(Family Features) When planning a get-together with friends, finding the right playlist and inviting your favorite people over is easy, but planning the perfect menu can be daunting.

Whether it’s game day, the season premiere of your favorite show or just a casual night in, if you’re craving something satisfying and delicious, one simple solution is Mrs. T’s Pierogies.

You can easily add a creative twist to your menu by serving up bite-sized Bacon-Wrapped Pierogies, featuring Classic Cheddar Mini Pierogies, which are perfect for sharing. Or try adding some flare to your nachos by substituting chips with pierogies. Available in 15 tasty varieties, these potato-filled pasta shells are loaded with flavor and are the perfect canvas for all your favorite ingredients and spices.

Find more recipes to enjoy with your friends at MrsTsPierogies.com.

Bacon-Wrapped Pierogies

Prep time: 15 minutes
Total time: 32 minutes
Servings: 4

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 box (12.84 ounces) Mrs. T’s Mini Cheddar Seasoned with Bacon or Mini Classic Cheddar Pierogies
• 14 slices bacon, sliced in half
• 1/4 cup brown sugar (optional)

1. Heat oven to 400° F.
2. Spray baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Defrost pierogies by placing in boiling water for 2 minutes or refrigerating overnight.
3. Wrap half slices of bacon around each pierogy. Arrange pierogies on baking sheet. Sprinkle with brown sugar, if desired. Bake 16-18 minutes, or until golden brown, turning once.
4. Optional: Saute wrapped pierogies 8 minutes, or grill 5 minutes until browned.

Pierogy Nachos

Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4

Nachos:

• 2 boxes (16 ounces each) Mrs. T’s Classic Cheddar Pierogies
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 cups canned black beans, drained and rinsed
• 3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• Pico de Gallo (recipe below)
• guacamole (recipe below)
• sour cream (optional)
• pickled jalapeno peppers (optional)

Pico de Gallo:

• 2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 1 small, diced red onion
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Guacamole:

• 1 small, ripe avocado
• 1 seeded and minced jalapeno
• 1/2 Roma tomato, seeded and chopped
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
• 2 teaspoons lime juice
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste

1. To make nachos: Saute pierogies in butter over medium heat, approximately 8 minutes on both sides.
2. Preheat broiler. On large, oven-safe plate, arrange hot pierogies; sprinkle with black beans and Monterey Jack cheese.
3. Broil until cheese is melted and bubbly. Top with Pico de Gallo and guacamole, and sour cream or pickled jalapeno peppers, if desired.
4. To make Pico de Gallo: Mix together all ingredients and set aside. Serve on top of pierogies.
5. To make guacamole: Cut avocado in half and remove seed. With spoon, scoop out inside; place in bowl.
6. Mash avocado with fork until slightly chunky.
7. Mix in jalapeno, tomato, green onion, cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper. Serve on top of pierogies.

Source: Mrs. T's Pierogies

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(Family Features) Holiday parties should be fun — so why not serve up some tasty appetizers with a creative seasonal twist that will be sure to spice up your gathering?

These clever bites start with versatile party favorites Hillshire Farm Lit’l Smokies — and then the fun begins. Start off with an impressive — and edible — wreath for the centerpiece and serve with a cranberry-barbecue dip. Next, dress up your cocktail links with some delicious fare: simmer your Smokies in a zesty sauce; wrap them up in crispy bacon; make a splash with pineapple and edible flowers; dip and fry to make your own mini corn dogs; and turn them into tasty reindogs. With these fun-tastic appetizers, not only will you give guests plenty of food to eat, you’ll give them plenty to talk about.

For more recipes to add merriment to your celebrations, visit www.hillshirefarm.com.

