Smoky Black Bean & Bacon Chicken Chili

So I'm not gonna lie to you guys- this mom stuff is tough!

Especially when your little monkey is having digestion issues like ours.  We ended up having to take Mini Smalls to a pediatric gastroenterologist when we found out that in addition to her milk protein intolerance, she has a bad case of reflux.

The poor little muffin has not been able to get through a meal without stopping frequently and crying.  You can tell when the Tummy Gremlins are acting up - she is happily eating away when suddenly she stops, goes completely stiff & arches her back, then starts wailing.

With all the stopping & starting, it takes an hour or more for her to eat - so by the time she gets just a few ounces in her, she is usually exhausted and falls asleep.

But in addition to feeling absolutely horrible for her, I must admit I've been feeling pretty badly for myself.

As the Grinch would say "Oh the noise, noise, noise, noise, NOISE!"  All that crying can really get under your skin, especially when it is happening so frequently & there is nothing you can do to soothe the little critter.  Which is a huge contributor to my stress as well - our little girl is in pain, and as of yet there has not been a damn thing we've been able to do to stop it! Sooo frustrating.

By the time Mr. Vittles gets home from work, I've had it up to here with the crying, barfing, diaper changes, bottle-washing, and laundry.  Close to going off the deep end, cooking is usually the furthest thing from my mind.

Don't get me wrong, I knew motherhood would not be easy; but I had been imagining my maternity leave to be a bit more peaceful than it's been.  I want so badly to enjoy my time with my daughter, but in truth that's been very challenging at times - and I now go back to work in less than a month.

Ugh!

So this past week, we were having some beautiful weather & I decided to get out of the house and bring the Mini to a place that always makes me feel better - my hometown of Point Pleasant Beach.   And more specifically, the inlet (a waterway where the nearby Manasquan River meets the ocean).  Growing up I spent a lot of time hanging out there with my friends, and I would often take walks there alone to clear my head.

Luckily, this week it had the same effect on me that it had when I was a teenager.  As I pushed Mini in the stroller along the road that parallels the river (called Channel Drive) and up to the point that looks out over the inlet to the town of Manasquan, my exhaustion floated away and I felt content.

Along the way, many happy memories came flooding back.  I thought about climbing on the jetty as a middle-schooler, and writing "I love so & so" on the rocks.  We were all warned by our parents not to play on the rocks, but naturally we did it anyway.  And at the time, you had to swing out over the water around this fence to get to one part (that was always the scariest) but it never stopped us!

I also thought about the time that, right before we left for college, my best friend Lauren and I schmoozed our way to the very top of the Coast Guard station... only to be "propositioned" by a creepy officer more than twice our age.  (Almost twelve years later, the guy is still stationed there - I actually saw him!)

I thought about all the hours we spent in the car in the parking lot of the inlet, when we were home from college - we would go there after a party or bar-hopping to recap the events of the night.  "OMG, can you believe what he said about her???"  Ain't no drama like 21 year-old drama!

I also thought about when, four years ago this March, Mr. Vittles brought me out to the jetty and made me the happiest woman alive by asking me to marry him.

And then I thought that, someday, Mini will have such funny & happy memories.  (Hopefully not of creepy men trying to get in her pants, but ... yeah, probably those too.)

And I realized that my mother-in-law is so right when she says that 'this too shall pass.'  It's just a phase.  Our trip to the specialist has brought me hope that we can get these issues under control, and either way she'll eventually grow out of them as her system matures.  She won't cry & cry forever.

And someday I will wish I could return to these days, when she was tiny like this again.

When the slightest smile between those chubby little cheeks could light up my morning.

When she didn't mind that I covered her perfect face in about a million kisses every day.

When she could wear a bear hat and hold up her little fist of fury and melt my heart.

It really put things into perspective for me.

Later that day, when Mini was down for a nap, I talked to Lauren ("Hey, remember the time we...?")

We talked for almost two hours straight while I made this chili.

And all felt right with the world again :)

Smoky Black Bean & Bacon Chicken Chili

• 1 T. vegetable oil
• 1 large red onion, finely chopped
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1 lb. lean ground chicken
• 1 T. + 1 t. chili powder
• 1 t. ground cumin
• 1 3/4 t. smoked paprika
• 1 T. dried cilantro (or more, if using fresh) 
• 1/4 t. cayenne pepper (or to taste)
• 1/4 t. salt (you can add more later to taste, but the bacon & broth are salty)
• 1 14.5-oz. can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
• 1 8-oz. can tomato sauce
• 1 C. low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 t. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 T. brown sugar
• 1/3 C. cooked, finely chopped or crumbled bacon
• 1 14.5-oz. can black beans (undrained)
  

In a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, heat oil.  Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 4 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic, and cook 1 minute.

