Best Bacon Croutons Recipes

WARM SALAD OF FRISEE AND BABY SPINACH ,MUSHROOMS, BACON, SWEET SHALLOTS AND CHEWY CROUTONS; SHERRY VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Wash the frisee well, trim the root end but leave it attached, and cut the heads in half.
• Remove the rind from the bacon. Cut bacon into thick lardons, slowly render the fat, drain and dry lardons on paper toweling.
• Peel the shallots, slice them into 1/4-inch rings, toss them in the mixture of hot balsamic vinegar and grenadine and reserve.
• Clean and trim the mushrooms. Toss them with olive oil, kosher salt, cracked pepper and fresh thyme then roast them and reserve.
• Cut the ficelle into 16 thick little slices
• To Assemble:
• Warm plates in a low oven.
• Have all components prepped in advance.
• In a separate pan or lightly oiled baking dish lay the seasoned bread for croutons in a single layer. Sprinkle lightly with oil and toast quickly in a 425 degree oven. Place in the warming oven. In a large pan sear seasoned halves of frisee in a scant amount of soy or canola oil. Transfer them to the warm oven. In the same pan add the bacon, shallots, roasted mushrooms and half of the vinaigrette. Heat thoroughly.
• Remove plates and frisee from the warming oven. Spoon hot mushroom mixture across frisee.
• In that same pan again lightly wilt spinach with a splash more vinaigrette and plate it in a separate little >pile next to the mushroom braise.
• Arrange croutons over the salad. Garnish with coarsely chopped herb confetti

MAPLE SAGE BACON-WRAPPED TURKEY BREAST WITH STUFFING CROUTONS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Spray the parchment paper with cooking spray. Shingle the bacon strips side-by-side on the parchment paper, allowing the edges to overlap slightly. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Butter each side of the bread slices, using 2 tablespoons butter in total. Place the bread in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Set aside.
• Mix the remaining 4 tablespoons butter with the sage, maple syrup, salt, garlic powder, onion powder and pepper in a bowl. Use your fingers, and a knife, if necessary, to make a pocket between the meat and the skin of the turkey. Rub the butter under the skin in an even layer. Place the sheet pan with the bacon on a work surface, then lay the turkey skin-side down on the bacon. Wrap the bacon around the turkey by lifting the parchment and pressing the bacon against it to secure. Place the turkey skin-side up on top of the bread and lift away the parchment.
• Roast until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Let rest for 30 minutes before slicing. Quarter the stuffing croutons before serving. Serve warm.

GREEN TOMATO SOUP WITH BACON AND BRIOCHE CROUTONS

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, lightly crush the coriander, either with a mortar and pestle or side of a knife. Add it to pot along with garlic and sauté for 3 minutes longer.
• Stir in tomatoes, stock, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; immediately reduce heat to medium-low and simmer soup until tomatoes have fallen apart, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, fry bacon in a skillet until crisp. Use a slotted spoon to transfer bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate. Return skillet to medium heat. Add brioche to bacon fat in pan and toss to coat well. Toast, tossing occasionally, until croutons are golden, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
• Using an immersion blender (or puréeing in batches in a regular blender), purée soup until smooth.
• Return soup to medium heat and stir in crème fraîche if desired, dill and honey. Cook until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Taste and add more salt or honey or both if desired. Ladle soup into individual serving bowls; crumble bacon over top and garnish with croutons.

APPLE, SAGE, AND ONION SOUP WITH CHEDDAR-BACON CROUTONS

Steps:

• Heat the butter in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
• Add the onions, apples, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and stir thoroughly to coat the onions and apples in the butter.
• Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions and apples are deeply caramelized, and the bottom of the pot is coated with a dark brown crust, about 30 minutes.
• Stir in the chicken broth, beef broth, wine, and bay leaf.
• Bring to a boil and scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to loosen the brown crust.
• Simmer for 20 minutes to blend flavors.
• Discard the bay leaf and season with additional salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Adjust the oven rack to the upper-middle position and heat the broiler.
• Combine the cheese and bacon in a bowl and stir to distribute evenly.
• Place oven-proof soup crocks on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Stir the chopped sage into the simmering broth.
• Fill each crock almost to the top with soup.
• Top each crock with 2 baguette slices and sprinkle with some of the cheese-bacon mixture.
• Place the baking sheet in the oven and broil until the cheese is bubbling and well browned, 2 to 4 minutes.
• Watch the soup carefully, because once the cheese is well browned it will quickly burn.
• Serve immediately.

