Cheese & Bacon

We are cheese lovers so I've been experimenting. What I have found is those blocks of supermarket cheese all taste the same. I want more! So we have been having a lot of fun.

I'd say the vast majority of the cheeses I use are always vacuumed sealed after opening. I do this to prevent the cheese from picking up other fridge odours as well as keeping the flavour as fresh as possible. At the same time it keeps the cheese from spoiling extending the shelf life of the cheese.

Kelsey's Four Cheese Spinach Dip

Last weekend, we took a road trip to purchase the new to us car and visit our kids. Along the way we stopped at Kelsey's to meet with friends Friday night. Their four cheese spinach dip is really nice! It has a nice rich flavour and is well presented. It is served warm with a melba toast type of triangles. This is one dish I would like to duplicate at home. I have checked online for copycat recipes. I think I can make a suitable but not identical dish using fresh spinach.

Saganaki

This is a ripened firm cheese served fried. We were introduced to it so decided to try it at home without the flaming brandy extract. It really is more of an appetizer. The cheese is sliced about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick then fried on both sides until golden brown. I like to drain a little to remove the extra fat. Then we use a pizza cutter to cut into bite sized squares. I like adding a toothpick to each square when serving to guests and a little garnish looks nice as well.


Homemade Bacon Bits

There are two ways to preserve bacon, raw and cooked. I like to cook bacon strips then vacuum seal them for those times I'm in a hurry. I prefer re-heating the bag in a pan of boiling water to prevent any further cooking from the microwave. The easiest way to do pre-cooked bacon is to cook the strips, drain and cool. Then simply vacuum seal in meal sized portions. I also like making my own bacon bits.

Homemade bacon bits are just so easy to make and I think they taste a lot better than store bought. Cut across the strips to form small pieces. Fry the pieces, drain and cool. I freeze these using two methods. A ziploc container is perfect for bacon bits that will be used up within a couple of months in the freezer. A small container is nice to have on hand just to sprinkle on salads or baked potatoes especially for individual servings. Vacuum sealing is my preferred for bacon bites for family sized meals. I divide into meal sized portions and vacuum seal. If you read through my cooking blog, you will quickly realize vacuum sealing is a must for anyone serious about food saving. Sorry to sound like a broken record but I feel this is a must have kitchen tool!

Enjoy!