The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

Before I go into my recipe, I'll share some thoughts, as it has to do with food. On my way home from Spokane, I stopped at a Colfax gas station as I usually do. I bought a "small" bag of Kettle Corn, my travel food. It keeps me busy with eating a few pieces at a time and actually got me past the Lewiston/Walla Walla junction. And yes I ate the whole bag, but here is my complaint. When I got home, it said it had four servings in it. NO WAY. One serving was 140 calories, so I'm sticking to the story that if I finished it in one serving, the bag had only 140 calories.

This recipe sounds easy and yummy. Anything with bacon is good. It looks like a lot of bacon but some will say there is no such thing as too much bacon. I didn't make it, but I will try it when there is a potluck. It would be too much, I think, for just the two of us.

INGREDIENTS:

12 bacon strips, diced.

1 loaf (1 pound) frozen bread dough

2 Tbsp olive oil, divided

1 c. shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1 envelope (1 oz) ranch salad dressing mix

DIRECTIONS:

In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat for 5 minutes or until partially cooked. Drain on paper towels. Roll out dough to ½ inch thickness, brush with 1 tablespoon of oil. Cut into 1 inch pieces, place in a large bowl. Add the bacon, cheese, dressing mix and remaining oil. Toss to coat.

Arrange pieces in a 9" x 5" oval on a parchment paper- lined baking sheet laying as needed. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes or until doubled.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Cover with foil, bake 15 minutes longer or until golden brown.

MY NOTES:

At first, I wondered why the bacon would be slightly undercooked. I prefer mine crispy. But then, I thought the bacon grease would be soaked up by the dressing mix and cheese.

It sounds great for Super Bowl, doesn't it? Fresh from the oven and the house smelling like bacon. For those who do not eat pork, I would think turkey bacon would work, but you may need to add a bit more oil???

ENJOY!