Meal Type: Sides & appetizers

Bacon Christmas tree

Preparation
Bowl icon

10

Minutes

Total Time
Clock icon

25

minutes

Serves
Portions icon

4

Portions

Bacon Christmas tree

  • Ingredients

  • Preparation

  1. Preheat oven at 400 F.
  2. Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface and cut 20 x 2cm wide strips. Place on a baking tray lined with baking paper and gently drizzle maple syrup on the pastry strips.
  3. Place the cut bacon strips on the pastry strips and gently pressing to secure.
  4. Fold the bacon topped pastry to form a tree, starting with a wider base and narrowing as you go.
  5. Slide a skewer through the base of the tree and up through to the top of the tree. Gently spread the layers slightly to retain the tree shape.
  6. Repeat for the remaining pastry strips.
  7. Brush the Bacon pastry tree with egg wash and bake for 15 minutes or until pastry turns golden brown and bacon is fully cooked through.
  8. Serve with chopped parsley.

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Bacon Goat Cheese Dip

Preparation
Bowl icon

10

Minutes

Total Time
Clock icon

15

minutes

Serves
Portions icon

4

Portions

Bacon Goat Cheese Dip

  • Ingredients

  • Preparation

  • 1Cup Maple Leaf® Ready Crisp® Fully Cooked Natural Bacon, diced
  • 1Cup crumbled goat cheese
  • 1Medium Red onion, thinly sliced and caramelized.
  • ½Cup Greek yogurt
  • 2tbsp honey
  • ¼tsp kosher salt
  • ¼tsp black pepper
  • 2tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2tbsp olive oil
  • Fresh rosemary, to garnish
  1. Prepare the Bacon as per instructions on the box and finely dice them.
  2. Add olive oil to a skillet over medium heat and add the sliced Red Onions. Cook for a few minutes until caramelized and tender.
  3. Combine the goat cheese, Greek yogurt, honey, salt, black pepper in a food processor. Process until smooth. Spoon the whipped mixture out and set aside. Add apple cider vinegar and combine.
  4. Crumble the bacon and rosemary leaves over top along with caramelized onions.
Tips icon

Serve with deli meats and crackers.

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Festive Holiday Charcuterie Wreath

Preparation
Bowl icon

15

Minutes

Total Time
Clock icon

15

Minutes

Serves
Portions icon

6 to 8

servings

Festive Holiday Charcuterie Wreath

  • Ingredients

  • Preparation

  1. Assemble deli wreath onto a large platter by placing the brie or camembert at the top as a starting point.
  2. Stagger meat and cheese into the shape of a ring. Place bay leaves around the outside of the wreath tucked firmly under the meats and cheeses.
  3. Garnish with nuts, dried fruit, herbs and crackers.
Tips icon

The possibilities are endless to creating your favorite charcuterie. Try replacing nuts and dried fruit with olives and cherry tomatoes!

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Marbled Bacon Walnut Bark

Preparation
Bowl icon

10

Minutes

Total Time
Clock icon

40 + 30 min chilling

Minutes

Serves
Portions icon

12- 20

pieces

Marbled Bacon Walnut Bark

  • Ingredients

  • Preparation

  • 6slices Maple Leaf® Original Bacon OR Lazy Maple Bacon
  • 1250g bag good quality bittersweet chocolate chips
  • 1225g bag good quality pure white chocolate chips
  • 2tbsp toast walnuts or pecans, finely chopped
  • Lemon juice – optional
  1. Preheat oven to 400°.
  2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay 6 slices of bacon flat. Cook on center rack of oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until completely crisp and golden brown. Remove onto a cooling rack and blot bacon completely on both sides, set aside to cool.
  3. Meanwhile pour bittersweet chocolate into a microwave glass bowl and the white chocolate into a second bowl. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Microwave bittersweet chocolate for 35 to 40 second intervals stirring each time until chocolate has melted. Be careful not to overheat and burn the chocolate during the last interval – reduce time to ensure smooth melted chocolate.
  4. Using a rubber spatula pour the chocolate onto prepared baking sheet.
  5. Using an off-set spatula spread the chocolate into the shape of a square being careful not to spread too thin.
  6. Repeat heating step for white chocolate.
  7. Spoon dollops of white chocolate all over the bittersweet chocolate. Drag your rubber spatula in a zig zag pattern across the chocolate
  8. On a clean surface chop cooled bacon into fine pieces and immediately sprinkle evenly over marbled chocolate. Sprinkle nuts over top and softly press down with the back of a clean spoon any toppings that are not adhered to the chocolate bark.
  9. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Once completely chilled use a butter knife and crack bark into desired number of pieces. Enjoy right away or place in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
Tips icon

Be creative! Make this your own – need thought starters? Things that go great with bacon… Smores bark – bacon, mini marshmallows and crushed graham crackers Bacon, fruit and nut – bacon, assorted nuts and chopped dried fruit such as apricots and cranberry

