Crispy Bacon-wrapped Chicken Hearts

Marinated chicken hearts are tender, meaty morsels but added bacon kicks them up a notch to make crispy bacon-wrapped chicken hearts! These are so good. 

At least a couple of times a year, we celebrate what we call Brazil Night, usually for our daughters’ birthdays. The meal starts with caipirinhas to drink and includes grilled chicken hearts and picanha (the cap of the rump, a popular cut in Brazil that has finally made its way stateside, much to our delight), black beans, rice, farofa (toasted manioc flour) and molha, which is very similar to pico de gallo. 

While I wouldn’t mess with the simple marinated chicken hearts we grill on skewers for a Brazil Night, I’ve long wanted to try wrapping them in bacon, similar to one of our favorite Christmas Eve appetizers: Angels on horseback aka smoked oysters wrapped in bacon. 

I am here to report that they were wonderful! Tender inside with crispy bacon on the outside. Definitely going on the “would make again” list!

Crispy Bacon-wrapped Chicken Hearts

This makes a bunch of chicken hearts, about 50. My husband and I munched on these for a couple of days since we weren’t throwing a party needing appetizers and it’s just the two of us at home. Still, no regrets. They are that tasty.

Ingredients

1.15 lb or 500g chicken hearts

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 lb or 450g thin cut smoked bacon

Method

Use a sharp knife to trim the fatty ends off of the hearts. This first step is optional and I totally skip it for the skewered chicken hearts we will grill over hot coals because the fatty ends get crispy. 

However, when wrapped with bacon and roasted in the oven, those fatty ends can’t crisp up as much, so I did trim mine somewhat. You don't have to get every last piece of fat off, just the majority, if you choose to trim. 

In a mixing bowl, stir the hearts in the lime juice, olive oil, salt with a few generous grinds of black pepper. 

Cover and refrigerate for one hour. When the hour is up, preheat your oven to 400°F or 200°C. 

Cut the bacon slices in three and wrap one piece around each chicken heart, securing it with a toothpick. A little tip: If one end of the bacon piece is fattier than the other, roll up from the meatier side so the fat is on the outside and can crispy up more. 

Place them on a large lined baking pan. I hate cleaning baked on grease so I line mine first with foil, then a silicone liner. 

Bake in your preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes or until the bacon is crispy and golden.

Drain on paper towels.

Transfer the hearts to a plate to serve. A glass of chilled rosé goes beautifully with them.

Enjoy! 

Welcome to the 9th edition of our 2024 Alphabet Challenge being brought to you by the letter H. Many thanks to Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm for organizing and creating the challenge. Check out all the H sponsored recipes below:

• Sneha’s Recipe: Homemade Hollandaise Sauce
• Culinary Cam: Halva with Fiori di Sicilia
• Mayuri’s Jikoni: Panna Cotta With Hibiscus Berry Sauce
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Corned Beef and Cabbage Hash 
• Jolene’s Recipe Journal: Spicy Hashbrown Waffles 
• Blogghetti: Grilled Hawaiian Ham Skewers 
• Palatable Pastime: Batter Fried Halloumi Cheese 
• Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Harissa Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner 
• Food Lust People Love: Crispy Bacon-wrapped Chicken Hearts 
• Magical Ingredients: Hummus Herb Paratha
• Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice: Sweet Honey Deviled Eggs with Fennel Fronds

Here are my posts for the alphabet challenge, thus far: 

A: Anchovy Deviled Eggs

B: Spicy Braised Ginger Pork Belly

C: Cecilie's Favorite Coleslaw

D: Cajun Chicken Eggplant Dressing

E: Everything Pizza Tartin

F: Baked Chicken and Feta Meatballs

G: Grape Juice Jigglers

H: Crispy Bacon-wrapped Chicken Hearts - today's post!

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Bacon-wrapped Loaded Baked Potatoes

Bacon-wrapped Loaded Baked Potatoes give bacon almost equal billing with the wonderful fluffy potato inside. Bacon-wrapped and bacon-filled, they're a bacon lovers perfect baked potato. (Seriously good.)

I have probably mentioned this before, but in my family we have a game we play called Last Meal. And it goes like this: We go around the room (or car, as this game is often initiated on a long road trip, where stops are infrequent and the passengers are getting fractious, hungry and tired of snack foods) and each person regales us with what their final meal would be. You know, if they were somehow scheduled for execution. (Wrongly convicted, natch.) The only rule is that you have to name specific, finite dishes. You can’t just say "a buffet," for instance. 

