"Not Your Granny's" Pimento Cheese with Pickled, Roasted Red Peppers, Candied Jalapenos, Green Onion, Crispy Bacon, & Toasted Pecans

"Not Your Granny's" Pimento Cheese with Pickled, Roasted Red Peppers, Candied Jalapenos,
Green Onion, Crispy Bacon, & Toasted Pecans

Do y'all love Pimento Cheese as much as me? I mean, I know if you're a Southerner, then you most certainly do. It doesn't matter how it's served to me, I want it. It makes a sandwich better, apparently it also makes shrimp & grits better too. But ya know, sometimes old classics need some jazzin' up, especially when you have company over. We made this three times in December... all for holiday parties, and it was a hit every time. Now, I'm sure you have a family recipe that has been handed down to you and never fails, but I'm telling you... this ain't your granny's pimento cheese. Why? Because it has pickled roasted red peppers, candied jalapenos, green onion, crispy bacon, toasted pecans, and a big ole' scoop of bacon jam on top. This dip is a meal on its' own and every time you take a bite, you get a different surprise. And hey, if you don't have a certain ingredient, you can always substitute it with something else!! We served this chunky pimento cheese with toasted cornbread and Frito's (we like the big scoop kind, so we can get a heaping spoonful in our mouth), but it was also great as a grilled cheese the next day. The bacon jam is optional, but I definitely recommend it because I'm tellin' you everyone will be fighting over it. And if you don't want to make a batch of bacon jam, serve it alongside some strawberry preserves... I know that might sound bizarre, but it is absolutely delish that way as well. So, maybe it isn't your granny's heirloom recipe; however, it might be your new favorite party dip!! Enjoy :)

A Big Ole' Scoop of Bacon Jam

For the Loaded Pimento Cheese:

4oz Cream Cheese, Softened

½C Mayo + ½C Sour Cream

¼t Garlic Powder, Pepper, & Paprika

1T Hot Sauce (or to taste)

1t Worcestershire

8oz Pepperjack Cheese, Shredded  

8oz White Cheddar Cheese, Shredded

8oz Sharp Yellow Cheddar Cheese, Shredded

1C Marinated or Pickled Roasted Red Peppers, Diced

½C Candied Jalapenos, Diced

5-6 Green Onions, Thinly Sliced

8 Strips of Applewood Smoked Bacon, Cooked until Crispy & Chopped into Bacon Bits

½C Pecans, Toasted & Coarsely Chopped

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

Homemade Bacon Jam, For Serving (optional)

Strawberry Preserves, For Serving (optional)

Toasted Bread, Frito's Scoops, or Crackers, For Dipping

Directions:

1. In a big mixing bowl, mix together the cream cheese, mayo, sour cream, garlic powder, pepper, paprika, hot sauce, and Worcestershire. 

2. Separately, shred the three blocks of cheese and put in the bowl with the seasoned creamy mixture. (I use the normal shredding side because I like it more that way for this dip). Toss the mixture together until the mayo is covering all of the cheese. 

3. Add in the marinated roasted red peppers, candied jalapeno, green onions, bacon bits, and toasted pecans. Toss until it’s evenly incorporated. 

4. Season the dip with any additional seasonings if needed. Refrigerate until ready to use, but let it come to room temperature before serving, so that it is easier to spread on the crackers.

5. Garnish the top of the pimento cheese with some Homemade Bacon Jam or Strawberry Preserves and serve with some Frito's for dipping. 

