Bacon

Jalapeno Popper Loaded Potato Soup

/ Richelle / 6 Comments

I have taken two of my all-time favorite dishes and combined them to make the most EPIC soup of all time! Jalapeño Popper Loaded Potato Soup. If you love Jalapeño Poppers and Loaded Potato Soup as much as I do, I think this soup is really going to knock your socks off! Continue reading →

Chicken and Bacon Corn Chowder

/ Richelle / 3 Comments
I am a firm believer that a cozy, delicious bowl of soup is the ultimate comfort food! This hearty soup is loaded with fresh veggies and is packed with flavor. I love the combination of spicy jalapeño with the sweet corn, but if you are not a fan of spicy food, you can omit it. It will still be delicious. I have kept it on the lighter side by using a cornstarch slurry to thicken instead of a traditional roux, which is a mix of butter and flour. A cornstarch slurry also happens to be a good way to keep it gluten-free if needed. Just make sure your other ingredients are also gluten-free.

Chicken and Bacon Corn Chowder

Recipe source: A Vintage Kitchen

  • 4 slices  bacon, chopped
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 ribs celery, finely chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced
  • 1- 2 jalapeno peppers, chopped, remove seeds for less heat
  • 2 cups corn 
  • 2 cups diced, peeled potato
  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 2 cups milk or half and half
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
  • 2 1/2 cups diced or shredded cooked chicken
  • 2 Tbsp. cornstarch mixed with 3 Tbsp. cold water
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • hot sauce to taste

    Garnish: green onions, sour cream, reserved bacon

Directions:

Gently heat the milk or half and half and chicken stock over low heat until hot but not boiling. 


In a large pot cook bacon until it is crispy. Remove bacon and drain on paper towel. Reserve for garnishing. Saute onion, celery, and peppers in the bacon fat until softened. Add corn, potatoes, stock, milk, and seasonings. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook at a low temperature until vegetables are tender about 20 minutes. Add chicken to pot. Bring to a gentle boil and stir in cornstarch mixture. Cook, stirring constantly until soup is thickened. Remove bay leaf. Adjust seasonings to taste. Garnish each serving with reserved bacon, sour cream, and chopped green onions or chives.


Tags: Soup, Chicken, Bacon, Corn, Chowder, Spicy, Jalapeño Peppers, Lunch, Dinner, Easy

 

Spaghetti Carbonara with Roasted Cauliflower

/ Richelle / 1 Comment

Spaghetti  Carbonara is a classic pasta dish that requires only a few basic ingredients, comes together in minutes, and is so wonderfully sinful it should be illegal.

 

 

There are only a few ingredients needed for this amazing pasta dish – pasta, eggs, cured pork such as bacon or pancetta, hard aged cheese such as Parmesan or Pecorino and plenty of freshly cracked black pepper. This dish is so much more than the sum of its parts. Steaming hot pasta is tossed with raw eggs and grated cheese, resulting in a luxuriously creamy sauce without the addition of any cream. I just love roasted cauliflower and I thought it would work beautifully in this dish. I also replaced the Parmesan with an aged Asiago cheese as that is what I had on hand.

Spaghetti Carbonara with Roasted Cauliflower
Recipe source: A Vintage Kitchen

Serves 2

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 medium head cauliflower, cut into florets
  • olive oil
  • 3 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
  • 1/2 small onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for garnishing
  • 1/2 lb. spaghetti
  • freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 F. Toss cauliflower with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Spread on baking sheet. Roast until golden brown – about 25 minutes. In a large pot of boiling water, cook pasta until al dente. Drain, reserving about 1 cup of the starchy pasta water. Meanwhile, cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon with slotted spoon and cook onion in the drippings until softened. Add garlic and cook 1 or 2 minutes more. In a small bowl whisk eggs, Parmesan and a splash of the pasta water. Off the heat toss the pasta with the egg mixture, tossing together until the sauce is creamy. Add the cauliflower, bacon/onion mixture and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Arrange on serving bowls and garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.