When it gets to my mother’s turn, she goes all Forrest Gump's Bubba on us and names just about every kind of potato dish every created with the exception of fries, which are somehow not her favorite. (I know, right? Who doesn't love fries!) Boiled baby new red potatoes with butter and chives, hasselback potatoes, loaded baked potatoes, smothered potatoes with pork chops, potatoes au gratin, creamed potatoes, spicy potato curry, Jersey Royals with fresh mint, potato salad. She does go on but I think you get the picture. 

The point of this story is that I grew up with a woman in charge of my daily meals who adores potatoes. This can affect a child one of two ways: you drink the Kool-Aid or you develop an aversion. I drank the Kool-Aid. 

While my love of potatoes is not as well documented as my love of bacon, I feel the two often go hand-in-hand. What potato au gratin or hash brown is not improved by the addition of some crispy bacon? Bacon-wrapped smashed potatoes, yes, please! And that goes double for baked potatoes with the works! 

Bacon-wrapped Loaded Baked Potatoes

My inspiration for this recipe came from a menu item served at Lambeau Field during Green Bay Packer games called The Pigskin. I read about it online when it was introduced back in 2016 and I couldn’t resist attempting my own. Theirs also includes chili inside the potato, as if the bacon and cheese inside and bacon outside weren’t heart-stopping enough! I think these potatoes are perfect as I make them though because the bacon "crust" is my favorite part. This recipe is easily scaled up or down, depending on how many people you are serving. 

Ingredients

For baking the potatoes: 

4 medium-sized russet potatoes (about 11 1/3 oz or 320g each)

1 lb or 450g bacon (not thick cut) - about 4 slices per potato

toothpicks

For loading the potatoes:

1 lb or 450g bacon, crisp fried, drained and chopped

8 oz or 225g extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated

1 cup or 245g sour cream

Large bunch chives or green onion tops, chopped

Butter - we like lots. You do you. 

Method

Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C.  Scrub and rinse the potatoes. Dry thoroughly. 

Wrap the potatoes with bacon. Overlap the slices and use four per potato. I used three here but next time, I’ll do four so that's what I put in the ingredients list. More bacon = better. Remember that the bacon will shrink as the potatoes bake. Poke a few toothpicks in to hold the bacon in place and pierce the baked potato. 

I remember being told that baked potatoes need to be poked so they don’t blow up in the oven. Perhaps that’s just an old wives’ tale but why take chances? Anecdotal evidence says it can happen. These toothpicks take care of that, just in case. 

Bake the bacon-wrapped potatoes in your preheated oven for 55 – 60 minutes or until the bacon is lovely and crispy and your potatoes are tender and fluffy inside. 

When baking time is up, remove the bacon-wrapped potatoes from the oven and carefully remove the toothpicks.

Allow to cool for about 10 minutes or until they are cool enough to handle. Cut a slit in the top of each potato and push on the ends to open them. The insides will still be very hot so be careful! Add a generous pat of butter.

Let each person add the other toppings they love. I want it all, baby! Who's with me? 

This is a full meal deal. Serve with a side salad or some veggies, if you want to feel more virtuous. But, fair warning: you may not be able to eat the whole thing if you do. (Hot tip: Warm your leftover half potato in the microwave the next morning. It's a fabulous breakfast.)

Enjoy! 

It's Sunday FunDay and I am pleased to share the following links with you! I love this group and all my baked potato-loving fellow bloggers! If you are a fan of baked potatoes like I am, you are gonna LOVE this list. 

• Bacon-wrapped Loaded Baked Potatoes from Food Lust People Love
• Baked Potatoes With Butter & Goat Cheese Filling from Sneha’s Recipe
• Cheesy Shrimp-Stuffed Twice-Baked Potatoes from Making Miracles
• Crock Pot Loaded Baked Potatoes from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Leftover Turkey and Gravy Stuffed Potato from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Thanksgiving Dinner Twice Baked Potatoes from Amy’s Cooking Adventures

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

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Bacon Corn Puddings

These individual bacon corn puddings are made with roasted corn and cornmeal to add a lot of extra corn flavor, along with the bacon and thyme. Delicious and light as a side dish or small main. 

When I first arrived back in the States a couple of years ago, I was excited to finally get a chance to shop at Trader Joe’s. I posted on Facebook that I’d love to hear about what my friends buy there so I could make a list of good things to try. 