Increase heat to medium-high and add ground chicken; break it up with a wooden spoon and stir gently until it loses its raw color, 6 to 8 minutes.

Stir in spices and salt and cook 1 minute. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, broth, Worcestershire, brown sugar, and bacon - bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low, cover partially, and cook 30 minutes.

Add beans and cook 10 minutes, uncovered. Season to taste with additional salt and/or freshly ground pepper if desired. Serve warm.  Serves 4

Recipe adapted from myrecipes.com (originally Sunset Magazine, January 2007 issue)

Bacon, Lettuce & Granny Smith Apple Sandwiches with Goat Cheese

Besides having a break from cooking, I love going out to eat because I usually end up getting so many new ideas.

Recently I was inspired by an appetizer we had, to make the recipe for Cheesy Bacon Oven Chips.

And now this idea came from another local pub we like, called the Brickwall Tavern.  A while ago, I tried their bacon, avocado, and granny smith apple sandwich, with a lemon aioli.

And fell in love.

Honestly, I would never have thought of adding granny smith apples to a bacon sandwich, but it was soooo good.

However, as much as I love avocados, in this instance I felt like that was a little much.  (Though you might disagree).  The aioli was good too, but I thought the only thing better would be some lemon & garlic-spiked goat cheese!

People, let me tell you.  The result was heaven between two slices of bread.

(I am pretty much obsessed with goat cheese.  If you don't like the addition of lemon and/or garlic, just use plain- it will still be amazing.)

Mr. Vittles prefers a plain ol' "BL" so he did not partake in this concoction.  But I savored every single bite.

And that night I tried a new nitrate-free bacon, which did not have as many slices in the package.  So we only got three sandwiches out of it - two for Mr. V, and one for me.

I was quite sad that there was no bacon left.

:(

I would've liked to have leftovers for another sandwich the next day.

:( :(

Oh well.  Guess I'll just be forced to eat the remainder of my goat cheese on salads and crackers!

By the way - since this is so simple, this is not really a recipe but more of an idea.  The amounts are up to you & your tastes!

Bacon, Lettuce & Granny Smith Apple Sandwiches with Goat Cheese

• whole wheat bread (or whatever kind you prefer)
• bacon slices, cooked
• baby lettuce (or spring mix)
• granny smith apple, sliced into thin rounds
• softened log of goat cheese
• lemon juice and/or zest, if desired
• garlic powder, if desired

Toast bread slices.  (If making flavored goat cheese, mix it with lemon juice/zest and garlic powder in the meantime.)  Spread goat cheese on the toast, and top with bacon, granny smith apple slices, lettuce, and another slice of toast.  Enjoy the fiesta on your taste buds!

Cheesy Bacon Oven Chips with Chipotle Ranch Sauce

Ok so I can hardly contain my excitement for the Super Bowl tonight, and I decided that a special weekend like this deserves a double post!

Mr. Vittles and I had an appetizer similar to this at a restaurant recently, and I thought I might be able to replicate it at home.

Well, all I can say is - sorry if you had any health-related New Years resolutions, because I'm pretty sure you will not be able to keep them with these puppies around.

The dipping sauce really takes things to the next level.  But if you don't like spicy dips, start with just a tiny bit of cayenne (or none) and adjust from there.

Also, feel free to use more cheese and/or bacon to your taste.  Never hurt anyone except their pants size.

Now... LET'S GO BIG BLUE!

Cheesy Bacon Oven Chips 

• 1 large, uniformly-shaped russet potato, scrubbed well and sliced into 1/8" rounds*
• cooking spray
• 3/4 C. shredded colby jack or cheddar cheese
• salt & pepper to taste
• 2 T. crumbled bacon (about 2 slices) - I used real bacon bits
• chopped parsley or chives, for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Bring sliced potatoes to a boil in cold, salted water to cover for 5 minutes.  Carefully drain, and transfer slices to a paper-towel lined countertop or cutting board.  Pat to dry.

