of those ingredients which by its sheer presence can completely elevate a dish. And you don’t even need much bacon to get the magic. Bacon has such a savory flavor that a little bit goes a looooonnnnnnnggggg way.
I’ve got Mark “Eat Less Meat” Bittman to back me up on this one. Though he advocates eating less meat in general, he’s said in his books that he still always keeps some bacon on hand in his freezer to boost dishes.
I’ve tried many locally produced bacons but I’d have to say my bacon heart belongs to Nueske’s, a cured meat producer in Wisconsin. Unlike some other brands which are so fatty that, once cooked, the final shriveled strip is a shadow of the original, Neuske’s Applewood-smoked bacon remains very meaty.
One of my colleagues was passing through Wisconsin recently and offered to pick up a 5-pound (!) package of bacon seconds for me from the Nueske’s Company Store. It was about half the price of what you’d pay in the grocery store so I knew I needed to jump on the opportunity.
But what to do with this bacon windfall? Here are the first two recipes I’ve made.
Bacon and Butternut Pasta – a creamy baked pasta dish with roasted butternut squash, kale, onions and bacon. This was ultra comfort food. Warn your office mates before you shock and awe them with extreme garlicosity when you re-heat these leftovers.
I also made that old Minnesota stand-by, Wild Rice Soup. The Minnesota Legislative Reference Library notes that “In 1998, wild rice soup was proposed as the official state soup by SF3419.” Somehow the measure never passed. No matter, you’ll still find this soup served in restaurants and homes all over the state.
Some wild rice soup recipes contain chicken, some contain ham and some contain bacon. My favorite version is chicken + bacon, which when combined with the butter and half-and-half culminates in the perfect soup blanket to wrap around yourself during a cold Minnesota winter. Hey, unless you’re lucky enough to go on a warm-weather vacation, you won’t have to see yourself in a swimsuit until May at the earliest anyway, right? So, slurp away.
What’s your favorite bacon recipe?
| Chicken Wild Rice Soup with Bacon |
- 3 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 1/2 cup chopped celery
- 1/3 cup chopped onion
- 1/3 cup wild rice
- 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
- 2 T. butter
- 3 T. flour
- 1 cup half-and-half
- 1 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken
- 2-3 cooked bacon strips, crumbled
- Combine the broth, carrots, celery, onion, wild rice, thyme and pepper in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 1 hour, or until the wild rice is tender.
- In a separate saucepan, melt the butter, whisk in flour, then whisk in the half-and-half. Cook and stir for 1 minute.
- Gradually add the half-and-half mixture to the soup, stirring constantly. Stir in the chicken and crumbled bacon and allow it to heat through. Serve with a smile.
That sounds just like my wild rice soup recipe but I’ve never thought to add bacon, yum. We put bacon in so many things, I couldn’t even tell you my favorite. This weekend I even made chocolates filled with bacon jam.
Chocolates filled with bacon jam, Kathy ? Wow.
Even though I don’t use it as much as I want to, bacon does indeed make everything better.
As far as local bacon, have you tried Amor Pork’s thick sliced bacon? They’re at the St. Paul Farmers Market and I miss them so dearly since I moved out of state.
I haven’t tried Amor Pork’s bacon yet, Kris. I tend to go to the Minneapolis Farmers Market just because it’s closer to my house than the St. Paul market, but I’ll have to check it out again this spring. I wonder if Amor is at the winter market?
Yes, although they only come once a month. With that said they always send out an email early in the week they’re coming as a reminder. I believe their website is amorpork.com and if there isn’t a newsletter sign up, just give Bob or Lucy a call.
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