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Kitchen Hacks Bacon

· 138 Comments

As promised last week when I shared these Chicken & Bacon Meatballs with you, here is one of my favorite kitchen tips! Bacon Kitchen Hacks are the best! 

Are you ready?

Buy slab bacon in hunks to use anytime you want to include bacon  (BACON!!) in a dish.

Yeah I know…she’s not the prettiest gal at the prom but boy does it sure taste good!

Years ago, when I had first heard of pork belly (via Top Chef) I was dying to get my hands on some. I mean it always looked so darn delicious and the judges usually raved about it…what was a poor hungry girl who loves to cook to do but look high and low for it.  Alas…no belly was to be found!

I was however able to order it in appetizer form at an amazing local restaurant in New Hope PA called Marsha Brown’s and it was even better that I imagined it to be….My mouth still waters at the very thought of that appetizer and my first brush with pork belly

One day, while waiting for my number to be called at the meat section of my local farmers market (before said deliciously glorious encounter with the belly)…an idea struck me while I watched one of the Amish women carry HUGE slabs of bacon over to the cutting machine to cut both the center cut and slab bacon cuts they sold.

I thought….I bet I can buy a hunk of THAT, grill it up and it will be delicious, just like pork belly!


Except I was wrong….THAT didn’t turn out so well, blech!

BUT what did happen is this….Before I decided to grill that hunk up, I took a little here and there from it to use in a couple of things I made that week and it was then I thought “WHY have I never done this before??”  “This is genius!”  I mean a 1 pound hunk costs me about $7.30 which is way less than pancetta and I can use it in SO many things AND its always waiting for me in my fridge!

I now keep a hunk in my fridge at all times for whenever the urge, need or whatever you want to call it strikes, I cut some off…fry it up and ta-da bacon for a salad made super-fast and easy….bacon topping for an appetizer, the glorious addition of bacon to asparagus, kale, potatoes or whatever I decide to add it to…all I have to do is cut some off of my hunk and I have what I need (and I get to keep the bacon fat for other delicious uses).

My Amish friends at first thought I was a little cuckoo when I asked for it, now they are used to it and they like to remind me that I am the only one who asks for it that way, it amuses them I think.   I have been telling them for a year or so, that I should write a post about it and maybe then they will be inundated with bacon hunk requests, lol!  They are used to me and some of my unusual requests, I think they kinda like it!  I have made some friends there and I enjoy asking questions about their culture(s) and they do the same with me.

Here are a few ways I use my secret-stash-hunk-o-bacon:

Cobb Salad with Bacon, Asparagus & Sriracha Ranch Dressing
Crispy Avocado Bacon & Tomato Salad
Kale & Bacon Stuffed Flank Steak
Cheddar Bacon & Spinach Pie
Sauteed Kale with Bacon
Jalapeno Popper & Bacon Dip
Mashed Potato Pie
Grilled Jalapeno Poppers with Bacon

Ok, I’ll stop now (but you know I can keeeeeep going!  BACON!!)! Bacon Kitchen Hacks are the best!!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  8. FireRunner2379 says

    Well, bacon makes everything better! My favorite dish with bacon is homemade Mac & Cheese. I've experimented with bacon in cookies and loved the result!

    Reply

  11. ginabad says

    I want to store a hunk of bacon now! It goes with everything and this is the one item my whole family gobbles up every time we cook it or add to a plate.

    Reply

  16. Jodi Greenberg says

    I like putting bacon pieces on my roasted potatoes. Its like a loaded baked potato casserole, but the potatoes get crispy!

    Reply

  18. peggy fedison says

    i think its a great tip!!!! i love bacon in most anything! i cant think of my fav tho.. too many to choose from

    Reply

  19. Bethany says

    I love having bacon on hand! I usually just fry up a couple extra pieces on the weekend and use them in something, but this is a great way to do it!

    Reply

  20. Susan P. says

    I keep bacon in my freezer to have on hand. I'll have to get some pork belly! I had bacon wrapped filet mignon the other night and it was delicious.

    Reply

  22. Rusthawk says

    I think I really like your idea of having'a-hunk handy …and it is my intention to find one for myself very soon. My gumbo definitely benefits from a bit of bacon, as do my veggies.

    Reply

  23. wilma2389 says

    My favorite recipe with bacon is sautéed chicken breasts spread with honey mustard, mushroom slices, some bacon slices & topped with shredded Swiss cheese then baked till cheese melts.

    Reply

  31. Kelly Tupick says

    My favorite bacon dish is scallops wrapped in bacon. We usually make it around the holidays and everyone looks forward to it.

    Reply

  33. Caitlyn says

    I've never thought to buy a slab of bacon and cut it myself. I bet it tastes a lot better than the sliced/pre-packaged variety.

    Reply

  39. Linda T says

    Thats a great idea. I always like to have bacon on hand for my ceasar salads. Thats a good idea to buy it in a slab and cut it yourself. Problem with me is that you would need a sharp knife. Thank you for a chance to win. I am entered.