Grease a baking sheet with cooking spray, and lay out potato slices so they are overlapping on it.  Spray lightly with additional cooking spray, then sprinkle with salt & pepper to taste.  Sprinkle evenly with shredded cheese & bacon.  Bake 12-14 minutes in preheated oven until cheese is melted & bubbly.  Serve with chipotle ranch sauce (recipe below).  Serves 2.

*You can use 2 medium-sized potatoes rather than 1 large.  Also, I like to leave the skin on but you can peel the potatoes if you prefer.

Chipotle Ranch Dipping Sauce

• 1 T. ranch dressing
• 3 T. sour cream
• 1/4 t. chipotle chili powder
• 1/8 t. cayenne (adjust more or less depending on how spicy you want).
• 1/8 t. salt
• 1/8 t. garlic powder

Place all ingredients in a small bowl, and stir to combine.  Refrigerate any leftovers.

Original Recipes

An Old Friend: Pepperjack Bacon Mac & Cheese

In light of my recent giveaway where I asked readers what their favorite recipes were, I decided to re-post one of my personal favorites.

Last April, I adapted Cooks Illustrated's 'Classic Macaroni & Cheese' to include two of Mr. Vittles favorite foods - pepperjack cheese and bacon.

Truthfully, I've never really shared his adoration for these two ingredients, but I must admit - this mac & cheese is... amazing.

Sorry to toot my own horn, but it's the truth.

Whenever we have macaroni & cheese somewhere else now, we both say "Meh.  It's no pepperjack bacon."

Yes.  Much like my brownie snobbery, we've become M&C connoisseurs.

(By the way - I typed the word "connoisseur" 4 times before the red squiggly underline telling me I spelled it wrong disappeared.)

Anywho... I originally posted about this back when I first started Vittles and Bits.  Since then, I've cut down on the amount of cheese sauce made, because I think it made the dish too soupy.  I like my mac & cheese to have a bit more structure. 

And let's face it - the only people that read my blog then were friends or family members.

Not to mention, the original picture I posted was god-awful.

(I've already replaced it.  Despite trying to educate myself, I haven't progressed much with my food photography - but the old one simply didn't do this dish justice.)

So in short - I just had to call the recipe to your attention.  It deserves the spotlight for a day. 

Yeah... it's that good.

Pepperjack Bacon Mac & Cheese

• 1 lb. elbow macaroni
• 1 T. salt
• 3 T. butter
• 3 T. flour
• 3/4 t. ground mustard
• 1/8 t. cayenne pepper
• 1/4 t. garlic powder
• 2 1/2 C. milk
• 8 oz. pepperjack cheese, grated
• 8 strips of bacon, crumbled or chopped in small pieces
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1 C. panko bread crumbs
  
  

Preheat broiler.  Cook elbow macaroni in 4 quarts water with 1 T. salt until tender (just past al dente stage).  Drain macaroni and set aside. 

In now empty pot, melt butter over medium heat until foaming.

Add flour, mustard, cayenne & garlic powder and whisk well to combine.  Continue whisking about 1 minute, until fragrant.

Gradually whisk in milk about a cup at a time, then bring mixture to a boil while whisking constantly.  (This is important - mixture must reach a boil to thicken fully).

Then reduce heat to medium & simmer, whisking occasionally, until consistency becomes that of heavy cream (about 5 minutes). 

Remove from heat and whisk in cheese, salt & bacon. Add drained pasta and return whole pot to burner over medium low, stirring mixture until steaming & heated through (5-6 minutes).

Transfer mixture to a broiler-safe, greased 9x13" pan and sprinkle panko on top.  Place in broiler on middle/lower rack and broil 3-5 minutes until crumbs are browned.

Allow to cool 5 minutes before serving.

Recipe Adapted from Cook's Illustrated's "Classic Macaroni & Cheese"

Bacon Cheeseburger Turkey Meatloaf

So this recipe is kind of like when a person orders a Double Bacon Cheeseburger with Fries ... and a Diet Coke.

Health-wise, I would say its only redeeming quality is the ground turkey in place of beef.

Taste-wise is another story.

This is delicious.  I'm just saying.

And that actually means a lot coming from me, because I'm really not a meatloaf kinda gal.

But I promise if you like meatloaf, cheese, and bacon (either separately or all together) you will love this.

The hardest part, however, was to make it look appetizing.

Usually Mr. Vittles fixes his own plate (yeah... this isn't 1953), but this time I put one together for him just for photographic purposes.  (My favorite part of the meatloaf is the end piece, and lets face it - meatloaf butt is just not cute.)

