Happy Football Friday All Y’all! Did y’all save last week’s Slider-ing Through September? Which slider was your favorite? This week we have a collection of bacon-covered recipes. Because it’s bacon and tasty! Some people don’t like real bacon. You can use whatever kind of bacon you want. These tasty treats are perfect for any tailgate. Have fun this weekend making all these tasty bacon treats. Enjoy the games.
Football Friday Tasty Tailgate Treats: Bacon Me Crazy
Bacon Wrapped Shrimp
Ingredients:
- 16 slices bacon halved crosswise (see recipe note)
- 32 large shrimp peeled except for the tail and deveined
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 0.5 teaspoon fine sea salt or 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 0.5 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
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Preheat oven to 425˚F.
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Arrange bacon slices, leaving space around each, on oven oven-safe rack placed inside a baking sheet. Bake 5 to 10 minutes depending on the thickness of your bacon. It should still be pliable when you remove it from the oven.
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Meanwhile, place the shrimp in a medium bowl. Add olive oil, salt, and pepper; toss to coat.
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When partially cooked bacon slices are cool enough to handle (about 5 minutes after you remove them from the oven), wrap each slice of bacon around one raw shrimp, securing with a toothpick; return to oven-safe rack. Repeat with remaining shrimp.
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Bake 10 minutes more until the shrimp are pink and the bacon is cooked through. Serve.
Bacon-Wrapped Avocado Wedges
Ingredients:
- 2 medium ripe avocados
- 12 bacon strips
- sauce:
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 to 3 tablespoons Sriracha chili sauce
Directions:
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°.
- Cut each avocado in half; remove the pit and peel.
- Cut each half into thirds.
- Wrap 1 bacon slice around each avocado wedge.
- Working in batches if needed, place wedges in a single layer on a tray in an air-fryer basket
- cook until bacon is cooked through, 10-15 minutes.
Bacon-Wrapped Tater Tot Bombs
Ingredients:
- 2 cups frozen tater tots, at room temperature
- 1-ounce sharp cheddar cheese, cut into 1/4-inch squares
- 4 slices bacon, quartered
- ¼ cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat; set aside.
- Working one at a time, wrap each tater tot and cheese square in a piece of bacon. Repeat with remaining tater tots, cheese squares, and bacon pieces. Dredge each tater tot in the brown sugar, pressing to coat.
- Place tater tots seam side down onto the prepared baking sheet. Place into oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, using metal tongs to turn at halftime.
- Serve immediately, garnished with parsley if desired.
Bacon-Wrapped Cheese Bombs
Ingredients:
- 1 can biscuits we used Grands Jr.
- 6 oz. mozzarella cheese in brick cut into 10 cubes
- 5 slices of bacon cut in half
- 3 Tablespoons butter melted
- 2 cloves garlic grated
- toothpicks
Directions:
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Mix melted butter with garlic. Set aside.
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Open the biscuits and place them on the cutting board.
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Gently flatten the biscuit. Please do not make it too thin or the cheese will escape during frying.
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Brush the side up of a biscuit with garlic butter. Place one cube of cheese in the middle and close the sides, pinching the seam. Roll a few times in your hands. Place on a plate.
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Repeat with each biscuit.
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Wrap each biscuit in one half of a bacon slice, securing it with a toothpick. Place back on the plate. Repeat with each biscuit.
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In a skillet, preheat canola or vegetable oil to 350 degrees F. Not hotter.
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Fry each biscuit, about 1,5 to 2 minutes on each side OR until the side is crispy brown.
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Place fried cheese bombs on a paper towel-lined plate to drain the excess oil.
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Serve warm with a side of garlic butter or marinara sauce for dipping.
Bacon Mac and Cheese Bites
Ingredients:
- 12 slices precooked bacon
- 2 1/2 cups of prepared macaroni and cheese
- 1/4 cup Italian Panko breadcrumbs
Directions:
- Line a greased muffin pan with slices of precooked bacon.
- Divide the macaroni and cheese between the cups in the muffin pan.
- Sprinkle with breadcrumbs.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
- Allow the bacon mac and cheese cups to set and cool a bit in the pan before removing them.
Smoky Whiskey Mule
Ingredients:
- 6 6-inch slices bacon
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Cajun or other hot chili powder
- Juice from ½ lemon
- 3 ounces Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 Whiskey
- 12 ounces Ginger Beer
Directions:
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Place the bacon on a lined baking sheet. Cover with the brown sugar and chili powder. You can be generous with the chili powder if you like it hot. The sugar overpowers and dilutes the spice quite a bit.
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Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or until crispy. Let cool completely, at least an hour to overnight.
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Place 4 slices of bacon in a cocktail shaker with Jack Daniel’s. Shake vigorously.
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Let the candied bacon and whiskey steep for at least 10 minutes. You can go as long as overnight to really meld the flavors. It depends on how much of that bacon and smoky flavor you really want to infuse. The longer it steeps the more straining you will need.
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Fill 2 glasses with crushed ice. Add strained bacon whiskey and lemon juice. Stir.
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Add ginger beer and stir lightly.
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Serve with a slice of candied bacon garnish.
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Let the party begin.
On The Menu
See y’all next week for more tasty treats to make your tailgate a super success. Have a great weekend full of college football. Enjoy the games! Let us know which is your favorite.
