I’ll be honest with you. You’re probably certifiably loony if you make the recipe I’m about to give you during this heatwave. Wacky. Nutso. Your cheese has slid off your cracker.

…Like me.

There are some days when -no matter what the temperature is- you just need something cheesy, bacony, bready, gooey, salty, savoury. You need bacon and you need cheese and you need bread and baby, you need it badly.

When bacon and cheese talk, you’d better be ready to listen. Thankfully, it’s easy to listen when this is what you’re craving. Made of leftover bacon, shredded cheese, refrigerated bread dough, butter, and a handful of herbs and spices, this throws together in five minutes and bakes in thirty.

The result? We’re talking about soft, buttery pull-apart bread with each piece clinging to crispy bits of bacon and gooey melted cheese and capped by a layer of cheese that has melted and crisped.

In a nod to the oppressive heat, forget turning the bread out of the pan. Simply let it cool until the pan is comfortable to the touch. Slide that pan into the middle of the table with a big tossed salad and a pitcher of lemonade and watch the smiles flit around from face to face like fireflies.

Wake. Breakfast. School. Work.  Snack. School. Work. Lunch. School. Work. Snack. Work. Chores. Play. Dinner. Play. Bed. Repeat 4 times.  Weekend.

Routines can be good things, but getting them to become routine is the tricky bit. And fitting everything extra (cooking, planning, friends, activities) into this fresh Fall routine?  Hoo boy. It makes me feel a little panicky.

Feeling panicky fires up my organizational thinking.  Give me boxes.  Give me label guns.  Give me a freezer full of quick meals.  Watch me go people!

Stocking your freezer with items that can form the base of a fast homemade meal is a sanity saver.  And please.  Pretty please, don’t suggest once-a-month cooking to me.  I’ve tried it.  I failed. Miserably.  I am a fickle girl and while I approach it with enthusiasm, I fall down on it for the same reason that I can’t shop for a month at a time.  My solution is to make rubber chicken meal starters; big batches of food that form the base of many quick meals.

I’ve got a kids-of-all-ages pleasing, time-saving, budget-friendly, brain-soothing rubber chicken meal that all starts with a lip-smacking Barbecue Bacon Cheeseburger Meal Starter. Once you have this meal starter under your belt you can stir it into macaroni and cheese, top a pita-bread or pizza dough with it and pile on some grated cheese before baking it then tossing on chopped tomatoes and onions for a quick cheeseburger pizza, scoop it up with tortilla chips for some barbecue bacon cheeseburger nachos for game day*.) But today?  Today is all about the Barbecue Bacon Cheeseburger Stuffed Sandwiches.

Oh yes, my dears.  I am about to make you very popular.  Barbecue Bacon Cheeseburger Stuffed Sandwiches do everything but your windows.  They make a fantastic brown-bag lunch (if you have access to a way to heat it at lunch time), great dinner-on-the-go, incomparable hand-held tailgating (or sports watching) snack food, and they’re freezer friendly to boot.  By removing the sandwiches from the oven a few minutes early and wrapping with foil before freezing, you have the foundation for a meal that is done in thirty minutes or less on hand.  I tell you that if you serve these with a big pile of Candied Jalapenos you will be a certifiable super star.  Gimme a high-five!*

*I have a decidedly geeky habit of high-fiving.  My kids and high-school senior sister have tried to cool-ify my high-fives by adding a fist-bump and some slide-y action afterward and telling me not to yell, ‘HIGH FIVE!’ with it but I fear they’ve only succeeded in pointing out that no matter what I do, I will never, ever be cool again. My food, however, is crazy cool. Because all my cool is poured into my food there is none left for me.  It’s a price I’m willing to pay.

So let’s recap.  Cook this big batch of meal starter (you already won because it has BACON in it!).  Divide it up into smaller portions and freeze or refrigerate those portions.  Use one portion to make Barbecue Bacon Cheeseburger Stuffed Sandwiches (a meal-starter in and of themselves because they freeze like a dream.  A dream I tell you!).  Are you excited yet?  I am.  Let’s get cooking…

HIGH FIVE!

For a photo-free, printer-friendly version of this recipe click here!

(The printer-friendly version of the recipe contains instructions on preparing the bread dough by hand or by stand-mixer.)