So he came meandering into the kitchen as I was getting the camera and I yelled "Wait! Don't touch that yet!  I have to take a picture of it."

His response was "Relax. I know better than to touch the meatloaf without clearance."

He is learning.

So I snapped some shots- you know, really getting up in the meatloaf's grill?

But this was a tough model.  The pictures were so... blah.

Tyra Banks would not be pleased.

"Ugh," I whined, "it's hard to make meatloaf sexy."

Mr. Vittles suggested I put some lingerie on it, but I'm not sure that would have helped.

Just now, I put up the two best pictures I took and asked him which he thought looked better - 1 or 2?

"I don't know," he said.  "They both look gross.  I guess the first one because it has noodles in it."

Encouraging!

So you'll just have to take my word for it.

I swear this meatloaf is hot.

Bacon Cheeseburger Turkey Meatloaf

• 2 large eggs 
• 1/4 C. ricotta cheese
  
• 1/4 C. milk
• 1/2 C. seasoned bread crumbs
• 1 T. ketchup
• 1 T. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 T. mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/ 2 t. garlic powder
• 1/4 t. dried mustard
• 1/4 t. onion powder
• 1.3 lbs. ground turkey (prepackaged its usually this size, but anything around a pound is fine)
  
• 8-10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 4 oz. cheddar or your favorite cheese, grated (naturally, I used pepperjack for Mr. V)

Preheat oven 350 degrees.  Prepare pan for loaf (**see note below). Combine the eggs through the onion powder in a bowl and mix together.  Add bacon and cheddar cheese and mix.  Then add ground turkey and mix with your hands until incorporated well.

**You can put the meatloaf in a loaf pan or shallow pan if you want, but I'll tel you how I like to cook meatloaf - line a baking sheet with foil.  Place a cooling rack on top of it (like the kind you'd use to cool cookies) and place a sheet of foil over that as well.  (I would recommend non-stick - if you don't have it, then lightly spray the foil with non-stick spray).  Using the tip of a knife, punch small holes all over the middle of the foil like so, but maybe a little closer together in the middle:

The idea is to give the meatloaf support, but allow the fat to drip through so its not just sitting in grease (and also not have a huge mess to clean up!)

Bake 45 minutes.  Meanwhile, prepare glaze in a small bowl or measuring cup & mix until smooth:

• 1/4 C. ketchup
• 1 T. spicy brown mustard
• 1 t. brown sugar
• 1 T. white vinegar
• 1 T. Frank's Sweet Chile sauce (optional)

Pour glaze over meatloaf and spread completely over the top.  Bake an additional 15 minutes, and remove from oven.  Let rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing & serving.


Recipe Heavily Adapted from Paula Deen on the Food Network

Warm Potato Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette

When I started this blog, I knew I would have fun trying the recipes and writing about them.

But I couldn't help but wonder- would anyone bother to read it?

Or, perhaps more importantly- would anyone like it?

And after writing for over 2 months now, I can proudly say 'yes' to both of those questions.

So thank YOU for reading my blog.

And if you are one of the ones that also likes it, thank you for that too :)  I could not be more flattered than when people tell me they are enjoying the blog.

But one pleasant surprise to me was that friends and family members started requesting that I post their favorite recipes I've made for them in the past.

Or, equally as exciting & fun, people have started offering their own favorite recipes for me to make and write about (such as the rice recipe from Aunt Michelle Vittles).

This is also one of those recipes :)

A friend of mine, Kristen Vittles, was reading V&B and noticed that (much like her own husband) Mr. V loves anything with bacon.  So she passed on this recipe, originally from Food Network.

Which was actually even more appropriate for Mr. V than she probably intended, because for as much as he loves bacon he HATES mayonnaise - typically a main ingredient in potato salad.

So I was excited to try this recipe out as an alternative to mayonnaise-based potato salad - and we both enjoyed it!

Well, perhaps me more so than Mr. Vittles, though.  While he conceded that this was better than ones with mayo, he was a bit of a pain in the patootie about the vinegar.

He hates that, too.

Ugh. I guess I can't win with the potato salads.

Although I found one from America's Test Kitchen recently that has a ranch dressing-type coating, which is another favorite of his ... so maybe I won't give up on them just yet?

I mean, we're going in the right direction.  He liked this one more than ones I've made in the past. 

