Loaded Bacon Bowls
Posted on January 12, 2022
Bacon is very versatile, you can incorporate it into just about any meal. You can enjoy it for breakfast, lunch or dinner, eat it as is, candied with sugary spices, there are just so many different ways!
Since no specific occasion is needed to eat bacon, I’ve decided to show you how to make great little bacon bowl masterpieces with a variety of fillings! You’ll see, these little bites are absolutely delicious and very satisfying!
In order to offer some variety, I’m going to show you how to make 4 flavors. You can make a few of each or just one if you prefer. Either way, the result will be super high in protein!
Here’s how to make these appetizers:
Type #1 : The Protein Bowl
Ingredients:
- Bacon slices, to taste (1 per bowl)
- Beef slices, pre-cooked, to taste
- House of BBQ Experts Kansas Spice Mix and Rub , to taste
- Mashed potatoes, precooked, to taste
- Blue cheese, to taste
- Sun-dried tomatoes, chopped, to taste
- House of BBQ Experts Dragon Sauce, to taste
Type #2: The Ocean Floor Bowl (lighter, funkier and more original)
Ingredients:
- Bacon slices, to taste (1 per bowl)
- Smoked salmon slices (cold or hot), chopped, to taste
- Strawberries, chopped, to taste
- Fresh cilantro, chopped, to taste
- Green olives, chopped, to taste
- House of BBQ Experts Caribbean Spice Mix and Rub, to taste
- House of BBQ Experts Funky Chili Sauce, to taste
- Goat cheese, to taste
Type #3: The Hearty Bowl
Ingredients:
- Bacon slices, to taste (1 per bowl)
- Pears, sliced into rings, to taste
- House of BBQ Experts Kansas Spice Mix and Rub, to taste
- Duck foie gras (or pork liver pâté), to taste
- Maple butter, to taste
- Shallots, minced, to taste
- Parmesan cheese, to taste
- House of BBQ Experts Nashville Sauce, to taste
Type #4: The Dessert Bowl*
Ingredients:
- Bacon slices, to taste (1 per bowl)
- Apples, sliced, to taste
- House of BBQ Experts Cake Spice Mix and Rub, to taste
- House of BBQ Experts Dragon Sauce, to taste
- Dark chocolate, chopped, to taste
- Walnuts, chopped, to taste
- Maple butter (or maple syrup), to taste
Directions:
- Preheat the BBQ to 300°F, making sure to create an indirect cooking zone.
- Take 1 slice of bacon and wrap it twice around 2 fingers. Then cross the remaining of the slice under the circular shape at finger level to form the bottom of the bowl. Insert a toothpick to secure the meat around the 2 fingers, then another one, perpendicularly, through the bottom of the bowl to one of the sides to keep everything in place.** Repeat for all the bacon slices.
- Place the bacon bowls on the BBQ grill in the indirect cooking zone, and let them cook until they are slightly dried out. (Be careful not to put too much bacon on the BBQ at once because it may catch on fire).
- Sprinkle dry rub on both sides of certain ingredients.
- For type #1: add the Texas rub to the pre-seared beef.
- For type #3: sprinkle the Kansas rub onto the pear slices.
- For type #4: sprinkle the Cake rub on the apple pieces.
- Grill the seasoned food (from step 4) until browned and flip halfway through cooking to ensure an even look.
- When the bacon bowls are ready, remove them from the BBQ and take out the toothpicks.
- Top the bowls with the ingredients.
- For type #1: put mashed potatoes at the bottom of the bowls, then add beef slices on top. Sprinkle a little blue cheese on the meat, then add a few small pieces of sun-dried tomatoes. Drizzle a little Dragon sauce on top to give the bowls some extra kick.
- For type #2: fill the bottom of the bowls with pieces of smoked salmon, then cover them with goat cheese (don’t be shy about pressing down hard on the filling to pack it in). Add some kick to the cheese by sprinkling Caribbean rub on top, then add the strawberry pieces. Pour a small dash of Funky Chili sauce over the strawberries, then top with pieces of green olives and cilantro.
- For type #3: chop the slices of grilled pears, then place them at the bottom of the bowls. Add in the chopped shallots, then cover with the foie gras (or pork liver pâté). Sprinkle a little parmesan cheese on top, then add a touch of maple butter before finishing with a dash of Nashville sauce.
- For type #4: place the chocolate crumbs at the bottom of the bowls.
- If necessary, put the #1 and #4 bacon bowls back on the BBQ for about 30 seconds to allow the fillings to warm up and/or the chocolate to melt slightly.
- For the #4 bowls, add a little maple butter (or maple syrup) on top of the melted chocolate, followed by walnuts, small pieces of grilled apples, and lastly the Dragon sauce.
- Serve the bacon bowls hot or cold and enjoy!
* For an even more intense flavor, add bananas and/or mascarpone cheese to the bacon bowl as well.
** You can also form the bacon bowl by using 1 or more slices of bacon to line the inside of a stainless steel measuring cup.
Happy grilling!