To Make Barbecue Bacon Cheeseburger Stuffed Sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 3 cups Barbecue Bacon Cheeseburger Meal Starter (see recipe below)
• 1 batch of Buttermilk Sandwich Bread dough or 2 pounds thawed frozen or other bread dough of your choice. (See recipe for bread dough below.)
• 1 egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon water (for egg wash.)

Optional:

• Sesame seeds, poppy seeds or minced onion for topping

Preheat oven to 400°F.  Line a large baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.  Set aside.

On a lightly floured surface, divide the bread dough into 12 even pieces.  Roll each piece into a ball.  Working with one piece of dough at a time, flatten bread dough into a circle that is about 1/4″ thick.  Place about 1/4 cup of the meat filling into the center of the dough circle.  Gather up the edges of the dough around the filling and cinch to seal.  Place seam side down on the parchment lined pan.  Repeat until all the dough is used.

Gently cover the dough with a piece of lightly oiled plastic wrap or a damp tea towel.  Let rise in a warm place for 15 minutes or until slightly puffy.  Brush with the egg wash and sprinkle with any desired toppings.

Slide the pan into the preheated oven on the center rack.  Bake for 18-24 minutes, rotating the pan 180 degrees halfway through the cooking time, or until the rolls are deep brown and shiny and the bread is cooked all the way through. Remove the pan from the oven and let the rolls rest on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.  Let the rolls rest at least 15 minutes before eating.

If you wish to freeze the rolls remove them from the oven about 5 minutes early and let cool completely on the pan before putting the pan directly into the freezer.  When the rolls are frozen through (about 6 hours), wrap each one in foil and transfer to a resealable freezer bag.  Kept like this in the freezer they will be good for about 3 months.  To reheat, place foil wrapped rolls on a pan and heat in a preheated 400°F oven for 15 minutes.  After 15 minutes, open the foil so the rolls are exposed and continue heating until hot all the way through.

Big Batch Barbecue Bacon Cheeseburger Meal Starter

Yield: 5 meals worth of starter

Ingredients:

• 5 pounds 90% lean ground beef
• 1 pound sliced smoked bacon, cut into 1/2″ strips
• 2 cups ketchup
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
• 3-5 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 4 cups shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Optional:

• 1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped

In a very large skillet (or a stove-top safe roasting pan over two burners) cook the bacon strips over medium heat, stirring frequently, until deeply colored and crispy. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the crisp bacon to a paper towel lined plate.  Cover the plate with foil and set aside.  Drain most of the fat from the pan, leaving about 1 Tablespoon, and return the pan to medium heat.

(If using the optional onions, add them to the pan now.)

Break up the ground beef into the pan.  Cook the beef, stirring and breaking up large clumps of the beef, until the beef is browned and no longer pink in the center.  If necessary (if there is a lot of liquid or fat remaining after browning the beef), drain the beef in a colander, wipe the additional fat from the pan, and return the drained beef to the pan.

Lower the heat on the pan to medium low and add the ketchup, sugar, cider vinegar, mustard, garlic, salt and red pepper flakes to the beef mixture.  Stir to evenly coat and cook until the sauce coats all the beef and is hot.  Add the reserved bacon and shredded cheese and stir until the cheese is completely melted and the bacon is evenly distributed.  Taste and add black pepper to your liking.

Divide the beef mixture into heat-safe containers with tight fitting lids.  I usually divide the starter into 3 cup portions. Cool quickly (by resting in a bowl with ice water halfway up the sides of the containers.)  The beef mixture will be good in the refrigerator for four days or in the freezer for up to four months.

Buttermilk Sandwich Bread

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cups Cultured Buttermilk (You’re making your own, right?)
• 2 Tablespoons softened butter
• 4 cups bread flour (1 pound and 1 ounce by weight.)
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon vital wheat gluten (If you can’t find this it can be omitted, but it helps the structure and texture of the finished bread.)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2-1/2 teaspoons instant yeast or SAF yeast

Optional:

• 1 egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon tepid water to glaze the bread

Bread Machine Instructions:

Load all ingredients into the pan according to your bread machine manufacturer’s instructions.  Program for a simple white cycle and press START.

Immediately remove bread from the pan to a cooling rack when the cycle is finished.  Cool completely before slicing.

(For instructions on preparing bread dough by hand or with a stand-mixer see the printer friendly version!)

