Bacon Wrapped Chicken Stuffed with Cream Cheese

This is a recipe I came up with when I felt totally uninspired for dinner one night. I had bacon and cream cheese on the verge of going bad in the fridge and wanted to use them up. My husband and I were happily surprised with how this came out. The bacon added so much flavor to the chicken breasts while the creamy cheese in the center was a wonderful addition. This is a meal I'm definitely making again.

Ingredients
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts pounded thin
3 oz light cream cheese
4-6 fresh sage leaves, minced
1 small shallot, minced
4-6 slices bacon
salt
pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a baking dish with non stick spray. In a small bowl, add the cream cheese and warm in microwave for 30 second intervals. After each 30 seconds, stir the cream cheese until it's completely smooth. Add sage, shallots, salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine. On the bottom of both chicken breasts, spread a liberal amount of the cream cheese mixture and "roll" chicken up and secure with toothpicks. Wrap 2-3 slices of bacon around each chicken breasts and secure bacon to chicken in necessary. Place in baking dish and cover with foil. Bake for 1 hour, removing foil after 45 minutes. Remove toothpicks and serve.

Butternut Squash Risotto

I had a mass of butternut squash from my garden this year, which is good because my husband and I just love it. So I've been trying to find new things to do with it that we can enjoy before my harvest is up. And since risotto is another one of our favorite things, I thought this would be perfect.

I cannot even begin to describe how much we both loved this risotto. Not only is it perfect for this time of the years, the flavors are just exceptional. The creamy risotto combined with the smokey bacon and earthiness of the squash is just a combination that cannot be beat. We absolutely loved this recipe and will certainly be making it again and again. Like my husband said last night, "Bacon, squash and risotto. How can this be bad?!"

And posting this amazing recipe today ended up being perfect because today's post is my 200th! I still can't believe I've posted over 200 recipes in less then a year...again I am reminded how glad I am that I started this blog to keep track of my recipes and share with you all some of our favorites!
Ingredients
Adapted from: Ina Garten

1 butternut squash (2 pounds)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade (I used low sodium)
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
2 ounces pancetta, diced (I had to use thick cut American bacon since my store didn't carry pancetta)
1/2 cup minced shallots (2 large)
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice (10 ounces)
1/2 cup dry white wine (I omitted and substituted with chicken stock)
1 teaspoon saffron threads (I omitted)
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
3 fresh sage leaves, minced (I added this)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Peel the butternut squash, remove the seeds, and cut it into 3/4-inch cubes. You should have about 6 cups. Place the squash on a sheet pan and toss it with the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing once, until very tender. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the chicken stock in a small covered saucepan. Leave it on low heat to simmer.

In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the pancetta and shallots on medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until the shallots are translucent but not browned. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains with butter. Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes. Add 2 full ladles of stock to the rice plus the saffron, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper (I completely omitted salt from the risotto because of the bacon and since I salted the squash itself. It was perfectly seasoned without any additional salt). Stir, and simmer until the stock is absorbed, 5 to 10 minutes. Continue to add the stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring every few minutes. Each time, cook until the mixture seems a little dry, then add more stock. Continue until the rice is cooked through, but still al dente, about 30 minutes total. Off the heat, add the roasted squash cubes, sage and Parmesan. Mix well and serve.

Bacon Wrapped Filet Mignon with Bearnaise Sauce

Sounds fancy, right? Actually this is so simple to make I'm almost embarrassed blogging about it. Honestly, I don't eat much steak. It's always so tough and dry, especially when my husband makes it on the grill (sorry honey, but it's true). The only cut of beef I really like is the filet, so for our anniversary I thought I'd give my husband a treat and make him a steak my way (no grills involved). I've seen the Food Network chefs make it before, so I didn't bother to look at a recipe. Looking back, this was probably stupid...thank goodness it worked out! But this came out just like how you get it at a restaurant. Fork tender delicious melt in our mouth filet. And now that I know how easy this is to make, I think I'll treat us with it more often!

I really had to get creative with the bearnaise sauce recipe since I pretty much didn't have any of the main ingredients at home! But it worked out and the sauce turned out great (even though I don't know how true to the actual flavor of bearnaise it was!) It was perfect with the filet!

