Pepper Jelly Candied Bacon Food

PEPPER JELLY CANDIED BACON

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375ºF.
• Cover rimmed baking sheet with foil; spray with cooking spray. Place bacon in single layer on prepared baking sheet. Bake 15 min., turning after 8 min. Remove baking sheet from oven; carefully pour off drippings. Discard drippings. Brush half the jelly evenly onto both sides of bacon slices. Return to oven.
• Bake 20 to 25 min. or until bacon is crisp, turning and brushing with remaining jelly every 10 min. Transfer bacon to wire rack sprayed with cooking spray. Cool 10 min. or until firm.

HOT PEPPER JELLY CHEESE DIP WITH BACON

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until creamy. Add cheddar cheese, garlic, and salt and mix well. Stir in 1/2 jar of hot pepper jelly. Pour into a lightly greased 1 quart baking dish. Bake 35-40 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
• Heat remaining jelly in microwave for 20-30 seconds to soften, slightly melt. Spread over top of the dip and sprinkle top with bacon.
• Serve immediately with crackers or pita chips.

CANDIED BACON

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Put bacon slices in a bowl, season them with pepper and toss with the brown sugar. Cover a baking sheet with parchment or foil and arrange the bacon in a single layer on top. Sprinkle any sugar left in the bowl over the bacon. Top with another layer of parchment or foil and top it, squarely, with another baking sheet. The baking sheet will flatten the bacon as it cooks.
• Place the tray in the center of the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Check the bacon by lifting the top tray and parchment. If it is not golden brown and fairly crispy, resist the temptation to turn up the oven temperature, and cook it for 10 to 15 minutes longer. Check it again. Keep in mind that when you remove the tray and transfer the bacon to a serving platter or individual plates, the bacon will "crisp" up a little more. Be patient!

CHEF JOHN'S BACON JAM

Steps:

• Place bacon in a large, heavy-bottomed pot and cook over medium heat until bacon is crispy and the rendered fat is foaming, about 10 minutes. Pour bacon and rendered fat into a strainer placed over a bowl to drain fat. When fat is drained and bacon is cool enough to handle, remove bacon to a cutting board and finely chop.
• Return pot to medium heat; drizzle 2 teaspoons reserved bacon fat and butter in pan. Saute onions and 1 teaspoon salt until soft and translucent, 7 to 10 minutes.
• Stir brown sugar, sherry vinegar, 1 teaspoon thyme leaves, black pepper, and cayenne into onion mixture; add bacon. Stir water into bacon mixture and cook until jam is a brick-brown bacon color and has a jam consistency, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon thyme into jam; stir until shiny and heated through.