Blt Baked Potato Food

BLT BAKED POTATO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Thoroughly wash and dry potatoes. Prick each in a few spots with a fork. Brush with oil and season with salt.
• Place potatoes directly on rack and bake until soft and easily pierced with the tip of a knife, 1 hour to 1 hour, 15 minutes, depending on size. Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk together buttermilk, mayonnaise, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Season tomatoes with salt.
• Remove potatoes from oven. Grab a hot potato with a clean kitchen towel and bang it down firmly on the counter once to fluff up the flesh. Repeat with remaining potatoes. Cut open, season generously with salt and pepper, and top with tomatoes, lettuce, and bacon. Drizzle generously with buttermilk dressing and serve.

BLT TWICE-BAKED POTATOES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. Scrub potatoes; pierce several times with a fork. Place on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave, uncovered, on high 12-15 minutes or until tender, turning once., When cool enough to handle, cut each potato lengthwise in half. Scoop out pulp, leaving 1/4-in.-thick shells. In a small bowl, mash pulp with mayonnaise, adding cheese, bacon, tomatoes, green onion, salt and pepper., Spoon into potato shells. Place on a baking sheet. Bake 12-15 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with lettuce.

BLT

Steps:

• Cook the bacon in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain the bacon slices on a paper towel-lined plate.
• Arrange the cooked bacon, lettuce, and tomato slices on one slice of bread. Spread one side of remaining bread slice with the mayonnaise. Bring the two pieces together to make a sandwich.

BLT EGGS BENEDICT WITH ROASTED POTATO HASH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Add the potatoes, smashed garlic and 2 of the thyme sprigs into a pot of cold water. Season the water generously with kosher salt. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are fork tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes and lightly smash (I used a bench scraper). Transfer the potatoes into a bowl and toss with the red pepper flakes, a drizzle of olive oil and kosher salt to taste. Place onto a sheet tray in a single layer and transfer to the oven. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until crispy. Garnish with the grated Parmesan and chives.
• Toss the sliced tomatoes with a drizzle of olive oil and kosher salt to taste in a large bowl. Lay the sliced tomatoes onto one half of a sheet tray lined with a rack. Lay 8 bacon strips onto the other half of the sheet tray. Transfer to the oven and bake for 15 minutes, then remove the tomatoes and continue cooking the bacon for 10 minutes more.
• Slice the remaining 4 bacon strips into lardons and place into a saute pan. Turn on the heat to medium-low and cook until the bacon is crispy and the fat has rendered, about 10 minutes. Strain the bacon fat through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and set aside.
• Fill a large, high-sided pan with water about halfway up. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a very gentle simmer until there are almost no bubbles. Add 1/4 cup of the vinegar to the water. Crack the 4 eggs into the water and poach the eggs for about 3 minutes. Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and gently place the eggs into a bowl of room temperature water to hold until ready to serve.
• Preheat a large saute pan with a drizzle of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the pullman rounds and toast on both sides until golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Set aside.
• Combine the clarified butter and the reserved bacon fat and set aside. Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add the shallots, bay leaf, black peppercorns, 2 tablespoons water, the remaining 2 tablespoons of vinegar and the remaining 2 thyme sprigs into a small saute pan and turn on the heat to medium. Cook for 5 minutes or until the liquid has mostly reduced. Turn off the heat, then add 3 to 4 ice cubes and swirl the pan to fully melt and cool down the mixture. Strain the mixture into a large, heat-resistant bowl.
• Add the egg yolks and lemon juice into the bowl and whisk until the yolks are pale yellow and foamy. Set the bowl over the pot of boiling water to create a double boiler, making sure the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water. Reduce the heat to low. Whisk the eggs vigorously until frothy and fluffy and it starts to thicken slightly. Very slowly, a drop at a time, add the clarified butter and bacon fat mixture while continuing to whisk. Continue to add gradually until the sauce is thickened but still flows-it should coat the back of a spoon. If the bowl gets too hot or the eggs look like they're in danger of scrambling, immediately pull off the bowl from the heat and add an ice cube to cool it down, then return to the heat. Season to taste with kosher salt. If the sauce gets too thick, you can add a little water to thin it out.
• To assemble, lay down a toasted piece of bread and top with two bacon slices, some iceberg lettuce, roasted tomato, a poached egg and a spoonful of the bacon fat hollandaise. Serve alongside the roasted potato hash.

CRISPY POTATO BLT TACOS #SP5

Steps:

• In 12-inch nonstick skillet cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon to paper towels to drain. Reserve 3 tablespoons of drippings; rinse out skillet.
• Heat reserved drippings in same skillet over medium heat. Add potatoes to skillet; spread in even layer. Cover with lid. Cook 12-15 minutes, turning every 3 to 4 minutes, until tender and golden brown. Keep skillet covered during cooking time.
• Fill tortillas with potatoes, lettuce, bacon and salsa.

BLT SMASHED POTATOES

Steps:

• Cut larger potatoes in half, leave very small ones whole and place in pot.
• Cover with water, bring to a boil and cook 12-15 minutes until potatotes are tender.
• Cut leek in half lengthwise and chop into 1/2" pieces.
• Place in sink full of water and separate pieces to release all dirt, drain in a colander.
• Saute bacon until crisp and without draining, add leaks and saute until tender.
• If you are using bacon bits instead of bacon add them in Step 9 and saute the leeks in 1/4 cup broth.
• Drain potatoes, smash them in their skins with a potato masher.
• Add chicken broth and blend thoroughly.
• Add bacon (or bacon bits), leeks and tomatoes and blend.
• Salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve warm and pass sour cream.