Holiday Appetizer Wreath

Yield: 16 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

• 32 Hillshire Farm Lit’l Smokies
• 1/2 cup whole berry cranberry sauce
• 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
• 1 can (8 ounces) refrigerated crescent dough rolls
• Optional: Roasted bell pepper strips, cherry tomato halves and fresh rosemary for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Open package of sausages and drain off liquid.
3. Combine cranberry sauce and barbecue sauce in a small saucepan; heat over low heat, stirring until smooth and hot.
4. Unroll dough, separate at perforations, creating 4 rectangles. Press perforations to seal. With knife or pizza cutter cut each rectangle lengthwise into 8 strips, making a total of 32 strips.
5. Wrap 1 strip of dough around each sausage. Place crescent-wrapped sausages with sides touching on ungreased cookie sheet or round baking stone in a circle, forming a wreath shape.
6. Bake for 11 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly.
7. Carefully remove wreath onto serving platter, if desired. Garnish wreath with bell pepper strips to form a bow, and cherry tomato halves and rosemary sprigs for ornaments, if desired.
8. Serve with cranberry-barbecue sauce.

Lit’l Party Delights

Yield: 9 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

• 1 package Hillshire Farm Lit’l Smokies
• 3/4 cup chili sauce
• 3/4 cup grape jelly
• 1 tablespoon red wine
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1. Open package of sausages and drain off liquid; set aside.
2. Combine remaining ingredients in medium saucepan. Heat, stirring occasionally, over medium heat until jelly is melted and mixture is smooth.
3. Add sausages; heat 10 minutes or until hot.

Reindogs

Yield: 20 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 2 to 3 minutes

• 1 package Hillshire Farm Lit’l Smokies
• Pretzel twists
• Mustard
• Ketchup

1. Heat sausages according to package directions.
2. Break a small pretzel twist in half. Stick a pretzel half into both sides of sausage to resemble antlers.
3. Use 2 small drops of mustard for eyes and a small drop of ketchup for the nose.

Corn Doggies

Yield: 20 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 2 to 3 minutes

• 1 package Hillshire Farm Lit’l Smokies
• 1 package (8.5 ounces) corn muffin mix
• 2/3 cup flour
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup milk
• Vegetable oil for frying

1. Preheat oil to 375°F. Open package of sausages and drain off any liquid. Insert wooden toothpick into tip of each sausage.
2. Mix corn muffin mix, flour, egg and milk in a large bowl until well combined. Working quickly, dip 4 to 5 sausages in batter.
3. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown and batter is cooked in the center.
4. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining sausages.

Pigs in Heaven

Yield: 20 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

• 1 package Hillshire Farm Lit’l Smokies
• 1 package thick sliced bacon

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Open package of sausages and drain off any liquid.
3. Cut each bacon slice into 3 to 4 pieces. Wrap each sausage with a piece of bacon; secure with a toothpick.
4. Place on a 15 x 10 x 1-inch baking pan.
5. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until bacon is browned.

Lit’l Luaus

Yield: 20 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 3 minutes

• 1 package Hillshire Farm Lit’l Smokies
• Canned pineapple (1 can)
• Edible flowers

1. Heat sausages according to package directions.
2. Cut 1 pineapple ring in half.
3. Wrap two halves of pineapple around each sausage.
4. Garnish with edible flowers.

(Family Features) No matter the occasion, every celebration is better with snacks. Whether you’re hosting game day with the guys, catching up with girlfriends, gathering for family movie night or inviting your kids’ friends over for a grade school sleepover, you can’t go wrong with popcorn treats.

Popcorn is the perfect partner for a broad span of flavors, especially when they’re sweet or salty – or both. You can make each mouthwatering bite pop even more by adding texture with crunchy nuts or silky melted chocolate.

Even if you simply serve plain popcorn to your guests, you can feel good about serving healthy, whole grain, freshly popped popcorn, which is naturally low in fat and calories, non-GMO and gluten free.

Find more ways to pop up more fun for your next party at popcorn.org.

Caramel-Nut Popcorn Crunch

Yield: 20 pieces

• 10 cups freshly popped popcorn
• 2 cups whole almonds
• 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1. Heat oven to 225° F. Spray 15-by-10-inch baking sheet with nonstick spray.
2. In large bowl, mix popcorn and almonds.
3. In medium saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter and corn syrup. Over low heat, stir mixture until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and boil 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla, almond extract and baking soda.
4. Pour over popcorn and almonds, immediately stirring gently to coat. Pour mixture onto prepared baking sheet, spreading evenly.
5. Bake 1 hour. Cool completely. Break into pieces and store in airtight container.

