Easy dinner recipes: Three great ideas for bacon lovers

Do you love bacon? Even if you’re just a casual fan, it’s hard to deny that bacon makes almost any dish better. Whether crumbled over salads, lovingly folded into sandwiches, or sauteed with everything from vegetables to stews, bacon is a great team player.

For a rich yet simple dinner, you can’t go wrong with soup. - See more at: https://latimesblogs.latimes.com/dailydish/2012/05/dinner-tonight-leek-apple-and-thyme-soup.html#sthash.hSv7gPPD.dpuf
Whether you call them chickpeas or garbanzo beans, if you’re a fan, they don’t get much better than this refreshingly bright salad, one of our Top 10 Recipes from 2011. Marinate chickpeas in a blend of lemon juice, olive oil and salt, then toss them with some Spanish chorizo, tomatoes and a little garlic, green onion, parsley and bell pepper. Marinate the beans first thing in the morning, then assemble the salad in the last few minutes before you sit down to eat. It makes a colorful side, or a perfect light meal. - See more at: https://latimesblogs.latimes.com/dailydish/2012/05/dinner-tonight-chickpea-salad-with-chorizo.html#sthash.J3QhXScu.dpuf
Wilted dandelion greens with bacon: Dandelion greens and bacon are a natural combination. Render a few strips of chopped bacon, tossing in freshly chopped garlic -- another natural pairing -- just before the bacon is crisped. Add chopped dandelions, wilting them in the hot bacon fat. Then finish the dish with a drizzle of sherry vinegar and a touch of maple syrup, the vinegar cutting through the heaviness of the bacon and the syrup helps tame the bitterness of the greens.

Savory stuffed French toast: Who said French toast was just for breakfast? This savory take on the comfort food -- stuffed with bacon, Gruyère cheese and dandelion greens and pan-fried to ooey-gooey perfection -- works well served any time of the day. And dinner is served in less than an hour.

QUICK & EASY: Terrific recipes in under an hour

Butter lettuce with nuts, bacon, cheese and egg: If salad is your thing, look no further than Nancy Silverton for some great dinner ideas. In this layered creation, she combines the lettuce with toasted hazelnuts, crisp bacon, hard-cooked eggs and Gorgonzola cheese tossed with a bright sherry vinaigrette.

You can find the recipes below.

And for more ideas, click through our easy dinner recipes gallery and check out our Dinner Tonight page, devoted to recipes that can be made in an hour or less. Looking for a particular type of recipe? Comment below or email me at noelle.carter@latimes.com.

RECIPES: 99 easy dinner ideas in about an hour or less

SAVORY STUFFED FRENCH TOAST

Total time: 50 minutes

Servings: 2 to 4

Note: The sandwiches are great served alongside a light, tart salad or a bowl of soup.

4 slices bacon, cut crosswise into large (about 1 inch) pieces

4 tablespoons butter, divided

1 onion, halved lengthwise (with the grain) and sliced into very thin lengthwise strips

1/3 cup dry white wine

3 cups chopped dandelion greens, cut crosswise into large (2- to 3-inch) pieces

2 teaspoons wine vinegar, preferably sherry or Banyul’s, more to taste

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 eggs

1 cup milk

3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

8 (1/2-inch thick) slices sourdough bread

4 teaspoons whole-grain Dijon mustard, or as desired

1/2 pound thinly sliced Gruyère cheese

1. In a large skillet, fry the bacon over medium-high heat until crisp, about 10 minutes. Drain the bacon (discard or save the fat for another use) and set aside.

2. In a large, heavy-bottom saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until they soften and start to brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Add the white wine and continue to stir, scraping any flavoring from the bottom of the pan.

3. When the wine is almost completely absorbed, stir in the greens and cook just until they start to wilt, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the vinegar, then taste, and season with one-fourth teaspoon salt and several grinds of black pepper. Stir in the bacon bits, then taste again and adjust the seasoning or vinegar if necessary.

4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk, along with the Parmesan cheese. Whisk in a pinch of salt and several grinds of black pepper to season the eggwash. Place the eggwash in a large shallow baking dish or pie plate and set aside.

5. Soak the bread slices in the eggwash until just soaked on each side, about 2 minutes per side. Gently spread one-half teaspoon mustard over the one side of each of 4 slices. Onto the other 4 slices, divide the sliced Gruyère, then top with the onion and greens mixture. Then press the remaining slices of bread (mustard on the inside) onto layered cheese-onions-bacon to form a sandwich.

6. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until melted and hot.

7. Reduce the heat to low and pan-fry the sandwiches, 2 at a time, until crisp and golden and the bread is cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Cover the skillet while each piece is frying to allow the toast to fully cook and the filling to heat and melt. Adjust the heat as needed to keep each stuffed toast from burning.

8. Serve each piece of stuffed toast immediately or hold the finished toast in a warm oven until all of the pieces are fried.

Each of 4 servings: 711 calories; 36 grams protein; 46 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams fiber; 41 grams fat; 22 grams saturated fat; 270 mg cholesterol; 7 grams sugar; 1,275 mg sodium.

WILTED DANDELION GREENS WITH BACON

20 minutes. Serves 2 to 4.

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 slices applewood-smoked bacon, cut crosswise into ½-inch strips

3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

1 (1-pound) bunch dandelion greens, trimmed and torn into 3- to 4-inch strips

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 teaspoons sherry vinegar

1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons maple syrup

In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is crisp and the fat is rendered. The last minute or so before the bacon is ready, stir in the garlic. Add the dandelion greens and remove from heat, stirring until the greens are wilted. Season with salt and several grinds of pepper, and stir in the vinegar and maple syrup. Taste and adjust the seasonings and flavorings if desired.

EACH SERVING

Calories 209

Protein 6 grams

Carbohydrates 17 grams

Fiber 4 grams

Fat 14 grams

Saturated fat 4 grams

Cholesterol 15 mg

Sugar 6 grams

Sodium 270 mg

BUTTER LETTUCE WITH NUTS, BACON, CHEESE, EGG AND SHERRY VINAIGRETTE

Total time: 1 hour

Servings: 4 to 6

Note: Gorgonzola dolce is a sweeter type of Gorgonzola; it is available at cheese stores as well as select gourmet stores and well-stocked markets.

Sherry vinaigrette

2 tablespoons minced shallots

2 tablespoons Spanish sherry vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice, plus more to taste

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Combine the shallots, vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a medium bowl and stir to combine. Add the oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly to combine. Taste for seasoning and add more salt, pepper or lemon juice if desired. This makes about one-third cup vinaigrette, more than is needed for the remainder of the recipe. Use the vinaigrette or transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to 3 days. Bring it to room temperature before serving.

Salad and assembly

6 slices thick-cut applewood-smoked bacon

1/2 cup hazelnuts

1 tablespoon hazelnut oil

Kosher salt

2 heads butter lettuce

Sherry vinaigrette

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon fresh squeezed lemon juice

5 hard-cooked eggs

Freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh chives

4 ounces Gorgonzola dolce

1. Adjust the oven rack to the center position and heat the oven to 325 degrees.

2. Lay the bacon on a baking sheet and cook it until it’s done but still chewy, not crisp, 17 to 22 minutes, depending on the thickness of the slices. Remove the bacon from the oven and cut each strip into four pieces.

3. At the same time, scatter the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and place them in the oven to toast until they are golden brown and fragrant, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the hazelnuts and set them aside until they are cool enough to touch. Gather the hazelnuts into a clean dish towel and rub them together inside the towel to remove the skins. Place the hazelnuts in a small bowl, drizzle with the hazelnut oil, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and toss to coat the nuts with the seasoning.

4. Remove and discard any bruised or unappealing outer leaves from the lettuce heads. Break the remaining leaves off from the cores, putting them into a large, wide-mouthed bowl, and discard the cores. Season the lettuce with salt, drizzle with one-fourth cup of the vinaigrette and the lemon juice, and toss the lettuce with your hands to coat it with the dressing, gently massaging the seasonings into the leaves.

5. Slice the eggs with an egg slicer or a large sharp knife and lay the slices out on a cutting board. Sprinkle the egg slices with salt, grind a turn of pepper over each slice, and sprinkle with the chives.

6. To build 4 individual salads, place 2 of the largest leaves on the bottom of each of 4 plates, cupping one inside the other to create a bowl. Place 2 egg slices, 2 crumbled bits of the Gorgonzola and 2 pieces of bacon inside each “bowl.” Place 2 lettuce leaves on top of the first layer and repeat, building 2 more layers just like the first, using medium-size leaves for the second layer and reserving the smallest leaves for the top. Alternatively, build the salad in the same style on one large platter and serve it family style.

Each of 6 servings: 347 calories; 16 grams protein; 5 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams fiber; 30 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 179 mg cholesterol; 1 gram sugar; 743 mg sodium.

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