Croutons With Slab Bacon Recipes

BACON CROUTONS

Steps:

• Brown some bacon - I do a pound so I can add to salad in addition to the croutons or use it with eggs etc -- don't think a pound of bacon will go to waste anywhere?.
• Cut your bread - I use homemade bread that is a bit past it's prime. I cut the croutons fairly large - like the ones you buy at the grocery? You could use brioche or other bakery bread. Not sure how this would be on purchased sliced bread --
• Heat your oven to 350.
• Put the bread cubes into a big bowl. Drizzle 1 tbl of bacon grease over the croutons, gently stir. Repeat 4 times - this ought to distribute the grease fairly well. Sprinkle in the salt and then stir again.
• Bake croutons in oven 350 degrees for 10 min - stir - bake 5 more minutes.
• Keep for a day or two - serving with soup or salad -- in a sealed container.

BOEUF A LA BOURGUIGNON WITH HEARTSHAPED CROUTONS

Steps:

• In a large bowl combine marinade ingredients and beef. Chill, covered, overnight. Drain beef, reserving marinade and vegetables separately; pat beef dry and season with salt and pepper.
• Preheat oven to 275/F. Cover bacon and rind with cold water, bring to a boil and simmer 3 minutes. Drain. In a large casserole set over moderate heat cook bacon lardons in butter and oil, stirring often, until golden. With a slotted spoon transfer lardons to paper towels to drain.
• In casserole over moderately high heat brown beef in bacon fat, in batches. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat from casserole. Add reserved vegetable mixture and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add reserved marinade liquid, tomato paste, reserved bacon rind and salt and pepper, bring liquid to a boil and cook in oven, covered, 3 hours. Skim fat from stew and drain meat and vegetables, reserving cooking liquid. Return liquid and meat to casserole.
• Meanwhile make vegetable garnish: In a skillet cover onions with water, add 1 tablespoon of butter, sugar and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer onions until almost tender. Raise heat to high and reduce cooking liquid to 2 tablespoons. Continue to cook onions, shaking pan over heat, until golden brown and glazed. In a skillet set over moderately high heat, melt remaining butter and add mushrooms and salt and pepper to taste. Cook mushrooms, tossing often, for 7 minutes, or until firm. Add the onions and mushrooms to the casserole. Bring liquid in casserole to a simmer and add enough Beurre Manie, bit by bit, stirring constantly, to lightly thicken sauce.
• Make croutons: Brush both sides of bread with melted butter, arrange on a baking sheet and bake in a 400 F. oven until golden brown. Dip edges of bread in Bourguignon sauce and then in parsley.
• To serve: spoon meat and vegetables into shallow serving dishes and garnish with croutons.

CROUTONS WITH SLAB BACON

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400. In an ovenproof dish, roast cubes of slab bacon until fat begins to render. Add cubes of bread (same size as bacon), and toss to coat with fat. Roast until bread and bacon are brown and crisp. Serve with greens.

BACON CROUTONS

Steps:

• Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, combine the bread, bacon, oil, and pepper. Toss to coat. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is crisp and the croutons are golden, about 20 minutes.