Ingredients
2 servings of beef tenderloin (filet mignon) between 6 and 8 oz. each
4 slices bacon
salt
pepper
extra virgin olive oil

For the Bearnaise Sauce
Adapted from Martha Stewart

1 shallot, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons dried tarragon (Unfortunately when I got home I realized I didn't have any tarragon, so I used herbes de provance instead! It still tasted great!)
2/3 cup white-wine vinegar (Again, I didn't have any of this. So I used 1/3 cup white wine and 1/3 cup white vinegar!)
4 large egg yolks (I only had 3 so I used them!)
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Coarse salt

Directions
Let the beef come up to room temperature and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Pour extra virgin olive oil into a large skillet so it completely coats the bottom. Heat on medium high until almost smoking, and then add the beef. Cover and sear for about 3-4 minutes. Turn beef over and sear the other side for another 3-4 minutes, or until browned to your liking. Remove from pan and cover with foil. Let sit for a few minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and cover with non stick spray, set aside. Wrap 2 slices of bacon around each filet, and secure the bacon to itself (do not poke holes in your beef!) with a toothpick. Place beef on the top rack of your oven and bake until beef is cooked to your liking. For us (our steaks were about 6 oz.) this took 15 minutes for medium, and 20 minutes for medium well. Let sit for about 5 minutes before cutting into it.

While letting the steaks cook in the oven, you can make the bearnaise sauce. In a small saucepan, bring shallot, tarragon, and vinegar to boil over medium. Cook until liquid reduces to 2 tablespoons, about 4 minutes; strain. Rinse pan; return mixture to pan. Whisk together egg yolks and 2 tablespoons water. Add to pan. Cook over low, whisking, until mixture thickens and forms thick ribbons when lifted with whisk, 3 to 4 minutes. Gradually whisk in butter (if sauce bubbles at any time, remove from heat, and whisk in a piece of butter). Continue whisking until all butter is incorporated, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Season with salt.

BLT Macaroni Salad

Now that food from the grill is officially in our regular dinner rotation, it was high time I made some macaroni salad to go along with it! I found this recipe on Buns in my Oven and was anxious to give it a try as a departure from my 'regular' standby.

We thought this was really good! I mean, who doesn't love bacon....in anything? It definitely takes on a whole new feel and taste with the addition of the green onions and tomatoes, but they were a welcome addition! And I know that there is technically no "L" in the BLT Mac salad, but I think the green onions kind of give it that 'green' feel that one would be looking for in a BLT! All in all this was a great recipe that I'm sure to be making again!!!

Ingredients
Source: Buns in my Oven

1lb. macaroni pasta
8 slices bacon
2 medium-large tomatoes (I only used 1 tomato as my husband isn't a huge fan of tomato 'chunks')
2-3 bunches of green onions, plus extra for garnish
1 cup mayonnaise (NOT Miracle Whip)
1/4 cup white vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add macaroni. Cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain and pour into large mixing bowl.

2. Fry 8 slices of bacon and, when cool enough to handle, crumble into bite sized pieces. Set aside.

3. Chop tomatoes and green onions, add to small mixing bowl. Mix in mayonnaise and vinegar. Add salt and pepper, to taste.

4. Pour mayonnaise mixture over macaroni and stir together well. Stir in the crumbled bacon.

5. Serve in a pretty dish with some chopped green onions sprinkled on top. Enjoy!

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Apple and Cheese

Before I made these I have never had Brussels Sprouts! I have heard that you either love them or hate them, so I wanted to give them a try! My husband said "I never thought I'd have to eat Brussels Sprouts after I left my moms house 10 years ago" so needless to say he was none too thrilled with the notion of eating them.

I chose Alton Brown's recipe because it called for bacon and blue cheese-two of my husband's favorite things. This recipe was really good! I had no clue how much 1 oz. of blue cheese was and I think I put too much in...my husband gobbled this up AND ate seconds...while I thought it was a bit too "blue-cheesey" for my taste! I also used turkey bacon instead of the real stuff which was fine but it obviously didn't render much fat so I had to add a half tbsp. of butter after I took the bacon out.

Overall this was a great meal and I will be serving it again!