My friend, Glenys, was the very first to respond: chargrilled corn, found in the freezer section. So much easier than doing it yourself, she said. I must say, she is absolutely right. The Trader Joe’s roasted corn is delightful and since it’s frozen, it's easy to keep on hand. If you want to use fresh corn for this and roast your own for this recipe though, go for it! 

(I know not everyone reading this will be able to see the post but for those of you who can, here’s the link: What Stacy’s friends buy at Trader Joe’s. My apologies to the rest of you.)

Bacon Corn Puddings

The original recipe that I adapted to make these lovely little puddings continued past the initial baking to decanting and then rebaking them with some cream poured on top. It also called for creamed corn so that wasn’t happening either. I have no idea how that would have tasted but I can tell you that these are lovely and light and delicious, despite falling a bit after they poofed up in the oven. 

Ingredients – for 4 individual puddings

1/2 small onion, diced

2 tablespoons butter, plus extra for buttering the ramekins

1 teaspoon sugar

1 1/2 cups or 200g roasted corn kernels (drained if canned)

1/4 cup or 30g bacon crumbles

2 tablespoons cornmeal

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2/3 cup or 160ml milk

1/3 or 80ml cup heavy cream

1 sprig fresh thyme, leaves picked

salt & pepper to taste

2 large eggs

Optional garnish:

2 tablespoons roasted corn, thawed

fresh thyme leaves

Method

Combine onion and butter and cook over medium heat until the onion is translucent, about 4 minutes.

Add the cornmeal, roasted corn, bacon crumbles and a pinch of salt and a couple of grinds of black pepper. Cook 2-3 minutes while stirring.

Whisk the cornstarch into the milk till its dissolved. 

Add the milk, cream, sugar and thyme to the pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until mixture comes to a low boil and thickens. When you drag a spoon through it, it should be thick enough not to run back together. 

Remove 3/4 cup (187.5g) of the corn mixture and blend with a hand mixer until smooth. 

Stir back into the corn mixture in the pot. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool. 

I put mine in a bowl at this point because as much as I love my little Le Creuset pots, they take ages to cool down. If your cooking pot is more cooperative, please don’t dirty another vessel. 

Meanwhile preheat your oven to 400°F or 200°C and butter four ramekins. To give you an idea of size, mine hold just shy of 1 1/4 cups or 295ml when filled to the top. 

Once the corn mixture is cool, whisk the eggs well and mix them into it. 

Place the ramekins in a deep baking pan then divide the corn mixture between them. 

Fill the pan with hot water halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

Bake in your preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until puffy and golden on top. 

Top with some extra kernels of roasted corn and a few fresh thyme leaves for garnish. 

Serve warm. I decanted one for the photos but we ate the others straight out of the ramekins with a tomato and mozzarella salad on the side. Side dish or main? These bacon corn puddings work as either. 

Enjoy!  

It’s the second Monday of the month so that means my Baking Blogger friends are sharing recipes as well. Our theme, as you might guess from most of the titles below, is CORN. Many thanks to our organizer and host, Sue of Palatable Pastime. 

• Bacon Corn Puddings by Food Lust People Love
• Baked Corn Pudding by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Breakfast Strata with Corn and Chiles by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Corn and Pepper Medley Pierogi Casserole by Sid's Sea Palm Cooking
• Oven Roasted Corn on the Cob by Sneha’s Recipe
• Street Corn Baked Empanadas by Magical Ingredients
• Taco Noodle Hot Dish by Palatable Pastime

Baking Bloggers is a friendly group of food bloggers who vote on a shared theme and then post recipes to fit that theme one the second Monday of each month. If you are a food blogger interested in joining in, inquire at our Baking Bloggers Facebook group. We'd be honored if you would join us in our baking adventures.

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Parmesan Bacon Potato Squares

Parmesan Bacon Potato Squares are a tasty appetizer (or side dish) of thinly sliced potatoes layered with bacon, cream and cheese that turn crispy and more-ish when they are baked, cooled then cut into squares and roasted in the oven. 

Fair warning: this dish needs to be started at least one day before you plan to serve it but in a way, that’s the best part because it can be mostly made, if necessary, several days ahead and chilled. Leave the final roasting till just before you are ready to serve. 

Potatoes are sliced thinly and layered with cheese and cooked bacon then pressed and chilled so they can be cut into handy squares. Make sure you don’t skip the step where you secure the squares with toothpicks or you will mightily regret it. 

The original recipe on Taste.com.au skips this step and my first batch out of the oven was a complete disaster. The potatoes were delicious for sure, but they weren’t anything like squares anymore. See the evidence below. Don't let this happen to you. 