From as far back as I can remember, Christmas Eve was all about snacking–we would have a table loaded down with various cold meats and cheeses, special dark and light rye and pumpernickel breads, my mother’s Christmas punch, lots of chips and crackers with accompanying dips and spreads, and of course, platters of cookies. While we had a bit of time when we were all gathered for the evening meal of Christmas Soup, it was the prolonged evening of grazing that we really looked forward to as children. to be honest, as adults as well!

One of my favorite dips was one that was bought, already prepared, Heluva Good’s brand of Bacon Horseradish Sour Cream Dip.  I would zero in on where that dip was placed, and once we were given the go ahead, I did my best to ensure a healthy (??) helping made it to my plate. Others could have their fill of onion dip, liptauer cheese, etc.–it was bacon and horseradish for me every time!

So imagine my dismay, when shopping for our own quiet Christmas eve meal this year, when I could find no such item in any of the upper MI grocery stores we frequent. I went from store to store, finding plenty of sour cream, and plenty of variations on the French Onion dip theme, but nothing else. To say I was distraught is understatement. However, necessity being the mother of invention, I grabbed the onion dip and decided I would dress it up myself and see if I could come close to my Christmas Eve favorite.

Well, needless to say, I have found some good degree of success with this, or would not be sharing it with you now!!  Very fast, super easy, this would make a wonderful addition to your own snacking regimen, or a tremendous gift for a friend who would enjoy this combination of flavors.

Easy Bacon Horseradish Dip

1 12-oz. container French onion dip

6 oz. thin-sliced bacon, cut in half

3 T. prepared horseradish

Cook bacon over very low heat, letting it crisp slowly. Drain the bacon, and while it drains, lightly whisk together the onion dip and horseradish. Once the bacon has drained and cooled a bit, chop into fairly small bits, and give it all a final crumble with your hands, making sure no large bits remain. Gently stir into the dip, pour into an appropriate container, cover and refrigerate. Yes. Good.

Yesterday was B.U.S.Y!  Aside from the normal frenetic pace of life that goes hand in glove with having five sons ages 10 and under we had other pressing matters.  I am milking goats for friends up the road while they visit family, planning for a wedding rehearsal dinner I’m catering in August, helping put up firewood for the winter, and picking up more household chores and yard work while my husband tries to put batten up every night after work.  To top it all off I discovered yesterday morning that our garden had produced-seemingly overnight- mammoth pickling cucumbers. (My tried and tested pickle recipe will be in my next post.)  Because fresher cucumbers equal crunchier pickles I knew I was going to be pickling last night after making dinner, but before milking goats.  Phew!

Dinner was going to have to be fast and easy. 

I recently procured a copy of “Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day” by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoë Franςois.  Before reading the book I had regarded it with more than just a touch of suspicion.  I am a long time sourdough, poolish, and pâte fermenté baker and I didn’t think anything could come close to the time-honored methods. 

The premise of the book is that you mix up master bread doughs and store them in your fridge, taking a portion from the dough mass each day to bake.  I was interested, but still skeptical.  I mixed up one of the basic boule dough from the book.  Jeff Hertzberg, in the book, says:

“Amaze your friends with the “6-3-3-13″ rule:  If you want to store enough for eight one-pound loaves, here’s a simple mnemonic for the recipe:  6,3,3, and 13.  It’s 6 cups water, 3 tablespoons salt, 3 tablespoons yeast, and then add 13 cups of flour.  Store in a 10-quart lidded container.  That’s it.  It will amaze your friends when you do this in their homes without a recipe- but tell them to buy this book anyway!”

 

The day after mixing this up, I made naan from it.  It was outrageously delicious and tasted *gasp* authentic.  Yesterday was the perfect time to put the “6, 3, 3, 13 dough” through some more paces.

I busted out *cough, cough* 2 pounds of bacon.  Don’t judge.  I’m feeding a lot of people.  After slicing it into lardons, I par cooked it 3/4 of the way to where I like bacon;  just shy of charcoal- super crispy, please!  Next came an indecent quantity of thinly sliced onions sauteed in bacon fat with a small amount of white wine and a large amount of cracked black pepper.

Next on deck: Dracula-repelling piles of minced garlic, a hint of gorgonzola, a large amount of garlic and herbed chevre, some minced fresh rosemary and parsley and healthy drizzles olive oil, all strewn over some of the “6, 3, 3, 13 dough” that had been stretched to cover a half sheet pan.