    Reply

  43. BethElderton says

    OMGoodness! Why have I not bought bacon by the hunk?! This may be a life changing tip. I like to add a little bacon to a lot of dishes. Some nights a very simple dinner is vegetables roasted then tossed with bacon bits.
    Mary Beth Elderton

    Reply

  45. C.Lloy says

    My family loves when I make honey mustard chicken with cheese, mushroom and bacon. So delicious!! What a generous giveaway wow!!! I hope I win 🙂

    Reply

  46. Debbie Caraballo says

    The hunk o' bacon is a great idea! I love bacon on a cheeseburger, with eggs and bisccuits, or just eat it by itself!

    Reply

  47. PeoplefoodforDogs says

    What's not better with bacon? Just fry some bacon, put it over any veggie and you've got a meal – don't get better than that.

    Reply

  49. crystalsg says

    I love to make loaded potato soup and sprinkle shredded cheese and bacon on top. I fry bacon until it is crunchy and put it in the blender until it is almost a powder. This is so delicious.

    Reply

  50. Anita Duvall says

    Well, being from the South (Arkansas) I'm really used to using big hunks of Bacon or Pork Belly and frying up just what I need. Next time you make a big pot of Home Made Vegetable Soup, throw some diced Bacon and Onion in the Pot and render it down a little (don't drain) then add whatever meat and vegetables you are using!!! Love the knife!

    Reply

  54. Linda Meyers-Gabbard says

    My favorite bacon dish is the bacon hogie that is served at a small pizza place, in Silverton Ohio ( a suburb of Cincinnati, Ohio, called Italianette Pizza. Add a side of potato wedges with melted mozzarella cheese. Yummy.! The best. The hogie is a toasted 6 inch hogie bun piled high with bacon, lettuce and tomato don't forget the mayo.

    Reply

  55. Karen Martin says

    My favorite bacon dish is Swiss chard (which we had last night, the greens fresh from my backyard garden!) generously flavored with small chunks of bacon.

    Reply

  57. Kyle Tucker says

    Never thought to buy bacon in a slab, but I can think of plenty of uses for it over the pre-sliced. My favorite is bacon wrapped venison back strap on the grill. I've also been wanting to add this particular knife to our Cutco set at home for a while!

    Reply

  61. Jennifer Hiles says

    I discovered this BLT dip a couple years ago that my family just loves. It's pretty simple, cut up tomatoes, bacon sour cream and mayo I believe. It's awesome on crackers!

    Reply

  65. Ruth Griffeth says

    What a gorgeous Chef's Knife. Mine is so old but I love it, I would love to have this one! I have very small hands so using a full Chef's Knife! I really love the handle too. I am keeping my fingers crossed!

    Reply

  70. Deborah Coombs says

    How could I not love this tip? Bacon makes everything better. When I was a teenager my favourite quick snack to make was a hotdog popped under the broiler with cheese and a slice of bacon on top. Yum. Now I add bacon crumble wherever I can. Grilled cheese sandwiches, pasta dishes, over top my turkey. It's all good!

    Reply

  71. Dawn Monroe says

    Bacon is my absolute favorite. I especially love it on cheeseburgers and pizza. The weirdest way ive eaten it is sprinkled on a maple doughnut. It was good but not something I would eat everyday.

    Reply

  77. Leah Wall says

    favorite bacon dish? so so difficult to narrow down! I do love green beans wrapped in bacon in the autumn – but pretty much anything with bacon is a win 🙂

    Reply

  93. Danielle jones says

    I used to have a really good recipe that I found on a blog. It was for a bacon dip. It had cream cheese and I believe sour cream in it. It was really good but I have lost the recipe.

    Reply

  94. J. 76 says

    Good tip! It makes more sense to pay less per ounce than for pre sliced bacon when you're just going to cut it up anyway. I forget you can buy chunks of bacon that way.

    Thanks!

    Reply

  100. Sarah says

    I loved the tip! I've been a vegetarian for years, but in my pre-vegetarian days I LOVED bacon in mac-n-cheese. And bacon wrapped around hot dogs. I still cook these things when other people want them 🙂

    Reply

  101. Katherine Riley says

    I love bacon in any way, shape or form!!! I do like your tip for buying slab bacon to add a taste of bacon to a dish whenever you want.

    Reply

  108. Denise Falicki says

    I like bacon to just be plain, crispy bacon! Would love to know how long a hunk would last in fridge after you open it! Would love to use it every day like this! Denise Fedor Falicki

    Reply

  112. Mandi Aspling says

    It's hard to choose just one since bacon goes well in so many dishes! I have to say a good bacon burger is just delicious! My husband makes an awesome hollandaise sauce and tops it over the bacon burger. The combination is so goooood.

    Reply

  119. Aimee Correa says

    This sounds like the best tip I have heard in awhile considering how much bacon costs and we use it like yourself in so many things!

    Reply

  130. Jessica Whitehouse says

    I add bacon to everything… Crumbled up in casseroles, wrapped around steaks or burgers, even dice into pasta dishes.

    Reply

  134. sarah says

    Some of my favorite bacon dishes are crispy Brussels sprouts with bacon, with scrambled eggs, brown sugar glazed bacon and bacon & smoked gouda cauliflower mash

    Reply

  136. Michele Cupp says

    I love the idea of buying a slab and will consider doing that. I use bacon in so many dishes for that extra added flavor.

    Reply

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