Bacon & Cheese Crockpot Potatoes

Looking for a new way to prepare potatoes?  Well, look no further.  These.  Were.  GOOOOOOD.  Here is where I found them.

• 3 large potatoes
• 1/4 pound of bacon, chopped into small pieces
• 1 medium onion sliced thin
• 2 - 3 cloves of minced garlic
• salt and pepper
• 3 tablespoons of butter
• 1 cup of cheese for layering
• sliced green onions  
• 1 cup of cheese for topping

 Slice potatoes in half horizontally, and then vertically. Slice quartered potatoes into approximately 1/4 inch slices. Layer potatoes, garlic, salt, pepper, onion, bacon & cheese then repeat.  Dot with 3 tablespoons of butter. Cook potatoes on high for 4 - 5 hours, or on low for 8 - 10 hours. When the cooking time is done, top with remaining 1 cup of cheese, and sliced green onions.

 

Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes (Loaded)

These potatoes were awesome! And the "make ahead" factor makes them even more appealing. I made them for Ellie's bday. I try to find all "make ahead" recipes and cook the day before. That way, my house/kitchen is nice and clean on the actual day!
These came from "Taste of Home" magazine, Feb/March 2011.

3 lbs potatoes (about 9 medium) peeled and cubed
1 (8oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
1/2 c sour cream
1/2 c butter, cubed
1/4 c 2% milk (I still used skim)
1 1/2 tsp onion powder (I omitted)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp pepper
6 bacon strips, chopped
1 c shredded cheddar cheese
3 green onions, chopped

Place potatoes in boiling water and cook until tender.

Drain.

Mash potatoes with cream cheese, sour cream and butter. Stir in milk and seasonings.

In a small skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon to paper towels with a slotted spoon; drain.

Transfer potato mixture to a greased 13 X 9 in baking dish; sprinkle with cheese, onions and bacon. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes or until heated through.

Tomato Bacon Pomodoro

One year when Derek was training for a marathon, I sought out pasta recipes for him to carb load the week before the main event. I came across this and we deemed it "a keeper".

1 package frozen Ravioli or Tortellini (we used cheese filled tortellini)
1 Tbsp olive oil
8 oz bacon, finely diced
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1/4 tsp basil
1/4 tsp oregano
5 Tbsp tomato paste
2/3 c chicken broth
1/2 Tbsp parsley

Prepare frozen pasta as directed.

Meanwhile, for sauce, place oil and bacon in pan Heat and cook bacon until brown. Add onion and garlic and cook until soft. Stir in remaining ingredients and simmer for 3 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve over prepared pasta.

We topped with some shredded cheese (and served with french bread and "savory zucchini stix" (a separate post))

Caprese Chicken with Bacon

In a recent "Taste of Home", there was an entire section called "Chicken Champs". I'll be trying a lot of them as we tend to do a lot of chicken in our household. I tried this one last week and it was pretty good.

8 bacon strips
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 plum tomatoes, sliced
6 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced (I used kitchen scissors and cut it in thin strips)
4 slices mozzarella cheese

Place bacon in an ungreased baking pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes or until partially cooked, but not crisp. Remove to paper towels to drain.

Place chicken in an ungreased 13 X 9 baking pan. Brush with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper (next time, I think I will use garlic salt.) Top with tomatoes and basil. Wrap each in two bacon strips, arranging bacon in a crisscross.

Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Top with cheese. Bake 1 minute longer or until melted.