Rosemary Chicken, Bacon and Avocado Salad

Ingredients:
4 slices thick-cut bacon
1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
6 cups spring greens and/or butter lettuce
1 bunch watercress
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 large avocado, thinly sliced
rosemary vinaigrette
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
salt and pepper
Directions:
Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat and add the bacon. Cook until it’s crispy and the fat is rendered. Remove the bacon and place it on a paper towel to drain any excess grease.
Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Cover with the rosemary. In the same skillet, over medium-high heat, add the chicken and cook until golden and crisp on both sides, about 5 to 6 minutes per side. Remove the chicken and let sit for a moment while you assemble the salad, then slice it.
Toss the greens with the watercress and the tomatoes. Top with the sliced chicken, the bacon and the avocado. Drizzle with the rosemary vinaigrette!
Rosemary vinaigrette:
Whisk together the mustard, oil and vinegar. Whisk in the rosemary and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Bacon Maple Cupcakes!

 Bacon Maple Cupcakes! SOOOO good!

Ingredients

•   Butter Cake:

•   1 cup butter, softened

•   1 1/2 cups sugar

•   4 large eggs

•   3 cups all-purpose soft-wheat flour

•   1 tablespoon baking powder

•   1 teaspoon salt

•   1 cup milk

•   2 teaspoons vanilla extract

•   Paper baking cups

•   Vegetable cooking spray

•   Maple Frosting:

•   1 cup butter

•   1 (16-oz.) package dark brown sugar

•   1/2 cup evaporated milk

•   1/4 teaspoon baking soda

•   1 tablespoon light corn syrup

•   4 cups powdered sugar

•   2 teaspoons maple flavoring

•   Toppings:

•   12 cooked bacon slices, broken to pieces

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla.

Place paper baking cups in 2 (12-cup) muffin pans, and coat with cooking spray; spoon batter into cups, filling two-thirds full. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely.

To prepare frosting, melt butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add brown sugar; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Stir in evaporated milk, baking soda, and light corn syrup; bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and let cool. Transfer caramel mixture to a large bowl. Gradually add powdered sugar to caramel mixture; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Stir in maple flavoring. Beat at high speed 2 minutes or until creamy. Icing firms up quickly, so use immediately. Makes 3 cups.

Frost each cupcake with Maple Frosting using metal tip no. 2D. Top each with bacon.

Chicken breast and bacon

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts 


1 (1-pound) package sliced bacon


2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar


2 tablespoons chili powder

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.



2. Cut chicken breasts into 1-inch cubes. Cut each bacon slice into i inch chunks.  Stir together brown sugar and chili powder. Dredge chicken/bacon in mixture. Coat a rack and broiler pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place chicken/bacon  on rack in broiler pan. Bake 350 for 30 to 35 minutes or until bacon is crisp.

Bacon & Onion Foil Packet Potatoes

 Bacon & Onion Foil Packet Potatoes

2 to 3 sheets of heavy-duty foil

1 packet onion soup powder

10-12 baby red potatoes, thinly sliced


12 slices of cooked and crumbled bacon


1 small onion thinly sliced and diced


1 cup cheese (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste


3 tablespoons butter


1 packet onion soup powder and mixSour cream for serving (optional)

Spray each sheet of foil with cooking spray. Top each piece with equal portions of potatoes, bacon, 1 packet onion soup powder and mix. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add 1 tablespoon of butter to each serving. Wrap securely.

Grill for 20 to 30 minutes. Or you can bake it in the oven, at 350° for about 35 minutes or till done. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Serve in foil, topped with sour cream if desired