Maple Bacon Popcorn Mix

Yield: 2 quarts

• 6 slices thick-cut bacon
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup, divided
• 8 cups popped popcorn
• 2/3 cup pecan halves, coarsely chopped
• 2/3 cup dried cranberries
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon maple extract

1. Heat oven to 400° F.
2. Line jelly roll pan with foil. Place wire rack in pan. Arrange bacon in single layer on rack. Bake 15 minutes, or until ends of bacon start to curl. Remove and reserve 2 tablespoons bacon drippings. Brush bacon with 2 tablespoons maple syrup; bake 15 minutes until browned. Cool then coarsely chop bacon.
3. In large bowl, combine popcorn, pecans and cranberries.
4. Combine butter, black pepper, maple extract, remaining maple syrup and reserved bacon drippings. Cook over low heat until butter is melted. Drizzle over popcorn mixture and mix thoroughly.
5. Spread popcorn mixture in jelly roll or roasting pan. Bake 5 minutes. Toss in bacon pieces. Serve warm.

Poppy Chow

Yield: 2 quarts

• 2 quarts popped popcorn
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 cup milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar

1. Place popcorn in large bowl; set aside.
2. In microwave safe bowl, combine butter, peanut butter and chocolate chips. Microwave 2 minutes; stir until smooth.
3. Pour chocolate mixture over popcorn and stir until well coated. Sprinkle confectioners’ sugar over popcorn and stir until coated.
4. Cool to room temperature before serving. Store in airtight container, refrigerated, up to 24 hours.

English Toffee Popcorn Bars

Yield: 20 bars

• 2 1/2 quarts popped popcorn
• 1 cup peanuts
• 1 cup flaked coconut, toasted

Toffee:

• 1 1/2 cups butter or margarine
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 tablespoons water
• 4 1/2 teaspoons light corn syrup

Chocolate Topping:

• 1 1/2 cups (9 ounces) chocolate pieces
• 1 tablespoon shortening

1. Heat oven to 200° F.
2. In large bowl, combine popcorn, peanuts and toasted coconut. Cover bottom of buttered 15 1/2-by-10 1/2-by-1-inch jelly roll pan with half of the popcorn mixture. Keep filled pan and remaining popcorn mixture warm in oven.
3. To make toffee: In heavy 2-quart saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Add sugar and blend well.
   Continue to cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture reaches full boil. Add water and corn syrup; mix well.
4. Wash down sides of pan with pastry brush dipped in water to remove any sugar granules.
5. Cook and stir over low heat until mixture reaches soft-crack stage on candy thermometer (280° F). Immediately pour mixture over warm popcorn in jelly-roll pan, making certain all popcorn is covered. Quickly spread and press remaining popcorn mixture into hot toffee. Set aside to cool.
   For topping, melt chocolate and shortening over low heat. Spread over popcorn mixture, making certain any loose pieces are held in place.
6. Cool. Cut into bars. If bars will not be served immediately, wrap in plastic wrap for storage.

Source: The Popcorn Board

Add a delicious twist to entertaining

(Family Features) The holidays are the ultimate time for connecting with friends and family, so treat them to something special this year with your own mouthwatering take on a holiday feast. Add a new and delicious twist to entertaining this season with a festive bacon bar.

Mix things up with simple decorating tips and these easy-to-make – and even easier to eat – bacon recipes from Smithfield that can help create the perfect setting for your next holiday gathering. Whether drizzled with caramel and sea salt, twisted with puff pastry or baked with bourbon and maple syrup, your guests can enjoy bacon in a variety of ways. The classic cut and versatility of Smithfield Hometown Original Bacon is ideal for dishes you can include in your bacon bar like bacon cheddar biscuits, savory bacon jam and flavorful bacon salt. You can also incorporate different bacon flavors; with more than 10 different Smithfield varieties to choose from, there truly is something for everyone.

