Caramelized Bacon
Okay friends, here’s a bonus post just in time for tomorrow’s big game. I promise that this quick little hors d’oeuvre will be a home run (oops, wrong sport!) and if there is a pool for Favorite Game Time Snack you’ll go home the winner.
Once again, I bow down to everyone’s favorite, Ina Garten, with this one from her cookbook, Foolproof. I double her recipe (at a minimum) because: a/why would you want to put an opened package of bacon back in your fridge?; and b/these addictive snacks always disappear. So, the recipe below is my doubled version. Feel free to halve it, quadruple it, but bottom-line just make it. Tomorrow. I apologize in advance for your increased bacon consumption.
Good luck to all the fans out there rooting for your hometown team. I’ll be snacking away and shushing friends during the commercials.
Caramelized Bacon
- 1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1 cup chopped or whole pecans
- 4 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 4 Tbls maple syrup
- 1 lb thick-sliced applewood-smoked bacon
- Preheat oven to 375F. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil (for easy cleaning) and place a wire baking rack on top.
- Combine the brown sugar and pecans in the food processor and process until the pecans are finely ground. Add the salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper and pulse to combine. Add the maple syrup and pulse to moisten the crumbs.
- Cut each bacon slice in half crosswise and line up the pieces on the baking rack without touching. With a small spoon, evenly spread the pecan mixture on top of each piece of bacon, using all of the mixture.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the topping is browned but not burnt. If it's under baked, the bacon won't crisp as it cools.
- While it's hot, transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels and set aside to cool. Serve at room temperature.
- These can be made early in the day and stored at room temperature.