Bacon. What more is there to say than that? The crispy, salty, meaty strips may as well be their own food group. To celebrate National Bacon Day — not like you need an excuse to chow down on the good stuff — we have 43 recipes to keep you bacon-happy all day (and month!) long. And as we all know, there’s more than one way to eat your bacon. From breakfast standbys to the candied version, you have no excuse not to celebrate the most glorious of foodie holidays.
1. Avocado, Roasted Corn, Bacon Dip: Let’s start with the healthy(ish) stuff so that you can feel free to indulge the rest of the day. This summer dip is made by pureeing grilled corn and fresh avocado with lime, then mixing in freshly crisped bacon. (via Petite Allergy Treats)
2. Bacon and Cheese Stuffed Pretzels: On the outside, they look like ordinary pretzel rolls, but break ’em open, and your mouth will water at the gooey cheese and bacon filling. (via Yammie’s Noshery)
3. Elvis Waffles: Most people know Elvis as the king of rock ‘n’ roll. We know him as the king of creating the best food combo ever. Bacon, peanut butter and bananas come together in this salty-sweet breakfast. (via Bacon, Egg + Cheesecake)
4. Bacon and Beer Cupcakes: If you thought cupcakes were just for dessert, think again. Sure these treats are sweet, but they also have plenty of the savory flavors thanks to salty bacon and hoppy beer batter. (via Brit + Co)
5. Bacon Tater Tots: Once you’ve introduced bacon to tots, you’ll never be able to have a regular batch of puffy potatoes again. This is a new and delicious take on meat and potatoes. (via Damn Delicious)
6. Spicy Chard, Bacon and Polenta: This is a dish you’ll want to add to your dinner rotation. Nutrient-rich rainbow chard is sauteed with garlic, shallots and chile flakes for a little kick, then it’s all served over creamy polenta with a crispy bacon topping. (via Cook Sister)
7. Tomato, Cheddar, Bacon Pie: Next time you have a dinner party, serve this pie. It has all the ingredients you’re used to in pizza, plus bacon, served in a more delicate tart style. (via How to Feed a Loon)
8. Caramel Maple Bacon Cake Pops: Scared of mixing bacon with dessert? Don’t be! Mixing bacon into the batter and on top of these cake pops adds a smokey, rich and salty flavor to the super sweet caramel and maple base. (via Ruled Me)
9. The FAB Sandwich: Move over BLT, there’s a new sandwich in town, and it’s bringing the sweet. Keep bacon in the mix, but instead of lettuce, add fresh figs for a fruity twist, while tomatoes take a back seat to avocados. (via Brit + Co)
10. Hot Bacon Caprese Salad: Breathe new life into your usual caprese salad with the addition of — need we say it? — bacon. It adds a great crunch to the classic. (via Garnish With Lemon)
11. Green Eggs and Ham Cups: Rethink your breakfast on the go. Make portable cups by lining muffin tins with bacon, then filling them with eggs. Bake to perfection and add pesto on top before you hit the road. (via Kirbie’s Cravings)
12. Baked Potato Wedges: We don’t have to tell you bacon fries are delicious: They’re a classic at this point. But this twist, made with potato wedges, scallions and muenster, instead of cheddar, takes it up a notch. (via Saucy Spatula)
13. Baked Figs and Bacon: This is basically your favorite bits of a cheese plate in one vessel. Bake figs with bleu cheese and bacon. Add a drizzle of honey for the most delicious salty, tangy, sweet bite. Feel free to pop it right into your mouth or spread it on bread. (via White on Rice Couple)
14. Tartiflette Savory Cake: Look again, this isn’t a loaf of bread. It’s actually a savory loaf made with shredded potatoes, bacon and cheese. Tell us you don’t want to slice into that right now. (via Singly Scrumptious)
15. Breakfast Hash: This is a breakfast you’ll want to wake up for. With all the ingredients you love in diner hash — bacon, potatoes, cheese and veggies — this version ups the ante with fresh ingredients. (via Incredibly Edible)
16. Bacon and Beer Cake: Know a birthday gal who’s a big breakfast fan? Skip the funfetti and give her a layered waffle cake topped with bacon instead. (via Brit + Co)
17. Bacon-Wrapped Green Beans: These veggie bundles make the ultimate side dish for any backyard BBQ, dinner party or holiday dinner. Not only do they create perfect portions, but the salty and smokey flavors come together beautifully. (via Immaculate Bites)
18. Mushroom, Goat Cheese and Bacon Galette: All the best savory flavors are now in one buttery shell — earthy mushrooms, tangy goat cheese, smokey bacon and spicy red onions. (via Cake Crumbs + Beach Sand)
19. Bacon Jam: You’ll want to spread this jam on everything. Whether it’s your morning toast, your turkey sandwich or even (yes, we’re going there) cookies, it’s sweet and salty and absolutely irresistible. (via Call Me PMC)
20. Bacon, Brie Grilled Cheese: Consider this a grilled cheese on steroids. It’s the ultimate balance of flavors (sweet brie, smokey bacon) and textures (creamy and crunchy) so that every bite is that elusive perfect bite. (via Simply Delicious)
21. Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Pork Chops: Holy ham-tastic! From the outside, it looks like your average pork chop wrapped in bacon, but grab your knife and what you’ll be cutting into is a cheesy, spicy jalapeño filling. (via I Thee Cook)
22. Bacon Parmesan Hasselback Potatoes: Forget stuffed baked potatoes. After you slice a potato and bake it into a crunchy-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside masterpiece, you can stuff it with anything. So why not go for bacon? (via Rasa Malaysia)
23. Bacon Snickerdoodle Ice Cream Sandwiches: Bacon is taking over for sprinkles on this ice cream sandwich. After it’s been candied with maple syrup and espresso powder, it makes the ultimate topping. (via The Bacon Princess)
24. Bacon Guacamole: Mix bacon into freshly made guacamole for a go-to party snack. We wouldn’t blame you if we found you spreading this on quesadillas and tacos, too. (via Brit + Co)
25. Apple and Cheddar Bacon Quesadillas: Add bacon to the already proven combo of cheddar and apple for your new after work snack or go-to fall lunch. (via Garnish With Lemon)
26. BBLT: Barbecue lovers, this BLT was made for you. Along with the standard ingredients of a BLT, this roll is also stuffed with another B — tender, smokey brisket. (via She Knows)
27. Breakfast Burger: Whoever said burgers aren’t for breakfast never met what’s inside these slices of toast. Runny eggs make a yolky dressing for a beef patty, bacon and tomato. (via Weary Chef)
28. Pot de Creme With Bacon Brittle: This pudding-like dessert has a ton of sweet vanilla bean flavor, complemented by caramel bacon brittle. (via Beth Dunham)
29. Bacon Chive Dip: You can make this veggie and chip dip with just five ingredients — bacon, chives, Greek yogurt, red wine vinegar and lemon juice. That’s just five ingredients ’til party time. (via Brit + Co)
30. Bacon Banana Split: This banana split is all shook up thanks to inspiration from Elvis himself. Open wide for all the fruity, creamy and chocolatey flavors you love, with a sprinkle of bacon and a cherry on top. (via Love Bakes Good Cakes)
31. BLT Zucchini Pasta: If you crave a BLT but not the carbs, you’ll go crazy for this dinner. Made with spiralized zucchini pasta, it has all the bacon and tomato flavor you love, and subs your L for Z. (via Inspiralized)
32. Heart Egg Cups: Say, “I love you,” with breakfast in bed in the form of a bacon-speared heart. Bread forms the base to hold your baked eggs, and bacon makes a pretty delicious replacement for Cupid’s arrow. (via Brit + Co)
33. Bacon Bourbon Old Fashioned: Just when you thought it couldn’t get better, you can drink your bacon, too. This Old Fashioned calls for one new-school addition — bacon-infused bourbon. (via A Farm Girl’s Dabbles)
34. Bacon Beet Chips: Where’s the bacon on these gorgeous-looking chips? Sprinkled on top in the form of bacon salt, a wonderful invention that just works with the earthy sweetness of the beet crisps. (via Confessions of a New Old Home Owner)
35. Banh Mi Breakfast Sandwich: Not all breakfast sandwiches look alike. Combine flavors from a classic banh mi with breakfast staples — that’s your eggs and bacon — for fusion first thing in the morning. (via Food 52)
36. BLT: If you think this is your old-fashioned BLT, think again. Instead of tomatoes, this sandwich calls for a thick spread of slightly spicy, slightly sweet, tomato pepper jelly. (via Spicy Southern Kitchen)
37. Bacon S’mores: The campfire treat has never tasted as good as it does with bacon on top. And yes, you can cook the bacon with a campfire, too. (via Shared Appetite)
38. Maple Bacon Cake: Sticky, sweet and soaked in maple-caramel sauce, this cake is absolutely decadent. Add a pound of candied bacon on top for a sweet and salty crunch to take it over the top. (via Dave Bakes)
39. “Fried” Green Tomato Stack: The greatest in Southern comfort food, baked “fried” green tomatoes are stacked with leafy greens, topped with sweet corn and smokey bacon. They’re finished off with a drizzling of tangy, creamy bleu cheese sauce. (via Chef Savvy)
40. Bacon and Cheese Quiche: Mini crustless quiche make for a healthy breakfast that you can eat perfectly portioned or on the way to work. (via Shugary Sweets)
41. Bacon Wrapped Seafood: The ultimate in party appetizers, surf meets turf with this pork-wrapped shrimp dish that’s easy enough for guests to gulp down in one bite. (via Tattooed Martha)
42. Corn and Bacon Pizza: When bacon and pizza come together, it’s magical. Their chemistry is only enhanced by the addition of sweet corn and freshly chopped tomatoes. (via Two of a Kind Cooks)
43. Bacon Ice Cream: Finish off National Bacon Day with creamy and salty bacon ice cream. Use it to top waffles, pies and cookies… or just go straight for the carton. We won’t judge. (via Brit + Co)
Are you a bacon lover? Of course you are. So tell us what you’re whipping up for National Bacon Day below or on Twitter.