It baked in the oven for 35 minutes.  That gave me ample time to load my jars for the pickles I was making and snap this picture.  Aren’t kids great? 

How did it turn out?  Ohmyohmyohmy.  It was so good.  The crust had just the right amount of crispiness on the bottom and chewiness in the center.  It had a wonderful wheaty smell while baking and browned to a luscious shade on the few spots I left clear on my crazy topping binge.  I mean, really, look at this!

So, I’m left with two things to review… The book and the recipe (see end of post for recipe.)

The Book

The book gets 2 thumbs up out of 2 for usefulness.  The recipes in it are easy and the science is good.  I expect to get a great deal of use out of this book.  I’d recommend it for anyone who loves good, bakery style loaves.   I have a feeling this would also be a great book for folks who are intimidated by baking.  It is laid out clearly, it is encouraging, and it is simple. 

I highly recommend purchasing or borrowing this book from the library because the technique is somewhat unusual.  It’s not difficult at all. It’s just a departure from normal bread techniques and you need to consult the book to really get the desired result.

It also gets 14 thumbs up out of 14 for the recipes we’ve tried.  The master dough is versatile, delicious and simple to put together and store.  By my math that’s better than a hat trick. 

The Recipe

No question.  This got 14 thumbs up out of a possible 14.  It was outstanding and will be repeated orphan  frequently.  (That is your free Gilbert and Sullivan joke for the day.)  The aroma of this baking was enough to make me want to chew my own leg off.  So exercise caution…

Bread: Fully Loaded!

(Again, in this recipe I’m halving what I make for us, so you’ll note that while I used 2 pounds of bacon I’m giving you a recipe that calls for 1 pound.  I made two half sheet pans of this bread last night.  If ya’ll can eat 2 pans worth of this, by all means, double my quantities given below!)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs master bread dough from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day
• 4 Tablespoons olive oil, preferably extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons semolina flour or cornmeal, for sprinkling over pan
• 1 lb bacon, sliced into lardons
• 4 medium yellow cooking onions
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced thin
• 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
• 1/4 cup white wine (I used Pinot Grigio)
• 1/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
• 4-5 ounces crumbled herbed garlic chevre (for recipe, click here)
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, finely minced
• 1 handful fresh parsley, minced

Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the bottom of a rimmed half sheet pan or large rimmed cookie sheet.  Sprinkle the semolina or cornmeal evenly over the oil and pan.  Set aside.

In a large, heavy bottomed skillet, cook bacon lardons over medium heat until bacon is cooked to about 3/4 of the state you usually cook it.  Line a bowl of plate with a double thickness of paper towels.  Remove the pan from the heat and use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked bacon to the paper towels.  Carefully pour the bacon grease into a bowl to cool. (And use for home fries later.  Yeah!  Home fries in bacon fat rule!)  Do not wipe out the pan under any circumstances.  You’ll use the fat that remains to help cook your onions.

Add the onions to the bacony good pan and return the pan to the burner.  Pour the white wine in the pan and use a spoon to scrape up the browned bits that are stuck to the pan:  That’s the best part!  Add the cracked pepper and a pinch of Kosher salt and lower the heat to medium low.  The goal is to soften these onions, not to brown them.  If you brown them they’ll blacken in the oven.  Let them cook gently while you turn your attention to the dough.

On a lightly floured surface, use your hands and a rolling pin to work the dough out to approximately the size of your pan.  Gently move the dough to the prepared pan.  If the dough shrinks or changes shape in transit, stretch the dough into the corners and against the sides.  Set aside and preheat oven to 425°F.

By the time your dough is done, your onions should be softened to the point where they’ll flop when you pick one up, but it’ll still have a little toothsomeness in the center when you bite into one.  That’s the way you want them so kill the heat. 

Scatter the following ingredients evenly over the dough in this order: bacon, gorgonzola, onions, chevre, and rosemary.  Drizzle the whole thing with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Pop the pan into your preheated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes or until it reaches the degree of golden brown deliciousness you want.

Remove the bread from the oven, sprinkle with the minced parsley and let sit for 5 minutes prior to slicing.  This was amazingly good with a glass of Pinot Grigio.  Oh yes!