This recipe makes enough for an enormous crowd. It’s easily halved but, should you have any leftovers, they are spectacular with scrambled eggs, added to an omelet or reheated and eaten as a side dish. (That is what I did with my disastrous ones.) 

 

Parmesan Bacon Potato Squares

As mentioned, this recipe is adapted from one on Taste.com.au, one of my favorite sites for recipe inspiration. You will need two casserole dishes, one larger for the actual potato dish and one you can fit inside it to compact the potatoes while they are chilling. 

Ingredients

6 lbs or 2.72 kg russet potatoes, peeled and sliced thinly with a mandoline

6 fresh thyme sprigs, leaves picked, plus extra for garnish

5 1/3 oz or 150g Parmesan cheese, grated

1 1/2 cups or 355ml heavy cream

3 lbs or 1.36kg thin-sliced smoked bacon, fried (not too crispy) and drained 

1/2 cup or 113g butter, melted and cooled

Optional: Sriracha sauce for drizzling on to serve

Method

If you don’t have a mandolin with which to cut the potatoes, by all means, use a sharp knife but do cut the slices as thinly as possible. 

Use baking parchment to line the base and up the sides of a 9 x 14 in or 23x35mm pan, allowing the sides to overhang somewhat. Put two layers of your thinly sliced potatoes in evenly in the bottom of the lined pan. Top with a little of the cream and thyme leaves. 

Cover those with a layer of Parmesan and cooked bacon. 

Add another double layer of sliced potatoes. Continue building your casserole until you’ve used all of your potatoes and bacon and thyme, making sure you finish with a couple of layers of potatoes on top, along with the last of the Parmesan and cream. 

Finally, pour the melted butter over the top. Fold the baking parchment in and cover the top with some cling film. 

Place a smaller casserole dish on top of the dish and fill with something heavy. I used eight cans of various vegetables. Leave to rest for about 20 minutes. 

Meanwhile preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C.

Remove the weights and cling film. Cover the large casserole top in foil and bake for about 1 hour or until the potatoes are tender. Remove the foil (save for later) and bake for another 20 minutes to brown the top. 

Put the foil back on the dish and put the smaller casserole dish back on top. Leave to cool until it can be put in the refrigerator. When cool, put it (casserole dish still on top) in the refrigerator to chill overnight. 

When you are ready to make the squares, start your oven preheating to 400°F or 200°C.

Loosen the sides of the potatoes from the pan and turn the whole rectangle out onto a cutting board so your top is now your bottom. Remove the parchment paper and discard. 

Trim the edges with a sharp knife so you have straight sides. (These scraps are great reheated in a non-stick skillet. Add some eggs for a delicious weekend breakfast.) 

Cut the chilled potato into squares.

 Skewer each one with a toothpick, top to bottom. Put them on their sides on two or three large baking pans (with sides) and roast 10 minutes in your hot oven or until lightly golden. 

Turn the squares over and roast until they are crispy and deep golden, about 10-15 more minutes.

Drain on paper towels. 

Serve warm with sriracha sauce to drizzle, if desired, and some sprigs of thyme for garnish. 

Enjoy! 

It's the first Wednesday of the month so that means it's time for our Foodie Extravaganza celebration of National Potatoes Day which is August 19th this year! Many thanks to our host, Karen of Karen's Kitchen Stories. 

• Baked Potato Ragada Chat from Magical Ingredients
• Chorizo Stuffed Hash Browns from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Lemon & Dill Potato Salad with No Mayonnaise from Faith Hope Love & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Parmesan Bacon Potato Squares from Food Lust People Love
• Potato Lollipops from Sheha's Recipe
• Potato Puffs from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Salt and Vinegar Skillet Potatoes from Palatable Pastime
• Schupfnudeln (German Potato Noodles) from Tara's Multicultural Table
• Tartiflette with Fromage Fort from Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Foodie Extravaganza is where we celebrate obscure food holidays by cooking and baking together with the same ingredient or theme each month. Posting day is always the first Wednesday of each month. If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook page Foodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you! If you're a spectator looking for delicious tid-bits check out our Foodie Extravaganza Pinterest Board.

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Baba Kartoflana - Polish Potato Pie

This baba kartoflana or Polish potato pie is a super rich comfort dish baked with grated potatoes, eggs and bacon. It makes a great main course or side dish.



