Recipe Tag: a holiday must-have

Bacon Braised Collard Greens

Preparation
Bowl icon

15

Minutes

Total Time
Clock icon

1h 45

Minutes

Serves
Portions icon

6

(side dish)

Bacon Braised Collard Greens

  • Ingredients

  • Preparation

  • 1375g pkg Maple Leaf® Original bacon, diced
  • 2bunches collard greens, woody ends and thick veins removed – cleaned and roughly chopped
  • 1large onion, thinly sliced
  • 1tbsp garlic, minced
  • 2cup chicken broth
  • 1 ½tsp apple cider vinegar
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • Hot pepper sauce – to taste, optional
  1. Place bacon in a large deep nonstick skillet with tight fitting lid or a Dutch oven.
  2. Cook bacon over medium high heat stirring for about 3 to 4 minutes until just starting to turn golden brown. Add onions and cook for 2 minutes more. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute. Add collard greens and combine with bacon mixture and allow to wilt for 2 to 3 minutes. Pour chicken broth and apple cider vinegar into mixture and stir well. Cover and reduce heat to low and allow to simmer for about 1 to 1 ½ hours.
  3. Season with fresh ground pepper and add hot sauce to taste if using.
Tips icon

This makes for a wonderful savory and luxurious side dish to your holiday table. Easily clean your collard greens by plunging leaves into a large bowl filled with cold water. Swirl around to loosen any debris. Allow to stand for about 10 minutes to let debris fall to the bottom. Carefully lift leaves out onto paper towel – don’t disturb the water as it will redistribute onto the leaves. Fold leaves in half and cut along the vein to remove from leaf. Roughly chop and you are done!

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Bacon Two Bite Stuffed Mushrooms

Preparation
Bowl icon

10

Minutes

Total Time
Clock icon

45-48

Minutes

Serves
Portions icon

18

mushrooms

Bacon Two Bite Stuffed Mushrooms

  • Ingredients

  • Preparation

  • 6slices Maple Leaf® Original Bacon, small dice
  • ⅓cup parsley, minced
  • 18mushrooms, cleaned and stems removed and reserved
  • ½cup seasoned breadcrumbs
  • ½cup Italian cheese blend, fine shred
  • ½cup Parmesan cheese, find shred
  • 2tbsp red pepper, minced
  • 1tbsp garlic, grated
  • ½cup herb and garlic cream cheese, softened
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • Olive oil
  1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  2. Prepare a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Line mushrooms onto baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.
  3. Finely chop mushrooms stems and set aside.
  4. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and cook bacon for 3 to 4 minutes. When bacon is just crisping and turning golden brown add chopped mushroom stems and red peppers. Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes until vegetables are just softening. Add garlic and parsley and cook for about 1 minute longer stirring frequently. Remove from heat and set aside.
  5. In a large bowl add cheeses, breadcrumbs, cream cheese and reserved bacon mixture.
  6. Mix and combine well with a wooden spoon. Divide mixture and with clean hands mold mixture into small balls and stuff mushroom cavities.
  7. Place stuffed mushrooms onto prepared baking sheet.
  8. Tent mushrooms loosely with tin foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove tin foil and cook for about 6 to 7 minutes longer. Broil on low for last 2 minutes of cooking until mushrooms are golden
Tips icon

Make ahead! Prepare mixture up to 1 day in advance and stuff mushrooms when ready to use!

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French Onion Chicken Crostini

Preparation
Bowl icon

5

Minutes

Total Time
Clock icon

55 – 60

Minutes

Serves
Portions icon

14 to 16

pieces

French Onion Chicken Crostini

  • Ingredients

  • Preparation

  • 1250 gr pkg Maple Leaf Natural Shredded Chicken
  • 2medium to large Spanish or Yellow Cooking Onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 ½tbsp butter
  • 1small dry bay leaf
  • 1sprig fresh thyme
  • 1 ½tbsp cooking sherry
  • 1cup swiss cheese, grated
  • 14 to 16slices French baguette or ciabatta, sliced ¾ inch think on the bias
  • Garlic butter, prepared
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Fresh parsley
  1. Preheat oven to 400°F and prepare a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  2. Heat butter over low heat in a large non-stick skillet. Add onions, bay leaf and thyme. Cook on low to medium heat for 30 to 40 minutes stirring often until deep golden brown and caramelized. Add cooking sherry and season with salt and pepper and cook for 1 to 2 minutes longer. Discard bay leaf and thyme and place onions into a bowl and set aside.
  3. Set same pan to medium-high heat and add chicken, break up the larger pieces with the back of a wooden spoon or spatula. Cook on high for 1 to 2 minutes stirring frequently until chicken is just starting to brown and crisp. Add a little butter or oil if pan is too dry.
  4. Spread garlic butter on top of each slice of bread and place on to prepared baking sheet.
  5. Divide and spoon onion mixture onto each slice of bread followed by chicken over top. In a small bowl mix together cheeses and sprinkle evenly over top.
  6. Place tray onto center rack of oven for about 5 minutes or until cheese has melted and crostini has warmed through.
  7. Set oven to low broil and cook for 1 to 2 minutes longer until golden and bubbling. Remove from oven and garnish with parsley. Serve immediately.
Tips icon

You can make the onions 1 to 2 days in advance and keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use. Try using Maple Leaf Natural Shredded Turkey for a festive change during the holidays!