Baby steps, people.

Warm Potato Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette

• 2 1/2 pounds red new potatoes
• 1/2 pound slab bacon, cut into lardons and cooked until golden brown and crisp, 2 tablespoons drippings reserved
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 2 cloves chopped garlic
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons roughly chopped basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley

Put the potatoes in a large saucepan, cover with cold water and season with 1 tablespoon kosher salt. Bring to a boil and cook until tender when pierced with a knife. Drain, let cool for a few minutes and quarter.

While the potatoes are cooking, whisk together the drippings, vinegar, mustard, honey, garlic, salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil, and then stir in the chopped basil and parsley.

Add the warm potatoes and the bacon to the vinaigrette and gently fold to combine.


Recipe from Food Network, by Bobby Flay

Pepperjack Bacon Mac & Cheese

If there was ever any doubt that I truly love my husband - my undying devotion has been proven.

Using a basic (but wonderful) Cooks Illustrated recipe, I have brought together 3 of Mr. Vittles' favorite things into one glorious dish:

• mac & cheese
• pepperjack
• bacon
  
  

And let me just tell you all, this received the prized and coveted eyebrow raise + emphatic "really good" rating from The Man himself.

In fact, I could barely make out the "really good" part as he was stuffing his face with mouthfuls of this creamy macaroni!

Ok, listen.  I don't see such reactions often, so allow me just a moment to revel in this achievement.

To prove its few & far between, the last time I received this level of praise was about a year ago.  I entered a contest for Food Network Magazine's secret ingredient (which, for that particular issue, was coconut) and created an original recipe for a Coconut Kona Ice Cream.

Which was A-MA-ZING, if I do say so myself.

More on that soon - don't worry, I'm more than free to share that recipe with you since I got robbed in the contest by some chick with a coconut scone recipe.

Scones?  Like, seriously... who even eats scones?

????

(I dunno, maybe you eat scones.  Sometimes I do too.  The real issue is actually that I was a big ol' loser in said contest, and am clearly still bitter).

Anyhoo - my point is, Mr. V was loving every second of the coconut-coffee ice cream combo.  Much like when he took a bite of my Pepperjack Bacon Mac & Cheese.

So enjoy!

And if you're a wifey like me, you can go make your husband even happier that he married you :)

Pepperjack Bacon Mac & Cheese

• 1 lb. elbow macaroni
• 1 T. salt
• 3 T. butter
• 3 T. flour
• 3/4 t. ground mustard
• 1/8 t. cayenne pepper
• 1/4 t. garlic powder
• 2 1/2 C. milk
• 8 oz. pepperjack cheese, grated
• 8 strips of (cooked) bacon, crumbled or chopped in small pieces
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1 C. panko bread crumbs
  

Preheat broiler.  Cook elbow macaroni in 4 quarts water with 1 T. salt until tender (just past al dente stage).  Drain macaroni and set aside. 

In now empty pot, melt butter over medium heat until foaming.

Add flour, mustard, cayenne & garlic powder and whisk well to combine.  Continue whisking about 1 minute, until fragrant.

Gradually whisk in milk about a cup at a time, then bring mixture to a boil while whisking constantly.  (This is important - mixture must reach a boil to thicken fully).

Then reduce heat to medium & simmer, whisking occasionally, until consistency becomes that of heavy cream (about 5 minutes). 

Remove from heat and whisk in cheese, salt & bacon. Add drained pasta and return whole pot to burner over medium low, stirring mixture until steaming & heated through (5-6 minutes).

Transfer mixture to a broiler-safe, greased 9x13" pan and sprinkle panko on top.  Place in broiler on middle/lower rack and broil 3-5 minutes until crumbs are browned.

Allow to cool 5 minutes before serving.

Recipe Adapted from Cook's Illustrated's "Classic Macaroni & Cheese"

Honeyed Bacon BLT

I guess you could say I was feeling the spring fever yesterday.  For one it was beautiful out, and then, while I was doing a little evening workout, I rather belatedly came up with the perfect April Fools joke to play on Mr. Vittles.

Let me start by saying Mr. V takes every opportunity to get people to believe crazy things.  It's happened to me many times.  Stepdad Chris Vittles is also like this, so luckily I've had 22 years of preparation for what is now going to be a lifetime of wondering, "Is he being serious?"

But Mr. V and I had already discussed the fact that it was April Fools... meaning, any jokes coming from me would put him on high alert.