I have to be honest, I didn’t know much about Poland or Polish cuisine but when Polish recipes was chosen as our theme for this month’s Baking Bloggers, I started my research close to home. I knew from the many festivals (pre-Corona, of course) that there is a vibrant Polish community in Houston and the broader state. 

Indeed, here in Texas, there are many towns that boast Polish ancestry but the oldest Polish settlement in the whole United States is a place called Panna Maria (Virgin Mary in Polish) which is not far from San Antonio, about a three-hour drive from my home.

The first Polish settlers arrived in December of 1854 and impressively, the original oak tree under which they celebrated the very first mass is still standing! In September of 1856 the very first permanent Polish Catholic Church in the United States - Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church - was consecrated there.

In another first, Panna Maria was also the location of the first private Catholic school in the United States. It’s a community that is still going strong. In fact, they are currently building a heritage center to safeguard their history for future generations. I’m looking forward to being able to visit there when we are able to take road trips again. 

Meanwhile, I will console myself with making baba kartoflana aka Polish potato pie, a comfort dish if there ever were one. Or perhaps I'll try one of the other recipes my Baking Blogger friends are sharing. Make sure to scroll down below my recipe to see the links.

Baba Kartoflana - Polish Potato Pie

This recipe is adapted from one on Cook in Polish. The author suggests you can reduce the calories in this dish by omitting the bacon – but don’t do it! Bacon makes everything better. 

Ingredients
2.2 lbs or 1 kg floury potatoes (baking potatoes, like Russets)
2 yellow onions (about 12 oz or 340g)
12 oz or 340g bacon
2 large eggs
1/4 cup or 61g whole milk Greek-style yogurt
1 teaspoon dried marjoram leaves, plus extra for garnish, if desired
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (or 1/2 teaspoon powdered nutmeg)
Freshly ground black pepper

Method
Peel and dice the onions. In a large pan, fry half of the bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan and drain on a paper towel. Once it has cooled, chop or crumble the bacon.

Remove all but about 2 tablespoons of bacon fat (reserving the balance for greasing your baking pan) and then add the onions to the bacon fat and cook until lightly golden. Put the onions on a plate to cool.

In a large bowl, beat your eggs and yogurt together, along with the marjoram, salt, nutmeg and a few generous grinds of black pepper.

Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C.

Use the leftover bacon fat to grease an 8x8 in or 23x23cm baking pan (or a 9 1/2 in or 24cm iron skillet.) Sprinkle in half of the bacon crumbles.

Peel then grate the potatoes on a fine grater. (I used my food processor for this step!) Squeeze out as much liquid as possible.

Immediately add the potatoes to the egg mixture, stirring to completely combine. This will help ensure the potatoes don’t turn brown.

Add in the cooked onions and the other half of the bacon crumbles and stir well.

Spoon the potato mixture into your prepared baking vessel.

Cover the top with the remaining uncooked bacon slices.

Bake the baba kartoflana in your preheated oven for 55-60 minutes or until the top is golden and the bacon is browned and crispy.

Sprinkle on a little extra marjoram for garnish, if desired. Leave to cool for about 10 minutes, then cut in slices to serve. The baba kartoflana is very rich, truly comfort food, but it's not stodgy at all. Lift the slices out carefully or they crumble a bit. I suggest serving them with a lightly dressed green salad.

Enjoy!

Check out all the wonderful Poland-inspired dishes my Baking Blogger friends are sharing today! Many thanks to our host and leader, Sue of Palatable Pastime!

• Baba Kartoflana - Polish Potato Pie from Food Lust People Love
• Babki Śmietankowe (Cream Tarts) from Sid's Sea Palm Cooking
• Kapusta Casserole – Polish Cabbage, Potato, and Bacon Bake from Making Miracles
• Karpatka (Polish Carpathian Cream Cake) from Tara's Multicultural Table
• Kolaczki - Jam-Filled Polish Cookies from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Kotlety Ziemniaczane from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Mom Klik's Breaded Pork Chops from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Oven Braised Pork with Sour Cream (Karkówka w śmietanie) from Palatable Pastime
• Piernik - Polish Gingerbread Cake from Caroline's Cooking
• Polish Stuffed Cabbage Rolls from Cookaholic Wife
• Veg Pierogi Casserole from Sneha's Recipe

Baking Bloggers is a friendly group of food bloggers who vote on a shared theme and then post recipes to fit that theme one the second Monday of each month. If you are a food blogger interested in joining in, inquire at our Baking Bloggers Facebook group. We'd be honored if you would join us in our baking adventures.

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