Bacon Jam Cinnamon Rolls with Bourbon Infused Maple Glaze

Bacon Jam Cinnamon Rolls with Bourbon Infused Maple Glaze

Yeah, I know... Bacon Jam Cinnamon Rolls. They're too much, right? I get it. For all you purists out there that think this idea is just completely ludicrous. Bacon in cinnamon rolls is weird. But if you are like me and love your bacon sweet, then this is for you. As a kid, I always anticipated breakfast, not because of pancakes or waffles, but for the bacon that just scooted over the edge and got a little hint of excess dripping maple syrup. It was the best part. When I grew older, I started nixing all of the breakfast and brunch sweets for a side of bacon with some syrup for dippin'. Yep, that's the best part and it always will be. Amen. Well, I had seen ideas of layering bacon slices into cinnamon rolls before, so when I made a large batch of bacon jam,  I knew what I had to do... put it in the rolls, y'all! Yes. Wonderful. I thought at first I was just going to spread the bacon jam over the homemade yeast dough, but I decided instead that it would be better suited to beat it into soft butter along with cinnamon and sugar. This bacon jam compound butter was brilliantly perfect because it ensured that the "jamminess" was evenly spread throughout each pastry. And hey, why stop there? Whip this bacon jam compound butter up for shmearing on pancakes or waffles... or better yet, some bacon fat cornbread. Can I get a whoop whoop for that? Whoop whoop. Cheesiness aside, these rolls were dreamy, especially when they are smothered in a Bourbon Infused Maple Glaze. It's official, bourbon-maple-and-bacon is my favorite combination in the whole-damn-world. Let's just get it straight, mmk pumpkin?! But, I will throw this out that you'll probably love this or hate it. And that's okay because we loved 'em and I'm sure you will too. I only made a few changes to my original recipe by omitting the garlic, red pepper flakes, and rosemary from this batch because I thought it would be too weird having those flavors in a cinnamon roll. Feel free to do the same as well!! Enjoy :)

They are soooo big...

And fluffy...

And covered in liquid gold (aka glaze)...

For the Cinnamon Rolls:

2C Whole Milk

½C Vegetable Oil

½C Sugar

1 Vanilla Bean, Split & Scraped for Beans (optional)

1 Package of Active Dry Yeast (0.25oz Packets)

4C AP Flour + ½C AP Flour

½t Baking Powder, Heaping

½t Baking Soda, Scant

½T Salt, Heaping

For the Bacon Jam Compound Butter:

2 Sticks of Unsalted Butter, Softened (like super soft)

1C Sugar

Generous Spoonfuls of Cinnamon (I think we did about 2T, but just taste as you go)

Prepared Homemade Bacon Jam, Room Temperature

For the Homemade Bacon Jam:

1lb Thick-Cut Applewood Smoked Bacon, Cut into 1inch Cubes

1 Medium Vidalia Onion, Sliced

¼C Dark Brown Sugar, Packed

¼C Freshly Brewed Strong Coffee

2T Coca Cola

¼C Balsamic Vinegar

¼C Maple Syrup

2T Bourbon

For the Bourbon Infused Maple Syrup:

1C Pure Maple Syrup (good quality & high grade)

½C Bourbon

For the Frosting:

1lb Confectioners’ Sugar, Sifted

½t Salt

½t Vanilla

6T Unsalted Butter, Melted (or you can use bacon fat)

¾C Homemade Bourbon Infused Maple Syrup

3T Milk, For Thinning (if the mixture seems too thick)

Crispy Bacon Lardons, For Garnishing

Directions:

1. Mix the milk, oil, sugar, vanilla bean, and vanilla pod in a pot. Heat the mixture until just before the boiling point. Turn off the heat and leave to cool for 45 minutes to an hour. When the mixture is warm (but not hot), remove the vanilla bean pod and sprinkle in the yeast. Let it sit for a minute or two, and then add in the 4C of AP Flour. Stir the mixture and cover, and then let it rise for at least an hour.

2. After rising for an hour, add in ½C AP Flour, the baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir the mixture together. Refrigerate the dough overnight to help it become firm and better for presentation.

3. For the Homemade Bacon Jam: Bring a deep sauté pan or large pot to medium-high heat. Cook the bacon pieces until the fat begins to render and the edges start to brown, but the bacon is still soft. Drain the rendered bacon fat by setting a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl and spooning the meat and rendered fat into the sieve. Let it sit in the sieve while you caramelize the onions. Add the slices onions to the pot, then add in 1T of the rendered fat and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the onions are translucent and starting to brown, about 10-15 minutes. Add the brown sugar, coffee, Coke, balsamic vinegar, and maple syrup, stir, and bring a light boil. Add the drained bacon and bring back to a light boil, then turn the heat down to medium-low. You want to keep a low, steady simmer to reduce the liquid and thicken it without burning the jam. The process of the reduction can take as long as 1 hour. If the jam becomes too dry, add 1-2T of water. Remove the bacon jam from the heat; add in the bourbon, and let cool for 20-30 minutes. Depending on your preference, you can use it as is or process the jam in a food processor to a less chunky consistency (we like our jam chunky). Once it has cooled, you can put the jam in an airtight container and store it for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.

