Bacon has long been famous in sandwiches, a burger topping, and alongside many breakfast foods. But there are plenty of other uses for this food that more than one in five Americans said they’d eat every day for the rest of their lives, according to one survey.
If you’re looking for more creative ways to use your leftover bacon, you’ve got to try these ideas.
1 Savory Bread Pudding
While the bread pudding is usually a sweet dessert made with ingredients like chocolate chips or chopped fruit, this one is savory, using bacon, cheese, artichokes, and leeks. The key to this recipe is to add plenty of salt, pepper, herbs, and aromatics well before cooking – you can add some of your favorites for a unique dish.
Keep in mind that savory bread puddings get more flavorful as they sit, so after taking it out of the oven, give it time to cool a while before eating and then gently reheat. It’s fabulous as an alternative to traditional Thanksgiving stuffing or served as part of brunch.
2 Bacon Jam
One of our favorite, more unique condiments is bacon jam, and it’s something you’ve got to try. You now have the perfect excuse to use that leftover bacon, with one of the best recipes we’ve found published by The Endless Meal.
As noted, it calls for slowly simmering your bacon with brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, onions, and even coffee. So extraordinary, you might start thinking about canning it. Still, the much easier and safer thing to do to reduce the risk of botulism is to stock up on delicious gourmet bacon jam that’s available online. It comes in a variety of flavors so that you’ll have it on hand anytime you want to entertain or indulge at the last minute.
You can use bacon jam on a burger, a sandwich, spread onto crackers, or toast, as the “secret ingredient” for all sorts of recipes. It’s so good; some people are tempted to enjoy it on its own, digging in with a spoon.
3 Cheesy Bacon Oatmeal
Oatmeal is often enjoyed with brown sugar or other sweet ingredients like honey, but you can change things up with a savory twist on this morning classic with your leftover bacon. Oatmeal is rather bland on its own, but like a sponge for the flavors of other ingredients, this one works amazingly well while adding a bit more excitement to breakfast or any meal.
This recipe calls for a fried egg on top, making it the complete morning dish, but you can change it up by topping it with ingredients of your choosing, perhaps scallions or chives. Some people like to top it with that popular superfood, kale, best sauteed with lots of garlic.
4 Bacon S’mores
S’mores have been around at least since 1927, with the first official recipe published in a Girl Scouts’ guide. While they’re tried and true enjoyed around a campfire, they’re even better with bacon.
All you need to transform this classic is some thick-cut maple or applewood smoked bacon for a sweet and salty treat that’s to die for, whether you’re camping, entertaining, or need something for a potluck. You don’t need a recipe, but this one is simple and fast.
5 BLT Skillet
This pasta dish is the perfect use for your leftover bacon, transforming the same old pasta into a BLT delight. Super easy. All you need are some basic spices, lemon juice, garlic, tomato, and some Parmesan cheese.
