Bacon Filled Cherry Tomatoes

Bacon Filled Cherry Tomatoes

Bacon Filled Cherry Tomato

What can you say about bacon that hasn’t been said……..it simply makes everything better!

It’s the Holiday Season…….so loopty lou, and loopty lie, and don’t forget about the pumpkin pie, it the holiday season………sorry……… too much Christmas music already…….sometime you just have to burst into song…..tee hee!

But, it is the Holiday Season is here and that means parties are here. Parties need food, finger food to be exact. Finger food with bacon………Bacon Filled Cherry Tomatoes. These little gems are a pop in your mouth taste treat. Like a mini BLT……… with out the L ……..and no bread……..but they are loaded with bacon!

I started making these years ago, and they were my go to appetizer for a looooong time. This is another recipe that was originally from one of those little cookbooks from the check out lane at the grocery store. If I would have in my wildest imagination thought I would write a food blog someday, I would have written down where I got the recipes from so I could give credit where credit is due.………oh wait, when I first started buying these little books, no one knew what a food blog was….LOL……..the times they do change.

Bacon Filled Cherry Tomatoes 3

 They are really quite simple to make, fry up and crumble bacon, add green onion, basil, some parmesan cheese, and Miracle Whip ………sorry but I do not like mayo, but if you do please use it in place of the Miracle Whip…….if you really want too……….mix all together and stuff into hollowed out cherry tomatoes. A melon baller makes this process a breeze.

I made these for Tim the first time last week. He does not care for just a tomato, so I wasn’t sure how he would like these…….enter bacon……he loved them……..enough said!

Not only are these Bacon Filled Cherry Tomatoes a treat for your taste buds, they are pretty, and red, with a little green and Christmasy……….hence…..the perfect party appetizer!

Bacon Filled Cherry Tomatoes Collage

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Bacon Filled Cherry Tomatoes 2

Bacon Filled Cherry Tomatoes

  • Author: Marty Boyd
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 24 1x
  • Category: Appetizer
  • Method: Combine
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 pound applewood smoked bacon, cooked and crumbled
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
  • 2 tablespoons chopped basil
  • 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, shredded
  • 1/2 cup miracle whip
  • 24 cherry tomatoes

Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl, combine bacon, green onion, basil, parmesan cheese, and miracle whip.
  2. Slice a thin piece off the top of each tomato, enough to expose the inter flesh. Using a melon baller, or a small spoon, scoop out the inside of the tomatoes.
  3. Invert the hollowed tomatoes on paper towels to drain.
  4. Fill with bacon mixture and garnish with extra parmesan cheese or basil if desired.

Keywords: cherry tomato, bacon, green onion, appetizer, parmesan cheese

Caramel Pecan Apple Pie Cups

Caramel Pecan Apple Pie Cups

Caramel Pecan Apple Pie Cups 1

I made Tim and I’s Thanksgiving feast……..the Sunday before Thanksgiving…….but we needed dessert.
I didn’t want to make whole pie ..……Caramel Pecan Apple Pie Cups!

We both are huge fans of dessert, we have it almost every night……..which is why we will be starting a Health page come January 1, 2015.

Although, in the coming year we will be changing some of our dessert ways, it was a Holiday and well, it’s not a Holiday without dessert, and Thanksgiving needs pie……with ice cream……and caramel sauce, with pecans and caramel in the pie, and……well, you get the idea.

Caramel Pecan Apple Pie Cups

I originally was going to wrap the apples with the pie crust and color egg wash red so they looked like apples, but time was running short and I did not have the time to be that crafty…..maybe next year!

Individual pies would be good……..custard cups could hold them and I could cover them with pie crust. I think I have mentioned before that in the world of pie and pie crust, my Mother was the Queen……she made the best pies ever, and her crust was flaky and perfect. I wish I would have had her teach me how she did it.

Since my pie crust is ……well, less than perfect…….I buy my crust. Besides it’s easy to have on hand for an “I need a pie now emergency”!!!!!!!

I peeled and cored the apples, dunked them in lemon juice, rolled them in a sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon mixture, put them custard cups, filled them with a caramel, pecan mixture, covered them with crust, brushed them with cream, sprinkled them with sugar and baked them……..whew!!!!!

Apple Pie Cups

Now, a really cool thing happen to them after I baked them. I wanted to make them slightly fancy, so I cut a cute little leaf in the center of each crust and placed it on the top. When they came out of the oven the little leaf had fallen inside so it looked like a little volcano……..great spot to put the ice cream………I know right! So, the ice cream kind melted into the apple………it was sooooooo good and the caramel sauce on top……….heaven in a custard cup.