CHEDDAR BROCCOLI SOUP WITH BACON AND EGG CROUTONS MADE WITH BAVARIAN WHEAT BEER

Steps:

• In a large stockpot, heat grapeseed oil over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add onion and saute until it turns translucent. Add beer and let cook until most of the alcohol evaporates. Stir in broccoli florets and disks, and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Pour in chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and cook until broccoli is very soft.
• While the soup is cooking, make the topping for the croutons. Gently fold cream cheese, eggs, and bacon bits together, cover and refrigerate until needed. Stir heavy cream into the soup, remove from heat, and puree with an immersion blender.
• Stir in shredded Cheddar and whipped cream cheese, cover and let sit for about 5 minutes to allow the cheese to melt. Use the immersion blender to thoroughly mix, and adjust salt and pepper, to taste, if necessary. Cover and keep warm.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Toast what bread and cut into triangles. Sprinkle some cheddar cheese on each toast triangle and top with some of the egg/bacon mixture. Sprinkle some more Cheddar on top, place on a baking sheet and put in the oven for a few minutes to let the cheese melt. Serve soup in crocks with a crouton floating on the surface of the soup.

SWEET POTATO-PARSNIP SOUP WITH BACON CROUTONS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400˚ F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine 5 tablespoons olive oil, the onion, leeks, 2 teaspoons thyme, a big pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper in a large pot or Dutch oven. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender, about 10 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes, parsnips, chicken broth, 3 cups water, 1 teaspoon salt and the cayenne. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes and parsnips are tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring, until browned and crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the bacon and drippings to a large bowl.
• Add the bread, cheese and remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the bacon and drippings. Season with salt and pepper and toss, then spread out on the prepared baking sheet. Bake, tossing once or twice, until toasted and the cheese is melted, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Meanwhile, puree the soup with an immersion blender until smooth (or puree in batches in a regular blender). Season with salt and more cayenne to taste. Thin with water as needed. Divide the soup among bowls. Top with a swirl of creme fraiche, the croutons and the remaining 2 teaspoons thyme.

BACON-BRIOCHE CROUTONS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the brioche in a mixing bowl. In a cast-iron skillet or other heavy ovenproof skillet, cook the bacon over medium-low heat for about 3 minutes, until most of the fat has rendered but the bacon hasn't gotten too brown or crispy. Turn off the heat, add the butter to the pan, and swirl the pan until the butter is fully melted. Pour the bacon with the fat into the mixing bowl with the brioche, sprinkle with the salt and pepper, and toss to coat evenly. Spread the croutons across a baking sheet.
• Bake the croutons, stirring every 2 to 3 minutes, until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. (Note that brioche will toast up a slightly darker color than some other types of bread because of its sugar and egg content.) The croutons can be made up to 2 hours in advance and rewarmed in the oven just before serving.

COLD CAULIFLOWER SOUP WITH BACON AND CROUTONS

Steps:

• For the croutons: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Arrange the bread cubes in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil. Sprinkle the thyme on top and season with the salt and pepper if using. Toss until coated. Bake until golden and crisp, 10 to 12 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• For the bacon: On another baking sheet, arrange the bacon in a single layer. Bake until browned and crisp, 15 to 17 minutes. Drain on paper towels. When cool enough to handle, chop into 1/2-inch pieces and set aside.
• For the soup: In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the celery, shallots, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Stir in the chicken broth, thyme and cauliflower. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook until the vegetables are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
• In batches, puree the soup in a food processor until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Cool the soup to room temperature, then refrigerate until ready to serve, at least 2 hours.
• Ladle the chilled soup into bowls and garnish with the croutons and bacon.
• Cook's Note: The soup can also be blended using an immersion blender.

GREEN TOMATO SOUP WITH BACON AND BRIOCHE CROUTONS

Steps:

• 1. Melt butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. 2. Meanwhile, lightly crush the coriander, either with a mortar and pestle or side of a knife. Add it to pot along with garlic and sauté for 3 minutes longer. 3. Stir in tomatoes, stock, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; immediately reduce heat to medium-low and simmer soup until tomatoes have fallen apart, about 30 minutes. 4. Meanwhile, fry bacon in a skillet until crisp. Use a slotted spoon to transfer bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate. Return skillet to medium heat. Add brioche to bacon fat in pan and toss to coat well. Toast, tossing occasionally, until croutons are golden, about 5 minutes. Set aside. 5. Using an immersion blender (or puréeing in batches in a regular blender), purée soup until smooth. 6. Return soup to medium heat and stir in crème fraîche if desired, dill and honey. Cook until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Taste and add more salt or honey or both if desired. Ladle soup into individual serving bowls; crumble bacon over top and garnish with croutons.

