Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

Ive said it before but, my boyfriend loves bacon & one of the few veggies that we both like is asparagus so I felt that this was a rather fitting side for Sunday dinner last weekend. It was easy & reasonably fast.

My only real tip with this is to use two strips of bacon to wrap the bunches of asparagus because one just didnt hold very well. Unfortunately, that advice doesnt stay consistent with a low calorie count. So, what I did is wrap his bunches with two strips & mine with one strip.

Yields 4 servings.
180 calories per serving.
Unsure where this recipe came from.

INGREDIENTS
1 lb asparagus, washed
6 slices of bacon
extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
Cut asparagus into 4 - 5 inch pieces.
Toss asparagus with olive oil (just enough to lightly coat) & season with salt and pepper.
Separate asparagus into bunches of 4.
Starting at the bottom, wrap with one slice of bacon.
Repeat with remaining 3 bunches.

Place bunches on a broiling pan & bake at 500 for 5 minutes.
Turn them over & cook for 5 more minutes.

Reduce temperature to 350 & bake for 20 more minutes.

Garlic Mustard Green Beans

I actually meant to make this as a side for our dinner last night but Id forgotten about it. Instead, I made it tonight as my dinner & a side for my fella. To me, this is more than enough as a main dish because it's full of protein. I also must say that the garlic & mustard together is quite a nice taste; a new one for me.

Id call this a quick dinner for a weeknight despite the fact that trimming that many green beans are the bane of my existence. That's how much I love green beans, though.

Recipe from BHG.com
Yields 12 servings.
41 calories per serving.

INGREDIENTS
2.5 lbs fresh green beans
3 slices of bacon (I used center cut; less fat!)
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 tsp brown mustard
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS
Wash & trim green beans.
Cover & cook in a large saucepan with a small amount of boiling water.
Drain beans, rinse with cold water, & set aside.

Meanwhile, cook bacon in a skillet until crisp.
Remove bacon from pan, reserving drippings, and drain on a paper towel.
Crumble & set aside.

Cook onion & garlic in bacon drippings over medium heat for 3 minutes.
Stir in mustard, pepper, & salt.
Cook for about 30 more seconds.

Pour onion mixture over beans & toss.
Sprinkle with bacon.

Bacon Mashed Potatoes

My boyfriend is a HUGE fan of bacon, as most men are. Not to mention, he always tells me that his favourite side is anything potato related so, this seemed ideal for him. This is a perfect side dish for any sort of meat entree & it's lightened up so, bonus!

Yields 4 servings.
140 calories per serving.
Recipe from Eating Well dot com.

INGREDIENTS
1 lb potatoes, cut into 1 inch chunks
2 slices center cut bacon
1/3 c 1% milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/3 c reduced fat sour cream

DIRECTIONS
Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with 2 inches of water.
Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
Reduce heat to medium, partially cover, & let potatoes cook for 10 - 12 minutes.
Drain & transfer to a large bowl.

Meanwhile, cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp.
Crumble when cool enough to handle.

Mash the potatoes, milk, salt, & pepper until the liquid is incorporated but potatoes are still chunky.
Fold in sour cream & bacon.

Roasted Red Potatoes with Bacon & Cheese

Another quick & easy side dish from betterrecipes.com. This a website that sends me emails daily with recipes. They're not always low-cal/fat but, often they're easy to slim down. This one wasnt one that needed slimming, though. This was probably one of the faster sides Ive made lately.

I was actually sort of on the line about the ranch. Im really weird about using ranch as a "sauce", per say. Im a believer in ranch is for dipping or for salads. This definitely defeated that mode of thought.

Yields 6 - 8 servings.
202.9 calories per serving.

INGREDIENTS
1/2 c light ranch dressing
1/2 c reduced fat cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 c bacon bits
2 lb small red potatoes, quartered

Preheat oven to 375.

Mix ranch, cheese, & bacon bits in a large bowl.
Add potatoes & toss.

Transfer to a baking dish.
Bake for 45 minutes.



I topped with a little bit of pepper. Just added a little extra flavor

Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta

Yields 6 servings.
310 calories per serving.

INGREDIENTS


8 oz whole wheat penne
1 lb 93% lean ground beef
4 tbsp bacon bits
1 can condensed tomato soup
1 c low-fat cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS
Cook pasta according to package directions.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink.
Drain & set aside.

Wipe out skillet, drain pasta, & add to skillet.
Stir in soup, beef, & bacon bits & heat through, about 2 - 3 minutes.
Remove from heat & sprinkle with cheese.
Cover & let stand for 2 - 3 minutes.

Bacon Hash Brown Bake

Recipe from Taste of Home dot com.

Yields 6 servings.
98.3 calories per serving.

INGREDIENTS


2 potatoes, cooked & grated
8 strips of center cut bacon, cook & crumbled
1/2 c skim milk
1/3 c onion, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp reduced-fat margarine, melted
1/2 tsp paprika



DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350.

In a bowl combine potatoes, bacon, milk, onion, salt, pepper, & garlic powder.
Transfer to a greased 9-inch baking pan.
Drizzle with margarine & sprinkle with paprika.

Bake for 35 - 45 minutes.

Bacon Cheddar Corn Muffins

Recipe from Cooking Light dot com.

Yields 12 muffins.
Serving size: 1 muffin.
Calories: 160 per serving.

INGREDIENTS

1 c all-purpose flour
3/4 c yellow cornmeal
1/2 c sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp salt
4 slices center-cut bacon
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded & minced
1 1/4 c low-fat buttermilk
1/4 c canola oil
1 egg
Pam cooking spray
12-cup muffin tray
12 muffin/cupcake liners




DIRECTIONS
Cook bacon & drain grease; let cool on a few paper towels & crumble.
Set aside.

Pre-heat oven to 375.

In a large bowel combine flour, cornmeal, cheese, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, ground cumin, & salt. Mix well.

Stir in bacon & jalapeno. Make a well in middle of mixture.

In a separate bowl combine buttermilk, oil, & egg and stir well with a whisk.

Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture & stir until moist.

Place liners in cups on muffin tray & coat with Pam.
Carefully pour batter evenly into each liner.

Bake for 15 minutes.