Ingredients
Source: Alton Brown

6 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (I used 4 slices of turkey bacon)
1 small onion, julienned
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 small Granny Smith apple, cored and chopped (I used half of a Pink Lady apple...it was all I had!)
1 recipe Basic Brussels Sprouts, recipe follows
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon whole-grain Dijon mustard
1-ounce blue cheese, crumbled
Pinch freshly ground nutmeg

Directions
Place the bacon into a 10-inch straight-sided saute pan and set over medium-high heat. Cook bacon until crisp and brown. Remove bacon and all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the pan using a slotted spoon. Decrease the heat to low. Add the onion and cook just until they turn semi-translucent, approximately 3 minutes. Add the salt and apple and continue to cook for another minute. Add the Brussels sprouts, heavy cream and mustard and cook just until the Brussels sprouts are heated through, approximately 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the bacon, blue cheese and nutmeg. Serve immediately.

Basic Brussels Sprouts

• 1 pound Brussels sprouts, rinsed (I used 10 Brussels Sprouts)
  
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Cut off the stem end of the Brussels sprouts and remove any yellowing outer leaves. Cut each Brussels sprout in half from top to bottom. Place the Brussels sprouts, water and salt into a 3 to 4-quart saucier and cover. Place over high heat and cook for 5 minutes or until tender. Remove and serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings

Breakfast Tart

As soon as I saw this recipe in my latest Williams-Sonoma catalog, I knew I had to try it. I for one am not a big fan of breakfast foods, but I am a fan of Puff Pastry and Bacon! Plus my husband was out of town for a week so I wanted to make him a special breakfast Saturday morning.

This tart was absolutely divine. It was really easy to make and just came out perfectly. I will most certainly be making this again on "special" mornings like Christmas, Easter and Birthday mornings! However, the calorie count is something I really don't want to think about. This is, however, an absolutely delicious, special breakfast that I will be making again!

Ingredients:
Source: Williams-Sonoma

1 sheet puff pastry dough
1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 tsp. water
3 oz. crème fraîche
2 oz. shredded Gruyère cheese (I used Danish Fontina cheese)
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
8 bacon slices, cooked until crisp
3 eggs
10 fresh chives, cut on the bias into 1/2-inch lengths

Directions:

Thaw the puff pastry dough according to the package instructions.
Preheat an oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a baking sheet.

On lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry to 1/4-inch thickness and cut into a 10-by-8-inch rectangle. Place the pastry on the prepared baking sheet. Using a paring knife, score a border 1/2 inch in from the edge of the pastry. Using a fork, prick the center of the pastry. Brush the border with the egg wash and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

(Note: I like a really thick crust so I used one sheet of pastry (didn't roll it) and then 1/3 of another sheet and pressed them together. I then cut another 1/3 of a sheet into strips and used that to form my crust. It worked out very well but made much too much for just my husband and I!)

In a small bowl, stir together the crème fraîche and cheese, and season with salt and pepper.

Spread the crème fraîche mixture on the pastry, keeping the border clean. Lay the bacon on top, slightly overlapping the slices. Bake the tart for 14 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through baking.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and place it on a level heatproof surface. Using a fork, prick any large air pockets in the pastry. Crack the eggs onto the tart, spacing them 2 inches apart. Bake until the egg whites are set and the yolks are still soft, 7 to 10 minutes.

(When I put the tart in for the 2nd time, I covered the crust with foil. I really didn't want it to burn so this worked out well!)

Transfer the tart to a platter, garnish with the chives and serve immediately. Serves 4.

Baked Potato Soup

I've been wanting to try this soup because my husband always orders it when we go out. And since we had a small blizzard yesterday, I thought it would be the perfect time to try it! I loved this recipe. I mean, what's better than cooking onions in bacon grease? While it's not exactly low-cal, this is a really fantastic soup and just pure comfort food.

INGREDIENTS
Adapted from www.Allrecipes.com

• 4 bacon strips, diced
• 2 small onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 2 large baked potatoes, peeled and cubed (I used about 4 smaller potatoes)
  
• 1 cup half-and-half cream
• 1 green onion, chopped
  
• Shredded Cheddar cheese
• Minced fresh parsley

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large saucepan, cook bacon until crisp. Drain, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings. Set bacon aside. Saute onion and garlic in the drippings until tender. Stir in flour, salt, basil and pepper; mix well. Gradually add broth. Bring to boil; boil and stir for 2 minutes. Add the potatoes, cream and green onions; heat through but do not boil. Garnish with bacon, cheese and parsley.