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Spooktacular Mummy Dogs

Preparation
Bowl icon

10

Minutes

Total Time
Clock icon

30 to 33

Minutes

Serves
Portions icon

10

hot dogs

Spooktacular Mummy Dogs

  • Ingredients

  • Preparation

  1.  Preheat oven to 375°F.
  2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  3. Unroll dough onto a large cutting board. Separate at perforations creating 4 separate rectangles.
  4. Press diagonal perforations together with your fingers to create 1 seamless sheet.
  5. Using a sharp knife or a pizza wheel, cut each rectangle into 8 to 10 thin strips of dough.
  6. Wrap strips of dough around hot dogs in a “bandage” like fashion leaving a small gap at the top for a “face”. Discard any unused dough.
  7. Place dough wrapped hot dogs onto baking sheet and bake on center rack of oven for 13 to 15 minutes. Dough should be golden brown and hot dog should be an internal temperature of 165°F. Remove onto a serving platter.
  8. Place a small amount of mustard into a bowl & using a toothpick, dip into mustard and dot “face” area to create two eyes on each hot dog. Serve with webbed ketchup mustard combo.
Tips icon

Make them cheese mummy dogs by slicing thin strips of cheese and adhering to hot dog with the dough strips.

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Bacon Candy Apple No Bake Caramel Cheesecake

Preparation
Bowl icon

10

Minutes

Total Time
Clock icon

3

hours overnight

Serves
Portions icon

8

slices

Bacon Candy Apple No Bake Caramel Cheesecake

  • Ingredients

  • Preparation

  • 185g pkg Maple Leaf® Ready Crisp® Bacon bits, divided
  • 1 ¼cup graham cracker crumbs
  • ¼ + 1tbsp butter, melted
  • 18oz pkg cream cheese, softened
  • 1/3cup sugar
  • 1liter container whipped topping, prepared
  • 2medium granny smith apples, small dice
  • ½cup caramel sauce, prepared
  • 1cup toasted walnuts, chopped
  • 1cup toasted pecans, chopped
  1. In the base of a 9” springform pan add graham crumbs, bacon and butter.
  2. Mix well to combine.
  3. Using your fingers or the bottom of a glass firmly press crumbs evenly to base of pan. Set aside.
  4. Using a hand mixture blend cream cheese and sugar on high until whipped and soft. About 1 to 2 minutes, scrapping down sides of bowl as you go.
  5. Using a rubber spatula fold in whipped topping until combined.
  6. Spoon mixture into prepared pan and smooth out the top. Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight for best results.


Topping:

  1. Heat remaining tbsp of butter over medium heat in a large nonstick skillet.
  2. Add apples and stir continuously for about 1 to 2 minutes.
  3. Add remaining bacon and cook for 30 seconds more.
  4. Add caramel and nuts and stir to combine.
  5. Allow mixture to completely cool.
  6. Chill in refrigerator.
  7. Once completely chilled you can spoon evenly over prepared cheesecake and continue to allow cheesecake to set up for the suggested time OR you can spoon topping over sliced cheesecake when ready to serve.

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Winter Warm Brie with Bacon and Maple Syrup

Preparation
Bowl icon

5

Minutes

Total Time
Clock icon

20

Minutes

Serves
Portions icon

2 to 3

servings

Winter Warm Brie with Bacon and Maple Syrup

  • Ingredients

  • Preparation

  1. Heat oven to 425°F
  2. Line a small cast iron skillet or casserole dish with parchment paper.
  3. Place cheese in center of dish. Top with nuts and bacon.
  4. Heat in oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Cheese should be soft and melty when sliced into.
  5. Drizzle desired amount of warm maple syrup over top and garnish with pomegranate. Serve with toasted crostini.
Tips icon

Making this for a crowd? Use an extra-large wheel of brie and place in a glass pie plate. 

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Turkey Bacon and Cranberry Stacker

Preparation
Bowl icon

5

Minutes

Total Time
Clock icon

15

Minutes

Serves
Portions icon

2

sandwiches

slices Maple Leaf® Natural Lazy Maple Bacon, cooked crispy

  • Ingredients

  • Preparation

  1. Assemble sandwiches by spreading mayonnaise onto base of bun followed by cheese, turkey, bacon, tomato and arugula.
  2. Spread half the cranberry sauce on to remaining bun and top.
  3. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
Tips icon

Need a winter warm up? Heat open face on a baking sheet with oven set to broil for 1 to 2 minutes. Serve with kettle chips.

*if more easily available, honey mustard would make a great sauce for this stacker!

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Bacon Wrapped Swedish Meat Ball Bombs

Preparation
Bowl icon

10

Minutes

Total Time
Clock icon

40 to 45

Minutes

Serves
Portions icon

24

meatballs

Bacon Wrapped Swedish Meat Ball Bombs

  • Ingredients

  • Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F
  2. On a clean surface tightly wrap each meatball with bacon and place seam side down on a parchment lined baking sheet.
  3. Bake 20 to 25 minutes until bacon is crisp and meatballs are an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
  4. Blot bacon balls with paper towel and arrange onto a platter.
  5. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and serve with BBQ to dip.
Tips icon

Use your favourite meatball – try chicken or turkey!

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Ultimate Bacon Topped Hot Chocolate Float

Preparation
Bowl icon

10

Minutes

Total Time
Clock icon

10

Minutes

Serves
Portions icon

4

servings

Ultimate Bacon Topped Hot Chocolate Float

  • Ingredients

  • Preparation

  1. Divide hot chocolate and pour into mugs. Place two small scoops of desired ice cream into each mug. Top with whip cream, cherry and bacon.
Tips icon

This makes for a great hostess gift. Place a box of ready crisp bacon, sachets of hot chocolate, mini marshmallows and a mug into a gift basket or bag. Make it adult with a small bottle of Irish cream.

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