Complete your holiday spread with printed labels that festively identify the variety of bacon flavors, unique recipes and side dishes on display. Simply print templates onto thick card stock and cut to your desired shape. Use twine or holiday ribbon to tie the labels onto mason jars, bowls or baskets, or use a small clothespin to clip the labels onto your bacon creations. Garnish your display with garland, red berries and pine cones for added holiday cheer.

Visit Smithfield.com/BaconBar for printable labels, more decor ideas and recipe inspiration to give your own bacon bar a personal touch.

Crispy Bacon Twists with Gouda and Apricot Preserves

Cook time: 45 minutes
Serves: 15

• Nonstick spray
• flour, for dusting
• 1 package (2 sheets) frozen puff pastry dough, thawed
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup (12 ounces) apricot preserves
• 2 cups (about 7 ounces) Gouda cheese, shredded
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 2 pounds (about 25-30 slices) Smithfield Hometown Original Bacon

1. Heat oven to 375° F. Line two rimmed baking pans with foil, set baking racks in pans and lightly spray racks with nonstick spray.
2. On lightly floured surface, roll out one puff pastry sheet to roughly 8-by-12 inches. Brush top with egg and thinly spread 1/2 cup preserves over dough. Sprinkle evenly with 1 cup shredded cheese and 1 tablespoon rosemary, lightly pressing cheese mixture into dough. Fold short end of dough over to enclose cheese mixture and lightly roll to seal. Cut into 15 1/2-inch strips. Repeat with remaining puff pastry and ingredients.
3. Lay one slice bacon diagonally. Grab one strip of prepared dough by ends and place one end of dough strip horizontally at top end of bacon and roll bacon with dough downward, stretching dough strip while rolling. Place spiral-wrapped bacon twist on prepared rack and repeat.
4. Bake twists 35-45 minutes, or until pastry is browned and bacon crisp, rotating pans as needed for even cooking.
5. Let cool 5 minutes and gently use spatula to remove twists from racks. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tip: For a different flavor, try smoked or aged Gouda or fresh thyme instead of rosemary.

Caramelized Bourbon Bacon

Cook time: 30 minutes
Serves: 12

• 2 packages (16 ounces each) Smithfield Thick Cut Bacon
• 4 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 cup bourbon
• 4 tablespoons maple syrup

1. Heat oven to 375° F. Line two baking pans with parchment paper.
2. Remove bacon from package and space evenly on pans without overlapping slices.
   Place pans in oven and bake 15 minutes. Rotate pans halfway through baking time. Meanwhile, combine honey, bourbon and syrup.
3. Remove bacon from oven. Carefully drain grease from pans. Brush bacon with bourbon mixture. Return to oven and bake 3-5 minutes. Let cool slightly and serve.

Sea Salt Caramel Bacon

Cook time: 40 minutes
Serves: 12

• 2 packages (12 ounces each) Smithfield Thick Cut Bacon
• 4 tablespoons caramel topping
• 1 teaspoon flaked sea salt

1. Heat oven to 375° F. Line two baking pans with nonstick foil.
2. Remove bacon from package and space evenly on pans without overlapping slices.
3. Place pans in oven and bake 10 minutes. Rotate pans and continue baking until crisp, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven. Using tongs, place bacon slices on clean parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Let cool slightly.
4. Heat caramel in microwave 10 seconds. Drizzle bacon with caramel. Sprinkle with sea salt. Return to oven and bake 2 minutes. Let sit 5 minutes. Using tongs, remove to cooling rack. Cool 5 minutes before serving.

Bacon Cheddar Biscuits

Cook time: 30 minutes
Serves: 12

• 4 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 1/2 cup cooked Smithfield Hometown Original Bacon, diced
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus 1 tablespoon and extra for rolling, divided
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
• 3/4 cup milk

1. Heat oven to 450° F.
2. In small bowl, toss together cheese, green onions and bacon with 1 tablespoon flour. Set aside. In separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Use pastry cutter or two forks to cut in butter.
3. Add milk and stir just enough to bring ingredients together. Gently fold in cheese mixture.
4. Turn dough onto floured surface and knead about 1 minute. Pat or roll out dough to 1/2- or 3/4-inch thickness. Cut into rounds with 2 1/2-inch round biscuit cutter.
5. Place biscuits on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown on top.

