Cheesy Bacon Oven Chips with Chipotle Ranch Sauce

Cheesy Bacon Oven Chips from Vittles and Bits Blog 1 large, uniformly-shaped russet potato, scrubbed well and sliced into 1/8" rounds* cooking spray 3/4 C. shredded colby jack or cheddar cheese salt & pepper to taste 2 T. crumbled bacon (about 2 slices) - I used real bacon bits chopped parsley or chives, for garnish (optional) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bring sliced potatoes to a boil in cold, salted water to cover for 5 minutes. Carefully drain, and transfer slices to a paper-towel lined countertop or cutting board. Pat to dry. Grease a baking sheet with cooking spray, and lay out potato slices so they are overlapping on it. Spray lightly with additional cooking spray, then sprinkle with salt & pepper to taste. Sprinkle evenly with shredded cheese & bacon. Bake 12-14 minutes in preheated oven until cheese is melted & bubbly. Serve with chipotle ranch sauce (recipe below). Serves 2. *You can use 2 medium-sized potatoes rather than 1 large. Also, I like to leave the skin on but you can peel the potatoes if you prefer. Chipotle Ranch Dipping Sauce 1 T. ranch dressing 3 T. sour cream 1/4 t. chipotle chili powder 1/8 t. cayenne (adjust more or less depending on how spicy you want). 1/8 t. salt 1/8 t. garlic powder Place all ingredients in a small bowl, and stir to combine. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Zucchini Pot Pie

Adapted from Skinny Taste.

4 small zucchinis sliced thin (I used a mandolin)
green onions
4 slices bacon (4 points plus)
4 Tbs Parmesan (2 points plus)
1/2 c. milk (1 point plus)
1/2 c. flour (6 points plus)
1 tsp. baking powder
2 eggs (4 points)
garlic salt
pepper

Put the zucchini in a greased pie pan, top with green onions, bacon, and Parmesan. Mix milk, flour, baking powder, eggs, garlic salt, and pepper in a bowl. Pour mixture over zucchini. Bake at 400 for 35mins. or until topping is golden.

Total Points Plus: 17 

Cowboy Charro Beans (Frijoles Charros con Tocino Y Chorizo)

Serves 6
these are some yummy beans!

6 oz sliced uncooked bacon, chopped
8 oz fresh, uncooked Mexican chorizo, casings removed, chopped
1/2 cup white onion, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper (seeded if desired), finely chopped, more or less to taste
1/2 lb roma tomatoes, about 2 to 3 tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp. kosher or sea salt, plus more as needed
5 cups cooked pinto beans and their cooking liquid (or substitute with black or Peruvian beans)

Cook the bacon in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes,untill it is lightly browned and starting to crisp. Add the chopped chorizo; cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until it starts to brown and crisp. As it cooks, use a wooden spoon to break it into smaller pieces.

Add the chopped onion and jalapeno; mix well and cook for 1 or 2 more minutes, letting them soften a bit. Add the tomatoes and mix well; cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring, until the tomatoes soften and appear mushy.

Add the cooked beans and their cooking liquid; mix well and reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until the beans are moist but not soupy. Add a bit more water if needed. Taste, and add more salt to your taste. Serve hot.

Kevin's (should be famous) toasted cheese sandwich (or pannini)

These are seriously yummy sandwiches. I remember the first time Kev made one, I said that it seemed like it was a little much...butter, cheese and bacon. I asked Kev for a bite cause it smelled to good...oh boy it is soooo good!
Nothing gourmet about this puppy, just good old every day processed food...YummO!

These amounts are per sandwich

2 slices of sturdy white bread
3 slices bacon, good kind, cooked and drained
2 slices of Kraft American Cheese, unwrapped
Butter, enough to coat one side of each piece of bread
opt. for extra flavor smash fresh garlic into the butter (do it for extra yumminess)

take one piece of bread and place one piece of cheese then 3 pieces of bacon and another piece of cheese cover with last piece of bread. Spread out side of sandwich with butter and grill or put in pannini press. Done when each side is browned to your desired doneness.

Refried Beans with Bacon

2 strips bacon, sliced
1/2 medium onion, diced
2/3 cup chicken broth
1/4 tsp. cumin
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
salt and pepper
Shredded or grated manchego cheese, sliced scallions or chopped cilantro

Heat a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat and add the bacon. Fry until the bacon is cooked and starting to crisp. If you are using excessively fatty bacon, you may want to pour off some of the drippings. Otherwise, leave everythingg in there as-is.

To the pan, add the onion and cook until tender. Stir in the garlic until fragrant, and tehn the chicken broth, cumin, beans, and salt and pepper to taste. bring the mixture to a light boil and continue to simmer for 10 minutes (or for as long as you want, if you want to time it with your main dish).

Use a bean masher to press down on the beans, and mash to your desired consistency (adding more broth if necessary). Once plated, top with the cheese and sliced scallions or cilantro.