Grilled Bacon Onion Potatoes

First of all, let's address the bacon-flavored elephant in the room.  I have not blogged in far too long, so long in fact, that it's quite possible that there's no one left out there in blog land that even reads this lovely culinary offering.  (I think when you're writing about something as redneck as cheese and bacon, you need to bring it up a notch by using words like "culinary.")

To my fans, readers, fellow cheese and bacon lovers, I am sorry for my absence,  but I'm here now, and apparently you are too, so I can't wait to tell you about my upcoming series.

For the Love of Cheese and Bacon on the Grill. 

 It'll cover everything from your appetizer, your main course, a couple of sides and even your dessert (yep, your dessert, with bacon and cheese and a grill.)

I live in Texas, and in Texas, it's too dang hot to grill out in the summer, ESPECIALLY in August, so I'm getting my fellow Texans ready for September and football and cooler days and cooler nights, nights that practically demand dinner on the grill.

So get ready for some Cheese and Bacon Action - Grillside.

And because I'm non-conventional, I'm not giving you these awesome recipes in any particular meal order.  You'll just have to save up and put 'em in order once you have 'em all.

(I swear I get more country with each passing sentence!)

The Ingredients

2 to 3 sheets of heavy-duty foil
1 packet onion soup powder
10-12 baby red potatoes, thinly sliced
(and let me take this opportunity to tell you that if you use ANY other kind of potato, you are going to have to adjust your cooking time .. . trust me on this one!)
12 slices of cooked and crumbled bacon
(I recommend Hormel Thick Cut bacon, not because they pay me, at all . . . but they should as much as I mention them, but because I think thick cut bacon is yummy in this recipe!)
1 cup cheese (optional, if you're an idiot, because leaving off the cheese is like a birthday cake without candles.  It's just not done.)
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons butter
Sour cream for serving (optional . . . okay, I'll let this one be optional, but trust me when I tell you it's gonna be way better with some sour cream on it too!)

The Directions

Spray each sheet of foil with cooking spray. Top each piece with equal portions of potatoes, bacon, 1 packet onion soup powder and mix. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add 1 tablespoon of butter to each serving. Wrap securely.

Grill for 20 to 30 minutes. Or you can bake it in the oven, at 350° for about 55 minutes or till done, or till the rest of your food is cold because you used the wrong potatoes (but since this is a series about grilling, you should use the grill.  For real.)

Let stand 10 minutes before serving. About 2-3 minutes before you serve it, add the cheese and reseal the foil. Serve in foil, topped with sour cream if desired, (you desire, see above).

Serve this alongside your Sweet Chili Bacon Chicken Skewers. . . . Oh wait, you don't have that recipe yet.  (Well, I guess you know what's coming!)

Spinach Strawberry Salad with Bacon and Poppyseed Dressing

It's Cheese, It's Bacon, It Can't ALL Be Bad for you, Right?

Every single time I tell someone that I have a blog called "For the Love of Cheese and Bacon" they say, "Oh my gosh.   Is the whole thing about cheese and bacon?"

My response is typically laden with sarcasm, because, well . . . it's a gift I have, the gift of sarcasm.

But typically my response goes something like this, "Ummm, yeah. Cheese. Bacon.  That's pretty much it."

And then I usually get some sort of a lecture telling me how bad both cheese AND bacon are for my body. (Sheesh, let a girl have a little comfort food every now and then, okay?)

I feel somewhat defensive about my love for cheese and bacon.  But yeah, I GET that it's not good for you all the time.  Moderation people.  Moderation.

To prove that it's not all bad for you, I am giving you one of my all time favorite salad recipes that contains both cheese and bacon.  So shut it.  (Did I mention I feel a little defensive?) :)

First, a picture to entice you. 

Now, just a teeny weeny bit of history about this salad.  The dressing, I got from my friend, Mary's, grandma (whose name was also Mary)  It was the kind of dressing where you eat it and the first thing you say is, "Oh my gosh! You made this dressing from scratch? Can I please have the recipe?" and then you hold your breath because you're pretty sure they're going to tell you no.  But she said yes. Score (for both of us)!

The salad I sort of made-up because I had some stuff in the pantry, and I was hungry for something with strawberries and bacon in it.

Tada!  Birth of a salad.  Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

SALAD

• 1/2 head romaine lettuce 4-6 cups baby spinach
• 2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
• 1 box (small, but not snack size) golden raisins
• 1/4 cup toasted almonds, chopped
• 2 tbsps feta cheese
• 8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (make home-cooked bacon pieces.  I'll know if you don't, and it won't go well for you!)

DRESSING

• 1/2 cup low fat yogurt  (Yes, before 12 people ask, you can use greek!)
• 1/2 cup lite mayonnaise (I've gotta watch my figure girls!)
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• salt & pepper, to taste
• 1 teaspoon poppyseeds

DIRECTIONS:

Wash lettuce and spinach, dry,  then tear lettuce and spinach into bite-sized pieces. (If you don't have one of those salad spinner things, for love of easy, go get one!). 

Add your almonds and raisins into the lettuce and toss.  Top it all off with your strawberries, feta cheese and bacon pieces. 

To make the dressing, I'm going to get all technical on you, so prepare yourself.  Pour all ingredients into a small bowl and whisk it until it's as smooth as syrup. (speaking of syrup, I've always wondered what this salad would be like with a teeny weeny drizzle of maple syrup.  If you try it, let me know!) 

Now, drizzle (more like pour) salad dressing generously over your salad and serve immediately.

For the love of cheese and bacon, this is good!

ThatCarolJones