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Bacon Wrapped Cranberry Stuffing Bites

Preparation
Bowl icon

5

Minutes

Total Time
Clock icon

35 to 40

Minutes

Serves
Portions icon

10

stuffing bites

Bacon Wrapped Cranberry Stuffing Bites

  • Ingredients

  • Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Divide stuffing to make 10 round balls.
  3. Wrap each ball with bacon and secure with toothpick. Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
  4. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or desired doneness for bacon.
  5. Spoon a small dollop of prepared cranberry sauce on to each bites and garnish with rosemary. Serve immediately.
Tips icon

Sprinkle bacon with course black pepper and paprika before wrapping bites for an added flavor punch.

**Use stove top method on stuffing box for a moister bite or the stuffing method for a drier bite.

**Double the recipe to batch it up for a crowd

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Grilled Romaine Bacon salad

Preparation
Bowl icon

15

Minutes

Total Time
Clock icon

30

minutes

Serves
Portions icon

4

Portions

Bacon Romaine Salad

  • Ingredients

  • Preparation

  1. Preheat the grill to high heat.
  2. Prepare the Bacon as per instructions on the box and finely dice them.
  3. Toast breadcrumbs by melting butter in a nonstick skillet. Add the breadcrumbs and stir to coat, then cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring often, until golden and fragrant.
  4. Brush the cut sides of the romaine with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the romaine stalks on the grill, cut side down. Grill for 1 to 2 minutes, until the lettuce becomes charred, then flip over and grill for an additional 1 minute.
  5. Remove the lettuce from grill and place them on a plate and drizzle with ranch dressing.
  6. Top the lettuce with tomato, breadcrumbs and diced bacon and serve immediately.
Tips icon

Shredded Cheddar or blue cheese can be sprinkled on top.

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Bacon Caprese Sticks

Preparation
Bowl icon

5

Minutes

Total Time
Clock icon

20

minutes

Serves
Portions icon

12

Sticks

Bacon Caprese Skewers

  • Ingredients

  • Preparation

  1. Prepare the Ready crisp bacon as per instructions on the box.
  2. In a small bowl marinate the mozzarella cubes with olive oil, salt and pepper.
  3. Assemble two cherry tomatoes, basil leaves, two mozzarella cubes, and two bacon quarters onto a single skewer. Repeat the procedure for remaining ingredients and serve.
Tips icon

Glaze with balsamic glaze.

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Strawberry Chicken Spinach Salad

Preparation
Bowl icon

5

Minutes

Total Time
Clock icon

10

minutes

Serves
Portions icon

8

Portions

Strawberry Spinach Salad

  • Ingredients

  • Preparation

  • 1250g pkg Maple Leaf® Natural Shredded Chicken
  • 1454g pkg Baby Spinach
  • 10-12Strawberry, cut in quarter
  • 1medium red onion, sliced
  • 1Cup Goat cheese
  • ½cup walnut
  • Dressing:
  • ⅛Cup Olive oil
  • 1Tbsp Balsamic vinegar
  • 1tsp Lemon juice
  • 1tsp Honey
  • ½tsp Salt
  • ½tsp pepper
  1. Keep the sliced onions in a bowl and cover with cold water to remove the harsh onion bite.
  2. In small mixing bowl or large liquid measuring cup, whisk together all the dressing ingredients until well combined.
  3. Place the spinach in a serving bowl. Add the strawberries. Drain and add the red onion. Add the Goat cheese and walnuts and the shredded chicken.
  4. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss lightly to combine to coat the ingredients.
Tips icon

*Seasonal Suggestion: Blueberries and apples are great seasonal ingredients to elevate your salad during the summer months. Take advantage of the fresh flavours by adding a handful of blueberries or apple slices to your salad.

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Roasted Ham and Spring Vegetables

Preparation
Bowl icon

5

Minutes

Total Time
Clock icon

30

minutes

Serves
Portions icon

5

Portions

Roasted Ham and Spring Vegetables

  • Ingredients

  • Preparation

  • 1600 g pkg Maple Leaf® Original Natural Smoked Ham, diced
  • 500g Brussels sprout, halved
  • 3yellow Bell pepper, diced
  • 3Green Bell pepper, diced
  • 2Medium Red Onion, diced
  • 3Carrots, diced
  • 2Tbsp olive oil
  • 3Cloves garlic finely diced
  • 1Tbsp Italian Seasoning
  • 1Tsp Salt
  • ½tsp pepper
  1. Preheat oven at 350 F.
  2. Combine all ingredients on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  3. Drizzle Olive oil and add garlic, Italian seasoning, Salt, and pepper and mix well.
  4. Bake for 25 minutes or until the vegetables are lightly charred and crisp on the outside and tender in the center.
Tips icon

Use Radish to give more vibrant colour to the roast.

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