4. For the Bacon Jam Compound Butter: Beat together all of the ingredients until incorporated and fluffy. Add more cinnamon, sugar, or seasonings to your liking. Make sure that this mixture is extremely soft, so that it will be easier to smear onto the tender dough.

5. The next day, sprinkle a rolling surface generously with flour. Take half the dough and form a rough rectangle, and then roll the dough thin, maintaining a general rectangular shape. Smear on the Bacon Jam Compound Butter and a little extra sprinkling of cinnamon.

6. Now, starting at the opposite end, begin rolling the dough in a neat line toward you. Keep the roll relatively tight as you go. Next, pinch the seam of the roll to seal it. Spread 1T of melted butter into a baking dish. Then, begin cutting the rolls into approximately 1inch thick rounds and lay them into the prepared buttered pans (I made our cinnamon rolls quite large and if you do the same make sure to bump up the cooking time). 

7. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. 

8. Bake the cinnamon rolls for 15-20 minutes or until light golden brown (longer for larger rolls).

9. To Make the Frosting: Mix together all of the ingredients and stir well until smooth. Generously drizzle over the warm rolls.

10. Serve immediately and enjoy while they are still warm (and maybe with a side of bacon for good measure). 

Bacon Jam BLT's with Slow Roasted Tomatoes, Fried Homemade Roasted Garlic-Parmesan Bread, & Basil Mayo

Bacon Jam BLT's with Slow Roasted Tomatoes, Fried Homemade Roasted Garlic-Parmesan Bread,
& Basil Mayo

I know that I already claimed that these BLT's were the best we had ever made. I was oh-so-wrong. Why? Because it didn't have Bacon Jam on them. Silly, silly blogger. I mean, who was I kidding? I honestly can't think of a better combination. Bacon Jam + Slow Roasted Tomatoes... they are just so amazing on their own, but when brought together, they become like a celebrity power couple. Brangelina has nothin' on these two, trust me. And with the addition of homemade bread that is fried in rendered bacon fat, some fresh basil mayo, and crisp lettuce, it is just over the top. I could eat this sandwich every week for the rest of my life, it's that good. So go on with ya bad self and make one, you won't regret it!! Enjoy :)

So good, we made two :)

For the Slow Roasted Tomatoes:

Barely Ripe Roma Tomatoes, Sliced ¼inch Thick

Olive Oil

Fresh Rosemary Sprigs

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the Basil Mayo:

½C Mayo

¼C Fresh Basil, Chopped

1 Small Clove of Garlic, Minced

1t Lemon Zest

Pinch of Sugar

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the BLT’s:

Prepared Slow Roasted Tomatoes

Prepared Basil Mayo

Bibb Lettuce Leaves

Homemade Bacon Jam
Thick-Cut Peppered Bacon, Cooked until Crispy

Roasted Garlic-Parmesan Bread, Cut into Slices & Fried in Bacon Fat until Golden Brown

Directions:

1. For the Slow Roasted Tomatoes: Preheat the oven to 225 degrees and lay the slices of tomato onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper with the fresh rosemary. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt & pepper. Bake for 4 hours until shriveled around the edge, but still maintaining their juice. If you have leftover tomatoes, simply cover the leftovers with olive oil and place into the refrigerator.

2. For the Basil Mayo: Mix together all of the ingredients until combined. Set it aside until ready to use.

3. For the BLT’s: Fry the slices of bread in the leftover fat over medium heat until the bread slices are golden brown and crunchy, about 2-3 minutes per side. Assemble the sandwiches by spreading the basil mayo on each slice of bread, and then layer on the slow roasted tomatoes, homemade bacon jam, peppered bacon, and Bibb lettuce. Enjoy!

An Ode to Bacon + Bacon Jam...

Oh bacon, how do I love thee... let me count the ways. 

Okay, I'm not going to write a poem, but if I did, it would most certainly be about bacon

Bacon is my go-to ingredient

And if you follow my blog, you would've definitely noticed that pattern

Some of my favorite bacon recipes...

