Recipe Sifter

Slow-baked chickpeas in tomato sauce with bacon, molasses, brown sugar, and dry mustard. A hearty from-scratch baked bean recipe using garbanzo beans instead of navy beans.

Southern-style okra stewed with Rotel tomatoes and green chilies, bacon drippings, bell pepper, celery, and chili powder. A smoky, spicy side dish that freezes well.

French onion quiche with two pounds of slow-caramelized onions, Swiss cheese, bacon, and egg custard in a pastry shell. A deeply savory, golden-topped quiche Alsacienne.

Farfalle pasta carbonara with bacon, broccoli, red bell pepper, and Parmesan in a creamy half-and-half sauce. A vegetable-loaded twist on classic carbonara made in one skillet.

Polynesian kabobs with bacon-wrapped pineapple, soy-marinated ham, olives, and cherry tomatoes, broiled until crisp. Sweet-salty tiki appetizer skewers.

Pork St. Tammany: Louisiana-style rolled pork loin stuffed with rice, apricots, pecans, and mushrooms, wrapped in bacon and slow-roasted. Creole holiday centerpiece with sweet, nutty stuffing.

Potato and bacon pie loaded with sharp cheddar and eggs, baked crustless in one dish. Crispy bacon, tender potatoes, and melted cheese in every slice. Great for brunch.

Provencal chicken slow cooker (crock pot): chicken pieces braised with bacon, shallots, tomato, red wine, and Mediterranean herbs. 8 hours on low for a restaurant-worthy French-Italian-Spanish fusion.

Ranch-style lima beans baked low and slow with tomatoes, bacon, onion, and brown sugar. Hearty Southwest cowboy side dish with smoky-sweet depth from a three-hour bake.

Big-batch river-style chili with stewing beef, bacon, kidney beans, dried mushrooms, and serious heat from red pepper flakes and hot sauce. Simmered low and slow until thick and deeply flavored.

Pennsylvania Dutch sauerbraten with chuck roast bacon-larded, vinegar-marinated for days, then pot-roasted with cloves and allspice for an almost-black sweet-sour gravy.

Baked breakfast casserole with bacon, eggs, Swiss cheese, and cream. A crustless quiche-style dish that feeds four with minimal prep.

Southern-style shrimp with bacon, okra, tomatoes, and beer simmered into a stew-thick sauce. Served over rice for an old-school Lowcountry-leaning dinner.

Shark amandine: meaty shark fillets broiled with sherry-lemon butter, crowned with browned almonds, crisp bacon, and green onion. A smoky, Southern-inflected coastal main dish.

Rustic game bird stew braised with bacon, mushrooms, toasted hazelnuts, and amber ale until falling off the bone. Served over crusty brown bread for a hearty British-style supper.

Crispy pan-fried salmon burgers made with canned pink salmon, mashed and grated potato, and smoky bacon. Budget-friendly, makes 10-12 patties in about 30 minutes.