International Bacon Day: Full Menu & Recipes

To celebrate, we are going to be sharing some delicious recipes with you! Enjoy the full recipes below!

Breakfast: Bacon & Cheese Omelette
Lunch: Ultimate Bacon Sandwich with Marinated Tomatoes and Onions
Snacks: Bacon Lettuce and Tomato Bruschetta
Dinner: BLT Pasta
Dessert: Nectarine Upside Down Cake

Bacon & Cheese Omelette

Serves: 2
Cook Time: 10 Minutes

Ingredients

4 slices Smithfield Naturally Hickory Smoked Bacon
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Steps

In a small bowl, combine eggs, salt, and pepper; beat with fork. In a 10 inch nonstick skillet, melt butter over medium heat, rotating pan to coat bottom. Add egg mixture. As eggs start to set, gently lift edges with a spatula, and tilt pan so uncooked portion flows underneath. Sprinkle cheese and bacon evenly onto omelette. Take pan and let half of the omelette land on the plate and then flip to fold in half. Serve immediately.

Ultimate Bacon Sandwich with Marinated Tomatoes and Onions

Serves: 4
Cook Time: 10 Minutes

Ingredients

1 pound Smithfield Bacon, cooked crisp
1 Rustic French Loaf of Bread, cut into 8 slices and toasted
1/2 mayonnaise
2 tomatoes sliced
1 red onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup fresh baby arugula (can substitute any salad green)

Steps

In a medium mixing bowl whisk together olive oil, vinegar, honey, lemon juice, pepper and salt. Add tomato slices, onion slices and arugula. Toss to coat. To assemble the sandwich spread 4 slices of toasted bread with mayonnaise. Divide the marinated tomato mixture and bacon evenly among the 4 sandwiches. Top with the remaining toasted slices of bread and serve.

Bacon Lettuce and Tomato Bruschetta

Serves: 24
Cook Time: 7 Minutes

Ingredients

8-10 slices Smithfield Bacon (crispy cooked and crumbled)
3-4 Roma (plum) tomatoes seeded and chopped (about 1 1/3 cup)
1 cup chopped leafy green lettuce
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
1 clove garlic minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
Approximately 1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 package (16-oz.) twin French bread loaves cut in 1/4-inch slices
1/3 cup favorite crumble cheese blue cheese or feta (optional)

Steps

In medium bowl stir together all topping ingredients; set aside. Brush olive oil on both sides of bread slices; place on baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees F. turning once for 7 minutes per side or until crisp and golden brown; cool. Spoon about 1 tablespoon topping on each toast round.*
Makes about 24 appetizers.

* Or serve topping in a small bowl surrounded by the toast rounds.

BLT Pasta

Serves: 4
Cook Time: 15 Minutes

Ingredients

8 slices Smithfield bacon, chopped
10 ounces dried linguine
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 1/2 cups diced tomatoes (about 3 medium)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3 cups arugula leaves, coarsely chopped
1 cup (4 ounces) grated Asiago cheese, divided
2 large eggs, hard-cooked and quartered

Steps

Cook linguini according to package directions in a large saucepan. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup cooking water. Return pasta to saucepan; cover and keep warm.

Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp; remove bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Reserve 1 tablespoon drippings in skillet.

Add garlic to skillet; saut until tender and golden, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, salt, and pepper; cook, stirring frequently, until tomatoes release juices, about 2 minutes.

Pour tomato mixture over pasta; add arugula, cooking water, and 2/3 cup grated Asiago cheese. Toss gently. Serve in bowls; sprinkle with remaining Asiago cheese, and arrange egg quarters around pasta mixture.

Nectarine Upside Down Cake

Serves: 10
Cook Time: 40 Minutes

Ingredients

6 slices Smithfield Naturally Hickory Smoked Bacon, fried crisp and drained (crumble and mince)
1/4 cup butter and 2 tablespoons butter, melted and slightly cooled
2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 cups peeled and sliced fresh nectarines
1/2 cup chopped pecans
4 eggs, separated
1 teaspoon imitation vanilla flavoring
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup sifted cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Steps

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Melt the 1/4 cup butter in a 10-inch skillet; remove from heat. Stir in brown sugar until combined; spread evenly in skillet. Arrange nectarines atop brown sugar mixture; sprinkle with chopped pecans and minced bacon.

In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites and vanilla with an electric mixer at medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add granulated sugar, beating until stiff peaks form.

In a small bowl, combine egg yolks and the 2 tablespoons melted butter; stir into egg white mixture.

Sift together flour and baking powder. Sprinkle about one-fourth of the flour mixture at a time over the beaten egg mixture; gently stir in by hand. Carefully spread batter atop nectarines.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Loosen edges of cake; carefully invert skillet and cake onto serving platter. Lift off skillet. Cool cake about 30 minutes more.