Source: Smithfield

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(Family Features) For millions of football fans, the grill is as important as the gridiron when enjoying a weekend of games. There’s nothing like team spirit, the anticipation of kickoff and the smell of a delicious pregame tailgate wafting through the stadium parking lot.

National barbecue expert Rocky Stubblefield of Stubb’s Legendary Bar-B-Q offers tips and recipes for game day grilling that will have the whole crowd cheering.

Keep it simple

Stubblefield says anything that cooks fast on the grill is great for tailgating – burgers, hotdogs, chicken – and to bring on the flavor without having to pack a carload of ingredients, use sauces, rubs and marinades. Prepare as much food as you can ahead of time and have a checklist for the things you always need but are easy to forget, like napkins and tin foil.

Grilling tips

For perfectly shaped, evenly cooked burgers, make a thumbprint in the middle of each patty before grilling. Amp up the flavor by rubbing your burgers with Stubb’s Bar-B-Q rub before putting them on the grill – just like you would a brisket or ribs. No matter what you’re making, wait to put the sauce on until the very end of grilling to avoid charring and burning.

For dozens of easy, delicious tailgating recipes, visit stubbsbbq.com.

Toasted Pecan Burgers

• 1 pound ground chuck
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped green bell pepper
• 3 tablespoons Stubb’s Original Bar-B-Q Sauce
• 2 tablespoons Stubb’s Bar-B-Q Spice Rub

1. Mix together chuck, onion, pecans, bell pepper, sauce and rub. Shape into 4 patties.
2. Prepare grill for direct cooking. When coals are ashed over in charcoal grill, spread them in bottom of grill so food can cook directly over coals.
3. Grill burgers over direct, medium heat, first on one side then the other, 7-10 minutes, until they reach desired doneness. Medium burgers register an internal temperature of 160° F.
4. Serve with your favorite burger toppings on toasted buns.

Smokey Stuffed Jalapenos with Bacon

• 1/2 pound uncooked chorizo
• 16 ounces cream cheese
• 24 fresh jalapenos, halved and seeded
• 24 slices bacon (about 2 pounds), halved
• 1 cup Stubb’s Smokey Mesquite Bar-B-Q Sauce

1. Heat skillet to medium heat and prepare grill for direct cooking.
2. Remove chorizo casing and cook in skillet over medium heat until cooked through. Transfer cooked chorizo to paper towel-lined plate to drain and cool.
3. Mix cream cheese and chorizo.
4. Stuff each jalapeno half with cream cheese mixture. Wrap with half strip of bacon and secure with toothpick.
5. Place peppers on grill and cook 8-10 minutes, turning frequently. Baste peppers with sauce during last 2 minutes of cooking.

Source: Stubb's Legendary Bar-B-Q

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(Family Features) The rich smell and crisp, smoky flavor of fresh sizzling bacon is a temptation few diners can resist. Indeed, some 53 percent of Americans eat bacon at least once a week, according to a recent survey by Smithfield. This love for bacon is fueling a culinary craze for bacon-infused and -inspired foods - everything from the tame (sauces) to the outrageous (ice cream).

But perhaps this trend should come as no surprise. After all, a full 78 percent of Smithfield's survey respondents agreed that bacon makes everything better.

Whether you're pairing your morning eggs with strips of their most perfect protein sidekick, loading up a BLT with an extra layer of bacon-y crunch, or following the lead of the nation's top chefs and experimenting with new flavor combinations, you're likely to achieve a crowd pleaser.

Quirky products and recipes aside, for the average consumer, the simple versatility of bacon makes it a winning addition to most meals. Even a classic pork chop, one of the most popular cuts of fresh pork, takes on a new personality when paired with the distinctly savory flavor of bacon, as in this recipe for Bacon Pork Chops with BBQ Glaze.

For more inspired recipes featuring beloved bacon, visit www.Smithfield.com and www.Facebook.com/CookingWithSmithfield.