1. Retro Chocolate-Bacon-Peanut Butter Pie

2. "Porker Jack" 

3. Bacon-Peanut Brittle with a Kick

4. Bacon Crusted Burgers

5. Revamped: Homemade Bacon-Bourbon-Maple Glazed Doughnuts

6. Candied Bacon-Wrapped Smoked Sausages

7. Candied Bacon Caramel Ice Cream

8. Bacon Caramel Chocolate Chunk Cookies

9. Slow Roasted BLT Sandwiches

and...

10. My Soon-To-Be-Posted "Bacon Jam" 

Yes, you read that right. 

Bacon Jam. 

Jam made from bacon. 

Bacon that has been all jammed-up. 

Bacon bacon bacon.

Ya hear?

This Bacon Jam is the bomb. It would definitely not win homecoming queen, but it is without-a-doubt "most likely to succeed". Why you ask? Because it's deeply sweet, smoky, sticky, and utterly delicious. I mean, it's thick-cut smoked bacon that is reduced with caramelized onions, maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, coffee, coca-cola, and finally, some bourbon. Oh man. After it's cooked low n' slow for an hour, you have the most amazing jam on yo'handz. You might want to invest in a muzzle, just so you won't eat the entire helpin' with a spoon (seriously). This is where my ode to bacon comes into play... I'm going to feature only bacon jam-inspired recipes this week. Yup, that's right. Wanna know what recipes to check back later for? Here they are, folks...

-Bacon Jam Cinnamon Rolls with a Bourbon-Maple Glaze

-Bacon Jam BLT's with Slow Roasted Tomatoes (with my favorite homemade bread)

-Bacon Jam + Pimento Cheese on Toasted Cornbread Crostini

And something just slightly different... 

-Chorizo Jam + Charred Corn Stuffed Empanadas (with a homemade cornmeal pastry crust)

Yes, I even made a Chorizo Jam (I plan on making Pancetta Jam too). That's just how much this Bacon Jam inspired me. Don't they all sound outta-this-world y'all? I know. And don't think these will be the only recipes because my mind is just a'racin' with so many more ideas. Think bacon jam pizza, bacon jam grits, bacon jam cookies, bacon jam this... bacon jam that. If y'all have any other suggestions for me, please leave me a comment! And I urge you not to judge this book by its' cover because it might not look all that great, but it is. It really is!! Enjoy :)

Homemade Bacon Jam 

For the Bacon Jam:

1lb Thick-Cut Applewood Smoked Bacon, Cut into 1inch Cubes

1 Medium Vidalia Onion, Sliced

3 Garlic Cloves, Minced

1t Dried Rosemary

½t-1t Red Pepper Flakes (depending on how spicy you like it, we used 1t)

¼C Dark Brown Sugar, Packed

¼C Freshly Brewed Strong Coffee

2T Coca Cola

¼C Balsamic Vinegar

¼C Maple Syrup

2T Bourbon

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

Directions:

1. Bring a deep sauté pan or large pot to medium-high heat. Cook the bacon pieces until the fat begins to render and the edges start to brown, but the bacon is still soft. Drain the rendered bacon fat by setting a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl and spooning the meat and rendered fat into the sieve. Let it sit in the sieve while you caramelize the onions.

2. Add the slices onions to the pot, then add in 1T of the rendered fat and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the onions are translucent and starting to brown, about 10-15 minutes. 

3. Add the garlic, rosemary, red pepper flakes, brown sugar, coffee, Coke, balsamic vinegar, and maple syrup, stir, and bring a light boil. Add the drained bacon and bring back to a light boil, then turn the heat down to medium-low. You want to keep a low, steady simmer to reduce the liquid and thicken it without burning the jam. The process of the reduction can take as long as 1 hour.

4. If the jam becomes too dry, add 1-2T of water. Remove the bacon jam from the heat; add in the bourbon, and let cool for 20-30 minutes. 

5. Depending on your preference, you can use it as is or process the jam in a food processor to a less chunky consistency (we like our jam chunky). Once it has cooled, you can put the jam in an airtight container and store it for up to 1 week in the refrigerator. 

source: savannah's back in the day bakery.