WARM MUSHROOM SALAD WITH BACON, SOURDOUGH CROUTONS & PICKLED-MUSHROOM VINAIGRETTE RECIPE - (4/5)

Steps:

• Make Pickled Mushrooms: Place mushrooms in a small heatproof bowl. Place remaining ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring once or twice, until sugar and salt dissolve. Strain hot pickling liquid over mushrooms. Reserve 1 tablespoon pickling liquid for vinaigrette and discard peppercorns, rosemary and garlic. Cover mushrooms with plastic wrap. Make Vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon mushroom pickling liquid, oil, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste until emulsified. Set aside. Heat a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Cook bacon until crisp and most of fat has rendered out. Add sourdough pieces to pan. Cook, stirring occasionally and adding a little olive oil if pan seems dry, until bread begins to get crisp and golden, 7-10 minutes. Transfer bread and bacon to a bowl. Increase heat to medium-high. Cook mushrooms in skillet, stirring frequently, until slightly browned, about 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and turn off heat. Compose Salad: Drain pickled mushrooms. In a large bowl, combine greens, warm mushrooms, drained pickled mushrooms, croutons and bacon. Drizzle vinaigrette to taste, tossing to coat. Adjust seasoning as needed. Garnish with radishes and fennel fronds, if using. Serve while mushrooms are still warm.

SMOKED TURKEY AND BACON CHOWDER WITH PUMPERNICKEL AND CRANBERRY CROUTONS

Steps:

• For chowder:
• Heat oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add turkey; sauté until brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer to plate. Add 1 cup bacon to pot; stir 1 minute. Add next 5 ingredients. Sauté until vegetables begin to soften, about 15 minutes. Mix in tomato paste. Add 12 cups broth; return turkey to pot. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer until turkey and vegetables are very tender, about 45 minutes.
• Transfer turkey to large plate; cool. Cut meat into bite-size pieces, discarding all skin, bones, and tendons. Working in batches, puree chowder in processor until smooth. Return puree to same pot; add diced turkey. Thin chowder with more broth by 1/4 cupfuls if too thick. Season with cayenne, salt, and pepper. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 days ahead. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled. Rewarm before serving.
• For garnish:
• Cook onions and brussels sprouts in pan of boiling salted water until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain; peel onions. Cut onions and brussels sprouts in half through core. do ahead Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill.
• Sauté 1 cup bacon in skillet over medium heat until crisp. Transfer to paper towels. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon drippings. Add onions and brussels sprouts to skillet. Toss until heated through.
• Ladle chowder into bowls. Top with onions, brussels sprouts, bacon, and fresh sage. Serve Croutons alongside or on top of chowder.

SPINACH SALAD WITH BACON AND CROUTONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F; toss bacon pieces with bread pieces on a rimmed baking sheet and season with salt and pepper.
• Bake until bacon is crisp, about 10 to 12 minutes; let cool.
• In a serving bowl, toss spinach, cucumber, bacon and croutons.
• Whisk together dressing ingredients OR place in a lidded glass jar and shake to combine.
• Drizzle salad with 6 tablespoons of dressing and toss well.

SPINACH SALAD WITH GORGONZOLA CROUTONS AND BACON TWISTS

Steps:

• Gorgonzola Croutons: Preheat oven to 375°; mash cheese and butter together with a fork and spread half on one side of each of the slices of bread; cut into 1" pieces and place on a baking sheet, cheese side up.
• If not making bacon twists go ahead and bake croutons until golden, about 15 minutes; if making bacon twists, the croutons and bacon can be baked together, so prepare the bacon twists.
• Bacon Twists: Twist each slice of bacon tightly into a spiral and place on the rack of a broiler pan; press ends of bacon onto the pan, the twists will unravel a bit as they cook.
• If baking both the croutons and bacon, put the croutons in the upper third of the oven and the bacon in the middle of the oven for 15 minutes, or until croutons are golden and bacon is crisp; drain the bacon on paper toweling.
• Dressing: Combine the ingredients (garlic, salt, red wine vinegar, honey, mayonnaise and olive oil) and whisk until emulsified.
• Salad: In large bowl toss together the spinach, croutons and onion; plate and add the bacon twists and egg;drizzle the dressing over the salad.

SPINACH SALAD WITH GORGONZOLA CROUTONS AND BACON TWISTS

Steps:

• Put racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 375°F.
• Twist each bacon slice into a tight spiral and arrange twists on rack of broiler pan, pressing ends onto pan(twists will unravel somewhat as they bake).
• Bake in upper third of oven until crisp, about 30 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
• Meanwhile, mash together Gorgonzola and butter in a shallow bowl with a fork. Spread generously on bread slices.
• Cut slices into 1-inch squares and arrange on a baking sheet.
• After bacon has cooked for 15 minutes, put croutons in lower third of oven. Bake until golden and crisp, about 15 minutes.
• While croutons bake, using a large heavy knife, mince and mash garlic to a paste with salt.
• Combine mayonnaise, oil, vinegar, honey, and garlic paste in a blender and blend until smooth.
• Toss together spinach, warm croutons, and onion in a servng bowl and toss with dressing. Top with bacon twists and eggs.

