Fancy enough for company, these baked potatoes look like you fussed but are really simple to fix. Our home economists sliced each one into a fan, covering them with cheese, bacon and savory seasonings. (For a quick how-to on creating potato fans, turn to page 50.)
The fishermen of Bodega Bay, California shared this favorite, quick and easy recipe with my sister during a Fish Festival. It is one of the best chowders I've had, and my kids love it too! We top with bacon bits and a few shakes of hot sauce for a little spice. Enjoy!
'This delicious recipe will turn anyone into an asparagus lover,' promises Sarah Porter of Pagosa Springs, Colorado. 'My husband used to turn up his nose at asparagus. Now he asks me to make this dish! It's perfect with pork or poultry.'
Cabbage cooked in bacon drippings and seasoned with garlic, red pepper flakes and caraway seeds makes a cozy nest for smoked Polish-style sausage in this homey, hearty and satisfying supper.
Potatoes, half and half, bacon, and clams. This is the New England chowder of your childhood. Easy to make, ready in less than half an hour, a great dinner standby.
Bacon sure does something wonderful for broccoli, and that 's the case with this great party salad. It 's fried up and crumbled and sprinkled on the fresh broccoli along with toasted sunflower seeds. Onions and raisins, also make an appearance.
Tender chunks of venison are marinated twice, and wrapped in thick bacon before being grilled until crispy on the outside. A venison version of Filet Mignon. This is a heavenly use of the best part of a deer. For the BBQ sauce, I prefer hickory flavored.
There's just enough ginger, chili powder and garlic powder in the sauce to spark the taste of this enjoyable steak specialty. For variety, you can substitute chicken or pork for the sirloin. If I'm in a hurry or don't have fresh vegetables on hand, I'll reach for two bags of frozen stir-fry vegetables instead.
Everyone loves a Cobb salad and this is a great recipe. It makes plain old, shredded iceberg lettuce shine. Bacon, hard boiled eggs, chicken, tomatoes, blue cheese, avocado, green onion and dressing.
Kidney beans, baked beans and butter beans are combined with ground beef, bacon and onion in this hearty meal. You can also put the ingredients into a slow cooker and cook for about 8 hours on low.
I make this creative pizza for Super Bowl parties. The sour cream, bacon, onions and cheese make every bite taste just like a loaded baked potato. --Gina Pierson, Centralia, Missouri
'My father thinks a restaurant could make a fortune with this flavorful chicken,' writes Kathy Gallagher from La Crosse, Wisconsin. Bacon and sour cream add richness to a simple sauce that really dresses up everyday chicken.
