Bacon Jam Uses: Part One

If you love bacon and have not tried bacon jam, you are going to wonder where it has been all your life when you finally take the time to whip some up. There are tons of recipes out there but I had never heard of this wondrous creation until seeing it featured in Everyday Food.  That being said, the recipe I used was the one from Martha Stewart because it seemed simple and I liked the idea of the smoky smell of bacon emanating from my slow cooker for three or more hours.

The finished jam is packed full of flavour and totally worth the minimal work involved. Although the recipe only made this one jar's worth, it's so concentrated that even my hubby, lover of all things pork, uses only the smallest bit each time.

So we're slowly discovering new and flavourful ways to use this strange and wonderful condiment. Previously, I had written about making grilled cheese with bacon jam (marble cheese here, but even better with cheddar or provolone) and hinted that I would post some other uses as we stumbled upon them.

So here's what we've tried so far with great accolades:

Goat cheese and bacon jam on puff pastry/pie crust (or, in a pinch, a cracker). This particular cracker is a Ritz with super yummy Fromagerie la Detour's Grey Owl ashed rind goat cheese topped with bacon jam.

Chicken and Brie Panini with Bacon Jam - Excuse the horrendous photos from the camera that needs to be *!#($&@. This was our delish dinner of rye bread spread with quince preserves and bacon jam, topped with grilled chicken breast, brie and baby spinach. The bacon jam was spread quite thinly, so not to overwhelm the other sandwich tastes, and added a subtle sweet smokiness to the panini.

Bacon jam and Nutella on toast - Bacon and chocolate are just meant to be together and the nuttiness of Nutella compliments the smokiness perfectly. We found that a fair amount of Nutella was needed to balance the strong taste of the jam.

We've also had bacon jam with our nachos, which leads me to believe that a layered nacho dip involving bacon jam would be super good. Mmmm... bacon, avocadoes, salsa, refried beans, cream cheese, shredded cheese, sour cream....

And stay tuned for more bacon news... the jar is not done yet and I'm sure it has yet to yield its greatest secrets! Anyone have any suggestions???