• 3 slices bread, toasted and cubed
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 6 dried plums (prunes), diced
• 3 strips bacon
• 1/2 cup mushrooms, diced
• 2 tsp dried basil
• salt and pepper
• 2 Tbsp butter
  

Dried Plum Stuffing Preparation

Cook bacon and tear into small pieces.  Sauté onions, peppers, mushrooms and garlic in butter until onions are slightly translucent and peppers begin to soften.  Add prunes and bacon, warm through.  Add dried basil.  Mix sauteed mixture, including butter, with bread chunks in a large bowl.  Mix until the bread has soaked up the butter and juices from the vegetables.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with turkey or chicken breasts.

• 2 large russet potatoes
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1/2 C. sour cream
• 1/4 C. milk
• 2 Tbsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 onion, chopped
• 4 slices bacon
• 4 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• salt and pepper

Twice Baked (Microwaved) Potatoes Preparation

Wash potatoes and remove any eyes. Dry potatoes and poke 4 – 6 times with a knife or fork all over to vent while cooking.  Wrap potatoes in paper towels, place on a plate and microwave for 6 – 8 minutes (or use the potato setting on your microwave if it has it).  After cooking, potatoes should be soft on the outside but will remain uncooked in the center.  Leave the potatoes wrapped for 5 minutes after cooking to allow the steam to cook the center of the potatoes.  This will allow the entire potato to be cooked without the outside getting overcooked or dry.

While potatoes are cooling, cook bacon and chop into small pieces.

Once the potatoes have cooled enough to handle, cut each in half lengthwise.  Scoop the inside of each half into a large bowl, being careful to maintain the integrity of the skins.  Add butter, milk and sour cream.  Stir until slightly lumpy.  Add the bacon, onion, garlic powder and cheese (saving some to sprinkle on top), mix together.  Salt & pepper to taste.

Scoop the potato mixture back into the potato skins (they will be overflowing) and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.  Microwave potatoes again for 2 minutes to warm through and melt cheese.  Each half serves 1 person.  Enjoy!

• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 lb. elbow macaroni
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 16 oz. sharp cheddar, shredded
• 16 oz. Velveeta, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 6 oz (1 can) French’s Cheddar French Fried Onions, crushed
• 9 strips of bacon

Béchamel Sauce Ingredients

• 3 tbsp. butter
• 3 tbsp. flour
• 1 1/2 cups milk, heated
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp Tabasco Sauce
• 5 oz parmesan cheese, grated

Bacon Macaroni and Cheese Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Butter or spray a 3-quart glass or ceramic baking dish with non-stick spray.

To make the Béchamel Sauce, melt the butter in a medium saucepan and stir in the flour.  Cook over low heat, stirring constantly for 3 minutes.  Slowly add the heated milk and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for 4 minutes.  Reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent scorching.  Remove from heat and add salt, pepper, parmesan and Tabasco.  Stir until the cheese in melted.  Cover and set aside.

Cook the bacon until just crispy and set aside to cool.

Boil a large pot of water, add 1 tsp salt and the macaroni.  Cook for approximately 5 minutes until the macaroni is very al dente.  Drain the noodles and return to the pot.  Immediately add the butter, garlic and Béchamel Sauce.  Toss well.

Place 1/3 of the macaroni in the baking dish.  Evenly top with 1/3 of the shredded cheddar, 1/3 of the Velveeta and 3 slices of bacon broken into small pieces.  Repeat until all noodles, bacon and cheese are in the pan.  Top with the crushed french fried onions.

Bake for 35 – 45 minutes or until the top is beginning to brown.  Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Makes: 15 servings

Serving Size: 1 cup (1/15 of baking dish)

Approximate Nutritional Information Per Serving

• Calories: 290
• Fat Grams: 20
• Carbohydrate Grams: 8
• Protein Grams: 17
• Fiber Grams: 0
• Weight Watchers Points: 7

• 16 oz. lite cream cheese
• 2 tbsp chopped red onion or shallots
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 4 chopped green onions
• 10 strips bacon (Get Gourmet Bacon Delivered to Your Door!)
• 1 package wonton wrappers
• 3 cups vegetable oil
• optional: 16 oz. fresh or canned crab meat, drained & flaked

Bacon Rangoon Preparation

Cook the bacon until just crispy in a frying pan or by microwaving between sheets of paper towels for 4 – 5 minutes.  After the bacon cools slightly, put it in a blender or food processor and blend into small pieces.

Dice green onions and red onions or shallots.

In a medium sized bowl, warm the cream cheese in the microwave for 30 seconds to soften.  Add the green onions, red onions or shallots, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, pepper and bacon bits.  If you opted to use crab add it at this time too.  Mix thoroughly.

Fill a small bowl with a bit of water.  On a flat dry surface, set out a layer of wonton wrappers.  Put about 1.5 teaspoons of the cream cheese mixture in the center of each wonton wrapper.  With your finger, wet two sides of the first wonton wrapper, fold the wrapper in half to make a triangle and seal the dry edges to the wet ones.  Then fold all three corners up and pinch at the top, sealing with a bit of water.  Repeat this process until you’ve used all of the cream cheese mixture.

If you have a Fry Daddy or other fryer, fry the wontons according to the directions supplied with your fryer.  If you don’t, heat 3 cups of vegetable oil in a deep frying pan and fry batches of the wontons until golden brown.  After fried, let the wontons rest on paper towels to soak up extra oil.  Serve warm.

You can create an easy dipping sauce with 2 parts soy sauce and 1 part sesame oil if you’d like.  Add Sriracha or chili oil for a spicier dipping sauce.

Makes: 30 pieces

Serving Size: 3 pieces

Approximate Nutritional Information Per Serving (does not include dipping sauce or crab)

• Calories: 182
• Fat Grams: 13
• Carbohydrate Grams: 7
• Protein Grams: 7
• Fiber Grams: 0
• Weight Watchers Points: 5