Baked Potato Soup

Ingredients:

• 3 bacon strips
• about a 1/8 tsp onion salt (you can use chopped onions instead, if you'd like - as many as you'd like.  I am not an onion fan.)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil  
• pinch red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cans Swanson's chicken broth (We use the all natural kind with no msg)
• Red potatoes, diced (add as many as you'd like. We like ours with lots of potato.)
• 1 cup whipping cream
• Tabasco to taste (We do about 4-5 drops)
• Shredded Cheddar cheese

Preparation:

1. In a large saucepan, cook bacon until crisp. Set bacon aside and keep the bacon drippings in the pan.
2. Saute onion salt and garlic in the drippings until tender. Stir in flour, salt, basil and pepper; mix well.
3. Gradually add broth. Bring to boil; boil and stir for 2 minutes. 
4. Add the potatoes to the pot and boil them for about 12 minutes.
5. Add cream and Tabasco to the pot and stir to mix.
6. Serve;  Garnish with bacon and cheese.

Sweet and Spicy Bacon Chicken on Ciabatta

Ingredients:

• chicken breasts, thawed
• bacon (1 or 2 per piece of chicken, depending on how big it is)
• salt and pepper to taste
• brown sugar
• garlic powder
• chili powder
• olive oil
• ciabatta rolls

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Pour olive oil in glass baking dish to eliminate sticking.
3. Season chicken breasts with salt, pepper, garlic powder and chili powder.
4. Wrap each chicken breast with bacon and place in baking dish.
5. Sprinkle with brown sugar.
6. Bake at 400 degrees for about 35-40 minutes, turning about 25 minutes through. (If the bacon isn't crispy enough, turn it to broil for a bit at the end).
7. Serve on ciabatta rolls

Recipe modified from Full Bellies, Happy Kids.

fettuccine alfredo with bacon

Ingredients:

• 16 oz linguine
• 3 slices bacon
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 T flour
• 1 cup 2% milk
• 2/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp salt
• parsley (to garnish)
• black pepper (to garnish)

Preparation:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid.
2. While pasta cooks, cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 4 minutes or until crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove bacon from pan, reserving drippings.
3. Add garlic to drippings in pan; sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly. Sprinkle flour over garlic; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly; cook 2 minutes or until bubbly and slightly thick, stirring constantly.
4. Reduce heat to low. Gradually add cheese, stirring until cheese melts.
5. Stir in salt and reserved 1/4 cup cooking liquid.
6. Add hot pasta to pan; toss well to combine.
7. Dish up, and sprinkle with bacon, parsley, and pepper.

modified from Cooking Light.