Bacon Hater

My husband loves bacon! He could probably eat it every day and be perfectly content.

Source:

I hate bacon! I really do. But I love my husband. So I buy it and cook it every once in a while. When I cook it for my husband I close all the doors in our tiny home to keep the fumes as contained as possible. I also have to change my clothes if I smell of bacon. I know. I'm weird. But my husband doesn't mind too much because it means he gets my bacon as well as his.

I can eat bacon. But only if it is nice and crispy. Mr. WB doesn't understand this, but since he loves me he puts up with it. If the bacon is not up to my crispy standards he puts it out of it's misery for me.

I've discovered the best way to cook bacon is in the oven. It's easier to clean up and you don't get bacon fat burns nearly as often. To cook bacon in your oven line a baking sheet with foil, lay the bacon strips down on it, place it in your oven, and turn the oven on to 400*. Let the bacon cook for 17-20 min. (Shorter or longer depending on how quickly your oven heats up and how crispy you like your bacon.) For more tips or pictures click here.

All this talk of bacon has your stomach rumbling. I'm sorry. I promise I have a purpose. Thank you for your patience. It will pay off.

Introducing Mom's Chowder

Ingredients: 6 - 8 potatoes, 1/2 lb. bacon (cooked), 1 c. frozen corn, 1.5 - 2 c. milk, salt and pepper.

I love this recipe because it is super easy to make, delicious, and budget friendly. I usually make this chowder when I have potatoes that need to be used quickly, there is bacon in my house, or I just want to make a quick hearty meal.

Directions:
Peel the potatoes, dice them into small wedges, add them to a pot of boiling water.
The smaller you dice them, the faster they cook. Add them gently because boiling water hurts when it splashes your skin.

Cook the potatoes until they are perfect for mashing. Drain the potatoes in a colander.
Potatoes are usually ready for mashing when you poke them with a fork and they break apart. But you don't want them to be too mushy or it can make draining them difficult. 

Pour the potatoes back into the pot. Mash them.
This job is usually given to my husband. :)

Add the corn. Gently stir in the milk.
The frozen corn should cook perfectly in the hot potatoes. Add the milk in slowly. I like my chowder nice and thick so I use less milk. Think loaded mashed potatoes. When my husband makes this recipe he adds a little more milk for a creamier soup texture. Find what works for you and your family.

Cut or tear the bacon into bite sized pieces. Throw them in the pot.
I always use kitchen scissors for this. (But then again I hate bacon.) Put as much bacon as you'd like in the pot. I usually cut off all the crispy parts and leave the wobblier parts of the bacon for my husband to snack on.

Add salt and pepper to taste.
You will need to add quite a bit of seasoning to counteract the potatoes. Please taste as you go along. There is nothing worse than an over seasoned meal.

Give it one last stir and serve.
Some people like to add cheese or green onions. But I love this chowder just as it is.

Tried my recipe? Have a tip to share? Let me know in the comments below. Thank you and enjoy!

For those of you that don't know I also blog about teaching at Life with Mrs. L. One of my teacher blogger friends is hosting a recipe linky party and I just had to contribute. See what else teachers are cooking up in the kitchen HERE.