A to Z Cooking: B for Bacon is Not Just for Breakfastby Valorie Delp | More from this Blogger 11 Feb 2007 04:25 PM Bacon is meat that comes from the side of a pig and has been cured and smoked. Because it is the fat in bacon that makes it so tasty, fat should be 1/2 to 2/3 of the total weight of the bacon. Slab bacon is bought in large slabs and has to be sliced. It is moderately cheaper than sliced bacon. (Frankly, I don't care--I don't want to mess with cutting off the rind and slicing a large slab of pig meat!) Everyone knows that bacon is great on salads, or as a standard breakfast side dish. Bacon can be fried or baked, but frying is a lot quicker. A tip I use is to empty the grease into a mug before I add new bacon to avoid getting splashed with hot grease. While I'm sure you don't want to use bacon often--all that tasty fat is not so great for your heart or waist line--here are some ways in which you can use bacon in your cooking. My Grandma's Cabbage Grandma was the daughter of Russian/German immigrants. She was one of those cooks who never used measurements. Everything was in pinches, a handful, a smidgen or something similar. However, her food was phenomenal. I can't make her cabbage as well as she could, but here is what I've come up with: Slice raw green cabbage and sweet onions. Fry bacon on a frying pan. Transfer the grease into a stainless steel pot. (For the life of me, I don't know if using a stainless steel pot makes any difference to the outcome, but my grandmother said to do it this way and so shall it be done.) Heat the bacon grease and add the cabbage and onions. Stir over low heat until the cabbage is soft. Add 'ample' amounts of white pepper and a smidgen of salt. We also like ours with about half a clove of garlic. (I am sure my grandmother would approve.) Bacon Basted Roasted Chicken I almost always rub adobo into my roasted chicken. After seasoning the chicken however, place a few strips of bacon on top. The bacon grease, albeit unhealthy, makes a really good baste while the chicken cooks and the results are a very tender, delicious chicken. I do not recommend roasting vegetables along with the chicken if you do this. Instead, stick them in foil packets with seasoning next to the chicken while it cooks. Loaded Mashed Potatoes After you make your mashed potatoes, add sour cream, cheddar cheese and bits bacon. Bacon, Ham & Cheese Wrapped Chicken The cheese in this recipe is always up for debate in our house. My husband is infatuated with Swiss cheese. However, I prefer to use provolone. In any case, take boneless, skinless chicken breasts and wrap them in deli sliced ham. Then wrap them in provolone. Then wrap them in bacon and secure with a toothpick. Other Recipes with Bacon: Who Needs Take Out? Make Your Own! Two Yummy Appetizers for Your Next Get Together Learn more about Valorie Delp  Hello everybody! My name is Valorie and I am one busy lady! When I'm not writing or editing for families, I am busy trying to get my brood of 5 in line. Relevantfood tags holidays | Kids | Coupons | ideas | christmas | baby | children | Scrapbooking | weight loss | Food User Comments  Mary Ann Romans (26886) 20 Feb 2007 09:08 AMHaving just eaten cold turkey bacon for lunch, this article is really exciting. Community Tags Bacon, bacon recipes, cooking a to z Discuss this article
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