CRISPY SKATE WITH CAULIFLOWER, BACON, CAPERS, AND CROUTONS

Steps:

• For cauliflower:
• Sauté bacon in heavy large skillet over medium heat until brown and crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Add cauliflower to drippings in skillet and sauté until crisp-tender and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, lemon juice, capers, and thyme; simmer 1 minute to blend flavors. Remove from heat.
• For skate:
• Whisk rice flour, Cream of Wheat, and herbs in large shallow bowl to blend. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper. Coat fish on both sides with flour mixture. Heat oil in another heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add fish. Sauté until brown and just opaque in center, about 3 minutes per side.
• Rewarm cauliflower mixture over medium heat. Mix in bacon and croutons. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon cauliflower mixture into center of 2 plates; top with fish.
• *Available at some supermarkets, specialty foods stores, and natural foods stores.

FRIED BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH BACON AND BROWN BUTTER CROUTONS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a plate with paper towels. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Fit a wire rack inside a second baking sheet.
• Slice the bacon into 1/2-inch-by-1 1/2-inch-thick strips. Place the strips into a large skillet and put over medium heat. Cook until the bacon is crisp and most of the fat has rendered, about 15 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to the prepared plate. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat from the skillet. Add the butter and cook over medium heat until the butter has browned and smells nutty, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat.
• Add the cornbread cubes to a large bowl and drizzle the brown butter-bacon fat over top, tossing very gently to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Spread the cornbread onto the parchment-lined baking sheet and bake until browned, turning halfway, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly.
• Meanwhile, heat 3 inches of oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat to 365 degrees F. Fry the Brussels sprouts in batches (use a splatter screen to shield any water from splattering) until crisp and browned, about 4 minutes. Remove to the rack-lined baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper while hot. When you are finished frying the Brussels sprouts, add the sage leaves to the hot oil and fry for 2 minutes.
• Before serving, gently toss the Brussels sprouts with the cornbread croutons and 3/4 of the bacon. Plate into a large serving bowl and top with the remaining bacon, the pomegranate seeds and fried sage leaves.

SPINACH SALAD WITH GORGONZOLA CROUTONS AND BACON TWISTS

Steps:

• Gorgonzola Croutons: Preheat oven to 375°; mash cheese and butter together with a fork and spread half on one side of each of the slices of bread; cut into 1" pieces and place on a baking sheet, cheese side up.
• If not making bacon twists go ahead and bake croutons until golden, about 15 minutes; if making bacon twists, the croutons and bacon can be baked together, so prepare the bacon twists.
• Bacon Twists: Twist each slice of bacon tightly into a spiral and place on the rack of a broiler pan; press ends of bacon onto the pan, the twists will unravel a bit as they cook.
• If baking both the croutons and bacon, put the croutons in the upper third of the oven and the bacon in the middle of the oven for 15 minutes, or until croutons are golden and bacon is crisp; drain the bacon on paper toweling.
• Dressing: Combine all the ingredients and whisk until emulsified.
• Salad: In large bowl toss together the spinach, croutons and onion; plate and add the bacon twists and egg;drizzle the dressing over the salad.

ESCAROLE SOUP WITH BACON AND CROUTONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Brush bread with oil. Arrange on baking sheet. Bake bread until golden, about 10 minutes.
• Sauté bacon and onion in pot over medium heat until brown, about 20 minutes. Add broth, basil and rosemary, then escarole. Simmer until escarole is tender, about 25 minutes. Mix in 2/3 cup Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper.
• Place croutons in bowls; ladle soup over. Pass remaining 1 cup Parmesan.

BACON CROUTONS

Steps:

• Brown some bacon - I do a pound so I can add to salad in addition to the croutons or use it with eggs etc -- don't think a pound of bacon will go to waste anywhere?.
• Cut your bread - I use homemade bread that is a bit past it's prime. I cut the croutons fairly large - like the ones you buy at the grocery? You could use brioche or other bakery bread. Not sure how this would be on purchased sliced bread --
• Heat your oven to 350.
• Put the bread cubes into a big bowl. Drizzle 1 tbl of bacon grease over the croutons, gently stir. Repeat 4 times - this ought to distribute the grease fairly well. Sprinkle in the salt and then stir again.
• Bake croutons in oven 350 degrees for 10 min - stir - bake 5 more minutes.
• Keep for a day or two - serving with soup or salad -- in a sealed container.

BACON CROUTONS

Steps:

• Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, combine the bread, bacon, oil, and pepper. Toss to coat. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is crisp and the croutons are golden, about 20 minutes.