Image and recipe provided by The Pork Board

Bacon Pork Chops with BBQ Glaze

Ingredients

• 4 6-7 ounce Smithfield Boneless Pork Loin Chops (1 1/4-inch thick)
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 4 slices Thick-Cut Smithfield Bacon
• 4 tablespoons barbecue sauce
• 1/2 cup lager beer
• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 1/2 cup chicken broth, reduced-sodium

Preparation

1. Season pork with salt. Wrap bacon around edges of pork and secure with wooden toothpick.
2. Mix together barbecue sauce and beer.
3. Heat oil in oven-proof large skillet over medium-high heat. Stand chops with bacon-wrapped edges down in skillet, leaning against side of pan if needed. Using tongs, rotate chops along edges to lightly brown bacon (allow about 45 seconds to brown each section).
4. Place chops flat side down in skillet and cook until underside is lightly browned, about one minute. Turn chops over. Spread equal amount of barbecue sauce mixture over each chop, letting excess run into skillet.
5. Place skillet with chops in oven and bake for 10 minutes. Transfer each chop to dinner plate and let stand.
6. Pour fat from skillet, leaving browned bits. Heat skillet over high heat until hot. Add broth and bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits with wooden spoon, and boil until reduced by half, about two minutes. Top each chop with spoonful of sauce and serve hot.

Serves

4 servings

SOURCE: Smithfield

Ingredients

• 4 ounces bacon, coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 small leeks, trimmed and chopped
• 1 large onion, diced (about 1 cup)
• 1 large carrot, diced (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 6 cups Wolfgang Puck Organic Free Range Chicken Broth
• 3 large Russet potatoes, cut into cubes (about 4 cups)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese (about 8 ounces)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Chopped fresh chives

Preparation

1. Cook bacon in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from saucepan. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon drippings. Add butter to saucepan and cook and stir until melted.
2. Add leeks, onion, carrot and garlic to saucepan and cook until tender, stirring occasionally. Add flour and cook and stir for 2 minutes. Gradually stir in broth.
3. Add potatoes and heat to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cook for 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender and the broth mixture is thickened.
4. Stir cream and cheese in saucepan and cook until cheese is melted. Season with black pepper. Crumble bacon. Sprinkle soup with bacon and chives before serving.

Preparation Time

35 minutes

Cook Time

40 minutes

Serves

Makes 6 servings

Source Wolfgang Puck Soup, Stock, Broth

Feel free to double or triple this recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 12-ounce jar marinated artichoke heart quarters
• 9 slices bacon, cut in half

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Drain artichoke heart quarters, reserving liquid.
2. Wrap each artichoke heart quarter with a half-slice bacon. Secure with a toothpick.
3. Place on baking sheet. Drizzle with reserved liquid from artichokes. Roast 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned and cooked through.

Serves

Makes: 18 pieces

Source

Wal-mart

Ingredients

• Non-stick cooking spray
• 1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, very thinly sliced
• 1 1/3 cups shredded low-fat sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/3 cup real bacon bits
• 1/3 cup chopped bell pepper (any color)
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

Preparation

1. Spray 9 x 9 x 2-inch foil pan liberally with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Place half the onions, potatoes, cheese, bacon bits, bell pepper and garlic salt in pan. Repeat layers.
3. Cover tightly with foil; grill over medium heat for 1 hour, rotating pan occasionally to avoid hot spots.

Preparation Time

30 minutes

Grill Time

60 minutes

Nutrition

Calories: 140
Total Fat: 2.5g
Cholesterol: 10mg
Protein: 10g
Sodium: 370mg

Serves

Servings 8

Source

Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers

Ingredients

• Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 cup Hungry Jack Buttermilk Complete Pancake & Waffle Mix (Just Add Water)
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• Paprika

Preparation

1. HEAT oven to 400°F. Spray cookie sheet with no-stick cooking spray.
2. MIX sour cream and water in medium bowl until well combined. Add pancake mix, cheese and bacon pieces. Stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto prepared cookie sheet.
3. BAKE 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Brush with melted butter, sprinkle with paprika. Serve warm.

Preparation Time

5 minutes

Cook Time

10 minutes

Serves

Makes 24 appetizers

Source Hungry Jack