Bacon Jam

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This easy recipe for Bacon Jam is perfect for all your tailgating needs. Chock full of bacon, onion, garlic and sweet heat. This is a must make for game season!

Today I bring you a delicious Bacon Jam recipe. This stuff is seriously addictive and utterly delicious. It’s perfect for tailgating and homegating. You can whip it up quickly then slather it over everything on your football buffet table.

I’m not going to lie, my job is pretty amazing. Not only do I get to develop amazing recipes but I also get to try new foods. Growing up as a picky eater that’s a big deal for this girl. For this post we got to try a new product for the first time.

We picked up all the supplies for our homegating party at Kroger. We bought Tyson® Any’tizers® in the freezer section, Wright® Brand Bacon, and Ball Park® Hot Dogs. This is the first time I’ve tried the Tyson Any’tizers. Two thumbs up from this girl.

We’re avid fans of Ball Bark Hot Dogs and make them all the time. They are everyone’s favorite hot dogs in our household. We will actually arm wrestle for the last hot dog. Not even kidding. I don’t care who you are, I’ll win that arm wrestle.

It’s also a highly known fact that I can eat my weight in bacon. Proudly. I love the stuff. Wright Brand Bacon is my absolute favorite so we picked up enough to last most people a lifetime. I ran out on day 3. What can I say? I like bacon. A lot.

Our cart was also stuffed to the gills with Tyson Any’tizers. If you have not tried them yet I highly recommend you pick up 10 bajillion bags of them during your next trip to Kroger. Not only are they easy to make but the taste is remarkable.

The first thing I tackled was the bacon jam. It does not take long to make. The hardest part is trying not to eat all the bacon while you’re making the jam. My solution is to cook twice the amount of bacon you actually need for the jam.

Not even kidding about that last piece of advice. I highly recommend making extra bacon every time you make a batch. If I’m around I would actually recommend making three times the amount you need. I am a bacon hog.

We put out a huge spread of food for our gathering. I grilled the hot dogs, cooked the wings in the oven, and simmered the bacon jam until it was perfect. Then we put everything out and stepped out of the way. Chaos ensued.

I’m really not joking. Feeding our family and friends is a dangerous situation. You’re best bet is to set out the food then run in the opposite direction. Or wear football gear and battle your way through the line up to get the best selection.

We piled the bacon jam on the hot dogs. It’s so good on grilled hot dogs, if you’ve never tried it you should do so immediately. Then invite me over. I never turn down an invitation to a tailgating/homegating party. Never. Not once. Ever.

I’m going to give you a little homegating hack idea. Put the bacon jam in one of those divided veggie dip platters. You know the one I mean. Everyone has one. It’s a round tray with a middle meant for dip, and sections for lots of veggies.

Okay, you ready for this brilliant idea? Okay. Hang onto your hats. PUT THE BACON JAM IN THE MIDDLE and wings all around it. Then DUNK the wings in the bacon jam. Nope. Not kidding. DO IT!!! Trust me. It’s life changing.

Bacon jam piled on chicken wings and bites is absolutely mind blowing. The taste is out of this world. Plus putting it in a veggie dip tray makes it so easy for everyone to dunk and nosh. Or use tiny mason jars so everyone can dunk on their own.

When hosting your homegating party make sure you stock up on everything you think your guests will want and need. Lots of drinks of all kinds. Make sure you include alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks so everyone is happy.

Be sure to stock up on condiments. A little trick we use in our household is we always buy two of everything at the store. That way if we run out we have more on hand. It was a little trick my MIL taught me back in the day.

The night before you host your party take the time to pull out all the serving dishes you think you will need. Place them on the serving table so you can decide what works where and how to lay everything out. This saves tons of time later.

We actually go as far as to set up everything the night before then we use pieces of paper to mark what food is going in each dish. This is a huge time and headache saver. No joke. Setting it all up ahead of time will actually save you time.

What’s nice about setting things up ahead of time too is that you can relax the day of the party. I used to always cook everything the day of the party I was throwing. Now I cook the day before so I can actually enjoy the party I’m throwing.

Living in the moment…

It’s a beautiful thing!

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Bacon Jam

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

30 mins

 

This easy recipe for Bacon Jam is perfect for all your tailgating needs. Chock full of bacon, onion, garlic and sweet heat. This is a must make for game season!

Course: Condiment

Cuisine: American

Author: Kim Beaulieu

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds Wright Brand Bacon
• 2 Vidalia onions about 2 cups, chopped finely
• 3 cloves garlic or 3 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce
• 2 tablespoons of your favorite BBQ sauce
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar

Instructions

1. Cook the bacon to desired doneness. I like mine on the crisp side. Transfer to paper towels to drain excess fat off. Leave about 1 to 2 tablespoons of bacon fat in the pan. Set pan aside to use again.
2. Chop onions finely. Toss them in the pan and cook until they start to caramelize and turn golden brown. Add garlic, cook for one more minute, or until garlic becomes fragrant.
3. Add chili powder, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, Sriracha sauce and BBQ sauce, stir to combine.
4. Increase heat to high, add maple syrup, vinegar and brown sugar, cook on medium heat for about 3 minutes.
5. Using a sharp knife cut the bacon into small pieces. You can also tear it by hand. Your choice.
6. Toss the bacon back into the pan, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes, the mixture will thicken and look jam.
7. Turn off the stove. Drain any excess fat off the bacon jam by pouring it through a sieve or use cheesecloth to drain it .
8. Transfer to jars for your party. Store in fridge until needed. Will keep for one week in fridge.
9. To reheat microwave for 1 to 2 minutes.
10. Serve with a big old bacon loving smile!

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Toodles! xx