Arkansas Sushi with Caramelized Bacon

Yes, here in Arkansas we love our Razorbacks and our Sushi!  (Bacon Sushi that is!)  This is a great holiday appetizer and always is one of the first things to disapear from the buffet table!

Arkansas Sushi with Caramelized Bacon

1 pack of Lit’l Smokies® (preferably pork sausages, but beef also works)
1 package of Peti Jean® bacon ( or very lean smoked bacon)
1 heaping cup of light brown sugar

Pre-heat oven to 375.  Line a sheet pan with foil (this makes for easy clean up).Take the bacon strips out of package and slice twice through the pack, making each strip into three equal pieces. Wrap each sausage with a piece of bacon and secure with a toothpick. Place them on foil lined sheet pan and sprinkle each very generously with the brown sugar. Bake for approximately one hour or until the bacon is brown and caramelized. Remove from sheet pan with tongs and place in a serving dish. Make sure the sugar is caramelized and the bacon is done

Here Piggie Piggie

Bacon Wrapped Smokies

I was thinking today about bacon.  It's predicted there will be a pork shortage next year.  So I started thinking what do I want to fix before the cost of preparing it will require a second mortgage.  Here is some of my favorites!


Ingredients
1 pound Bacon, Cut Into Thirds
1 pound Smokies
1 stick Butter
2 cups Brown Sugar

Preheat oven to 375F. Cut the bacon into thirds and wrap each smokie. Place all the wrapped smokies in a single layer in a baking dish. Then melt the stick of butter and then 1 cup of brown sugar and stir until mixed well. Pour the butter and brown sugar mixture on the smokies and bacon. Then take the other cup of brown sugar and sprinkle evenly over the smokies. Bake them for about 15-20 minutes and then turn the heat up to 400F for about 5 minutes or longer until the bacon becomes crispy.

Pork Tenderloin with Cranberry Pecan Stuffing

! 5-6 pound Pork Loin

2 Boxes of Stovetop Stuffing for Chicken

1 cup dried cranraisins

1 cop chopped pecans

1/2 cup minced onion

1/2 cup mince celery

1 stick of butter

Water

olive oil

kosher salt

pepper

Butterfly your pork loin and using a meat mallet pound it out until it is about 1/2 inch thick.  Saute the onion and celery with the butter.  Add to the stuffing.  Mix in the cranberry raisins and pecans. If the stuffing is too dry, add a little water to moisten.  You don't want to add too much water. Pat stuffing on loin covering until about one inch from sides and tops and bottom.  Roll up jelly roll fashion.  Using butcher twine truss up loin so stuffing stays in tact.  pour olive all over, salt and pepper.  Bake until thermometer comes out out 145.  Remove and cover with foil.  Serve when reaches one 160 - 165.  Serve with sauce:

2 cans jellied cranberry sauce, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 T lemon juice, I T minced garlic.  Cook until cranberry is dissolved.  Serve with pork.

Party Chicken Casserol
Recipe Ingredients:
4 boneless chicken breasts, halved
4 ounces chipped beef
8 slices bacon
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
10 ounces condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 cup sour cream
Directions:

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Shred chipped beef into the bottom of greased 2 quart casserole dish. Wrap a piece of bacon around each chicken breast half. Place chicken breasts on top of chipped beef and sprinkle with pepper and mushroom slices. Mix condensed mushroom soup and sour cream together and pour mixture over top chicken. Cover and bake for 2 1/2 hours.

Serves 6-8

Bacon Wrapped Pretzels with Brown Sugar and Cayenne Glaze

Bacon. Pretzel. Brown Sugar. Cayenne Pepper. Really…what’s not to love right? Sweet, salty, hot, crunchy; this one will tickle all of your taste buds.Better make plenty of these, because they will disappear as fast as you can get them out of the oven!!

Ingredients
1 package of regular bacon - hickory, maple, etc.
2 cups Brown Sugar
3 Tbsp Red Chili Powder
Dash or two (or three!) Cayenne Pepper
1 Package Pretzel Rods


Preparation
Break the pretzels in half for appetizer bites. If you halve the pretzel, halve the bacon slices too.
Mix the brown sugar, chili powder &cayenne together and spread out on a large flat dish.
Coat each strip of bacon on both sides with the brown sugar mixture.
Wrap the bacon around the pretzel.
Place the pretzel on a wire rack placed on top of a baking sheet or roasting pan; I try to make sure that the tail end of the bacon I just wrapped is on the bottom to try and avoid having it 'unwrap' during cooking.
Bake at 375 for about 10 minutes or until bacon cooks and appears crisp.
IMPORTANT: Let cool on wire rack and rearrange occasionally while cooling so they don't stick to rack. Do not put these on paper towels; they are sticky!

Note:  Do not use thick bacon as the pretzel will burn before the bacon gets done!

Ranch Bread

1 unsliced loaf of (round is preferable) sourdough bread
8-12 oz cheddar/Jack cheese, thinly sliced
3 oz bag Oscar Mayer Real Bacon bits
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 Tbsp Ranch dressing mix
1/2 cup green onions sliced thin (opt)

Using a sharp bread knife cut the bread going both directions. Do not cut through the bottom crust. Place slices of cheese in between cuts. Sprinkle bacon bits on bread, making sure to get in between cuts. Mix together butter and Ranch dressing mix. Pour over bread. Wrap in foil the entire loaf in foil and place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Unwrap. Bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.