This is one of those recipes that you can adjust to the number of people you are serving, so if it’s only two like us you can make just two. It’s nice also that there is no “his piece is bigger than mine” argument if you have kids.

Caramel Pecan Apple Pie Cups make a yummy addition to a Holiday or any meal that begs for an apple pie dessert ……..or if you are just in the mood for pie!

Caramel Pecan Apple Pie Cups Collage

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Caramel Pecan Apple Pie Cups 1

Caramel Pecan Apple Pie Cups

  • Author: Marty Boyd
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 large apples ( your favorite), peeled and cored
  • 1 ready made pie crust
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons corn starch
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup kraft caramel bits
  • 1/4 cup toasted pecans, chopped
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup turbinado sugar
  • Vanilla Ice Cream and Caramel Sauce for topping

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Mix the granulated sugar, corn starch, apple pie spice and salt in a shallow dish.
  2. Juice the lemon into a small bowl. Dip each apple in the lemon juice and then roll peeled and cored apples in the sugar mixture and set in oven safe custard cups sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Mix caramel bits and pecans into the remaining sugar mixture. Stuff into the prepared apples, dividing evenly between them.
  3. Cut circles from the pie crust that are about 2 inches larger than the top of your custard cups. If desired you can cut a decorative whole in the center of each circle. Place pie circles over the tops of the apples, covering the apple completely and sealing to the custard cup. Add scrapes of pie crust to form an edge. If you have cut a decorative opening, place the cut out over the opening, do not seal. If you did not cut an opening cut slits for steam to escape.
  4. Brush the heavy cream over each apple cup and sprinkle the the crust with the turbinado sugar.
  5. Place custard cups on a lined cookie sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the apple is tender.
  6. Let cool for 10 minutes. Serve topped with ice cream and caramel sauce.

Keywords: apples, ice cream, caramel, pecans, single serving size, pie

 

Sweet and Spicy Chili

Sweet and Spicy Chili

Sweet and Spicy Chili

Chili ………congers up images of winter, football, and Sunday!

I was going to stun you with my incredible chili knowledge…….you know the history of chili……..yada…..yada……yada. Well, it seems there is quite a controversy as to the origins of chili so, if you are really all that interested, you will have to google it. By the time I wrote all of it down and you read it ……..holy moly.

So, instead, I will amaze you with this Sweet and Spicy Chili. First, let me say that chili is Tim’s thing. There are a few items in the food world that for some reason are beyond my scope…….for reasons unknown………chili is one of them.

As we were planning our next recipe Tim suggested chili. I tried to steer the planning anywhere but there, but he kept coming back to it. The next words out of his mouth were music to my ears…… “I’ll make my chili”……..done!

Only one problem……….he had never written it down into a recipe. So, as he added ingredients I wrote them down. Now let me say that we always have the same spice conversation……

Tim: “ It needs more spice”
Marty :“ Tim, not everyone likes that much spice”
Tim: “Just a little bit more”
Marty: “ No, its fine”…….and then he adds more.

Tim Chili

Turns out, in this recipe he was totally right! It was not too spicy……. it was perfect. Chili powder, cumin, red pepper flakes, and two things I have not had in chili before…….cocoa powder and cinnamon.

I had a big ????? with the cocoa and the cinnamon. They are that in the background taste, you can’t quite pick them out, but they make the dish. We also added brown sugar and salsa…….that added that some’m..some’m………and it all came together perfectly.

Sweet and Spicy Chili 1

Just spicy enough, with a touch of sweet. We did not add any toppings to ours but feel free to add whatever you like……. we ate ours with biscuits…….or as Tim calls them skits.

However you top it or whatever you eat with it, Sweet and Spicy Chili will warm you up, make your favorite team win, and let you have a super Sunday.

It makes a small batch, it will serve 4-6, and if its just for two you can have it again and you know how it goes with chili …….even better the next day!

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Sweet and Spicy Chili

Sweet and Spicy Chili

  • Author: Tim Boyd
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Total Time: 55 minutes
  • Yield: 6 1x
  • Category: Soup
  • Method: Simmer
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 14.5 oz. can chopped green chilies
  • 115 oz. can dark red kidney beans
  • 128 oz. can diced tomatoes
  • 1 cup salsa
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 3 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoons cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Instructions

  1. In a large pot over medium heat, brown ground beef, onion, and garlic. Meanwhile mix together brown sugar, chili powder, cocoa powder, cumin, cinnamon, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Add to the browning meat mixture. Cook for 2-3 minutes to let the spices release their flavor. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30-45 minutes. Serve with shredded cheese or your favorite chili topper.

Keywords: chili, sweet, spicy, ground beef, kidney beans, tomatoes, soup