So my idea was to get his sister, Melissa Vittles, to call and tell him she was receiving compensation to carry the child of one of her rich friends - who was afraid he'd be perpetually single & wanted to ensure his "legacy" would carry on.

Sounds a little far-fetched, I know.  But Mel V is known & loved for her free spirit and free thinking... and she has a friend that could potentially fit this description.  So this is an entirely possible scenario.

Ok, well maybe not 'entirely'.  But enough possible-ness (?) to get Mr. Vittles going for a while.

Anyway, since my evil plan depended on the help of both my sister-in-law and mother-in-law (in case Mr. V called his mother to verify), I had to call them and get that all set up before the hubbs got home from the gym.  I also had to fit a shower in there somewhere.

Plus after all that baking of cakes and cupcakes I did the day before, I was not in the mood to cook much of a meal anyway.

So the moral of the story is - the day got away from me, people.  Don't judge.  BLTs are fine for dinner, I swear.

But aside from the laziness factor, I had just seen an inspiring recipe on Food & Wine magazine's 4/1/10 newsletter "The Dish" for Crunchy Asian Pea Salad with Honeyed Bacon.

Honeyed bacon sounded pretty heavenly to me.  So I got to thinking about the tomatoes and nearly-bad lettuce and package of bacon I had in the fridge.

Which means I got to forgetting about the whole "Asian Pea Salad" part.

I'm sorry, pea salad.  Don't be angry, it's nothing personal.  I'm sure you're great.  Just look at you!

© Kana Okada, for Food & Wine

Now the kind of bacon I had wasn't thick slices, and I also don't have Chinese five-spice powder (to be perfectly honest, I have no clue what that even is?).  So I just made a little mixture of honey & soy sauce to brush on the bacon, and then I sprinkled a little garlic powder & ground pepper on top.

 

I personally thought this bacon made a great BLT, and Mr. Vittles agreed.  He said he could tell that something was different about the bacon, but he wasn't sure what it was.  (He is admittedly dreadful at identifying ingredients).  When I told him it was honey, the look on his face told me that was definitely not his first guess.

But that's ok, that's why I do the cooking around here.  And let's be honest - that certainly wasn't the biggest surprise he'd have that night! Heh heh.

So anyway, go make yourself up some honeyed bacon and enjoy a delicious BLT.  I'm pretty sure you guys don't need an ingredient list or instructions on how to make the sandwich part... but I'll pretend you do, just in case :)  This recipe made 3 sandwiches.

Honeyed Bacon BLT

• One 16-oz. package of bacon
• 2 T. honey
• 2 t. soy sauce
• garlic powder & ground pepper to taste
• 1 tomato, cut into thin slices
• a few leaves of lettuce
• 6 slices toasted wheat bread
• mayonnaise for spreading (optional - Mr. V hates mayo!)
• salt & pepper to taste

Preheat your oven's broiler & set top rack about 8 inches from the heat source.  I wouldn't put the broiler on full blast unless you want blackened bacon - but you want it fairly high (heat source should be glowing red).

In a small microwave-safe bowl, mix honey with soy sauce and microwave for 10-15 seconds until honey is runny.  Stir.

Spread bacon slices out on a baking sheet.  They can overlap, but not too much because you want to be able to get the honey mixture onto as much of the bacon as possible. (My sheet fit about 14 slices comfortably, which was plenty for 3 sandwiches.)

Dip a pastry brush in honey mixture, and brush lightly onto each bacon slice. Sprinkle with as much garlic powder and pepper as you like.  (Surprisingly for me, I went with a very light sprinkle of both and I thought it came out perfect).

Put pan in oven under broiler, and leave oven door ajar slightly.  Cook five minutes, then take pan out & flip slices.  Brush other side of bacon with honey mixture and repeat sprinkling of garlic & pepper if desired.  Cook an additional 4-5 minutes, depending on how cooked you like your bacon.  Drain on paper towel-lined plate.

Slice tomato & toast bread slices.  Spread mayonnaise on bread if desired, & assemble bacon, lettuce and tomato however you like.  I usually sprinkle a little salt & pepper on the tomatoes, and use 4 slices bacon per sandwich.

Honeyed Bacon adapted from recipe by chef Ratha Chau for Food & Wine magazine


And just in case you're wondering... Mr. Vittles totally fell for the joke :)  Or should I say Uncle Vittles?  Haha!