Instant Pot Potato Corn Chowder

So hearty, cozy and creamy – perfect for those cold nights! And it’s made right in your pressure cooker so effortlessly! It’s comfort food at it’s easiest!

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INGREDIENTS:

• 4 slices bacon, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 red potatoes, chopped
• 1 (16-ounce) package frozen corn kernels
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

DIRECTIONS:

1. Set Instant Pot® to the high saute setting. Add bacon and cook until brown and crispy, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
2. Add garlic and onion. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions have become translucent, about 2-3 minutes.
3. Stir in bacon, potatoes, corn, vegetable stock, thyme and cayenne pepper; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
4. Select manual setting; adjust pressure to high, and set time for 10 minutes. When finished cooking, quick-release pressure according to manufacturer’s directions.
5. In a small bowl, whisk together heavy cream and flour; set aside.
6. Select high sauté setting. Bring to a boil; stir in heavy cream mixture and cook, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened, about 4-5 minutes. If the mixture is too thick, add more vegetable stock as needed until desired consistency is reached.
7. Serve immediately, garnished with chives, if desired.

 

4 in 1 instant pot

Cooked bacon

then saute onions & garlic (saute setting)

then add the rest of ingredients & use pressure cooker setting for 10 minutes

add cream & flour that was mixed together then add to pot for thickness

The Final Result! YUMMM

Recipe from Damn Delicious!!

 

 

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Make My Own Bacon??? Why Not!!

With the price of Bacon going up and up, and the amount that I seem to consume, it only seemed natural that I would try and make my own Bacon…but, how do it, I didn’t have a clue! And now, thanks to the internet, I researched, watched You Tubes and put my big girl panties on…and took the challenge!!

This process is so darn easy…it’s the PATIENCE of waiting for it to “cure”, that is the difficult part!! So, here we go! And, BTW, I made a Maple Flavored Bacon

INGREDIENTS: (this is for a 3 lb slab of uncured Pork Belly)

• 3 lb uncured Pork Belly
• 5 TBS Kosher Salt
• 5 TBS cracked pepper
• 3 TBS Dark Brown Sugar
• 1/2 c Maple Syrup (not necessary if you don’t want Maple flavored)
• 3/4c Distilled water…don’t ask me why but that’s what the recipe called for!
• 1/2 tsp Morton Quick Salt (this is the “curing salt” and available in grocery stores where the Pink Prague #1 is so hard to find unless you go on line)

First thing you need to do is buy some boneless pork belly! I went to Costco and picked this 9.84 pound slab at $3.69 a pound and came home and cut it into thirds.  The magic number of 3lbs/slab seemed to be what most recipes called for…so that’s what i did!

Next you “score” the fatty part and I vacu-sealed the other 2 and put them in the freezer.

Then gather your ingredients:

Kosher salt, Brown sugar, Distilled Water, Pepper, Morton Tender Quick (the curing salt), and Maple Syrup

Mix it all together, then pour on the slab, cover it in a container like this or a gallon zip lock bag, and put it in your fridge for the next 9 days…turning it over every morning!!

When you have “patiently” waited the 9 days, take the slab of pork belly out of the curing fluids and wash gently, taking off any excess remnants of the curing process, dry with a paper towel then put on a wire rack or a plate and leave UNCOVERED, in the fridge for 24 hours…(yup, more dang waiting…this is when I had to triple my ADD medications!!)

And NOW, DAY 10…FINALLY, it is time to smoke this baby!! I used a Traeger Smoker (thanks to my neighbor) and set the temp to “smoke…stuck a thermometer into it and ONCE AGAIN, “patiently” waited for it to register at 150 degrees, internally, but I must admit, it was not that bad to wait because the aroma “tantalized” every golfer that tee’d up their ball (I live on a tee box)…and it took about 2 hours!

At long last, I removed the long adorned “Smoked Gift from the Pork Gods” and brought it to my kitchen where, freaking ONCE AGAIN (lord Jesus, Mary & Joseph), I had to put it in the fridge to harden it so that cutting it would be easier!!!

I sliced the Bacon and then put it on a large 1″ cookie sheet, lined with aluminum foil into a COLD oven…then set the temp at 400 degrees and in a matter of minutes (about 10-15 to be exact) I took it out and no, it was NOT crispy NOR should it be, but some little burnt areas around the edges…

And proceeded to make the MOST delicious BLT Sandwich on lightly toasted white bread, lettuce and tomatoes….and remember those golfers??? well they came back and wanted their very own BLT sandwiches!! So, that 3 lb slab was gone in a nano-second and the two in the freezer…they are defrosting as we speak!!  SOOOOO worth the “waiting”!!

 

 

 

Bacon Chocolate Cookies a la Chef D2

This will be the easiest recipe I have ever posted!! Just TWO ingredients!! Yes, you read that right..TWO!! Nestles Toll House Cookie tub and either 1 lb of bacon that YOU cook, or 2 c of Kirkland Bacon Crumbles from Costco…for me, I mixed BOTH!!

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat Oven to 350 degrees
2. cook Bacon until nice and crispy, for me that is 20-24 mins (and I ALWAYS START WITH A COOL OVEN)
3. Drain bacon and then chop finely OR use your bacon crumbles…your choice.
4. Put in little bowl and take a TBL of cookie dough and “roll” it in the bacon and then put on cookie sheet. Fill the sheet and put in oven for 12-15 mins depending on how you like your cookies! I like mine “crispy”!!
5. Take out and cool and then VOILA…

Could this be any easier?? No measuring, no fuss, and little mess!!  It may sound like a weird combination, but it IS DEEDEEDEELICIOUS!!!! You have to try it!!!

Let’s start with the #1 ingredient..a tub of Toll House cookie dough!!

Paleo BLT with Chicken & Guacamole

Romaine lettuce, guacamole, tomatoes, leftover chicken and bacon…that’s what’s for lunch!! How easy is that???

INGREDIENTS:

• homemade guacomole or store bought
• sliced tomatoes
• leftover chicken
• leftover bacon…or just made
• romaine lettuce leafs to use as “vessels” instead of bread
• add whole green onion, peppers…whatever you have in the fridge!!