Kale Bacon Cornbread Recipes

BACON CORNBREAD WITH CHEDDAR AND SCALLIONS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place a wire cooling rack on top of the baking sheet and arrange the bacon on the rack. Bake until the bacon is crisp, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Set 5 bacon strips aside, then chop remaining bacon into small pieces.
• Meanwhile, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a medium skillet over medium. Add the chopped scallions, sprinkle with a small pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the scallions are browned in spots, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
• Grease a round 8-inch springform pan or cake pan with butter. In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Add the milk, egg, honey and 1/4 cup olive oil and whisk until smooth. Stir in the chopped bacon, scallions and cheddar cheese. Pour the batter into the prepared pan; use a spoon to spread the batter into an even layer.
• Arrange the remaining bacon strips on top of the batter, trimming them as necessary, then bake until the cornbread is browned and firm in the center, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then run a kitchen knife around the edges of the pan to loosen. Cut into pieces and serve warm.

KALE WITH BACON

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, bring 1 in. of water to a boil. Add kale; cook for 10-15 minutes or until tender. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove to paper towels; drain, reserving 1 teaspoon drippings. In the drippings, saute onions and garlic until onion is tender. , Drain the kale; stir into onion mixture. Add the salt, pepper and reserved bacon; heat through.

BACON-KALE CORNBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a 9-inch-square baking dish or a 9-inch cast-iron skillet with cooking spray. Whisk the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg, milk, sour cream and melted butter; whisk into the dry ingredients until combined. Fold in the onion, kale and bacon.
• Pour the batter into the prepared dish or skillet. Bake until the cornbread springs back when pressed in the center, 25 to 35 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes in the dish, then loosen the edges and slice.

BAKED EGGS WITH KALE, BACON AND CORNBREAD CRUMBS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the cornbread crumbs on a sheet pan and toss gently with the olive oil. Season lightly with salt, and bake in the prepared oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until toasted. Set aside to cool.
• Strip the kale leaves from the stems and roughly chop the leaves, discarding the stems. Place the leaves in a colander and rinse thoroughly (no need to dry).
• Heat a large 12-inch cast-iron or ovenproof stainless-steel skillet over medium. Add the bacon, if using, and cook, tossing occasionally, for 5 to 8 minutes, until browned. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a plate lined with a paper towel and set aside. Drain all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the pan, add the onions and cook for 4 to 6 minutes, tossing occasionally, until lightly browned and tender. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, being careful not to let the garlic scorch.
• Add a large handful of kale to the pan, along with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. As the kale wilts, begin tossing it with tongs and adding more handfuls until all the kale is added. Add the water and vinegar, and continue to cook for 3 to 4 minutes, tossing often, until the kale is tender. Return the bacon to the pan and toss.
• Use a spoon to create 6 small hollows in the cooked greens. Carefully crack an egg into each, sprinkle each one with salt and pepper and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the egg whites are just set. Sprinkle a handful of cornbread crumbs over the greens and eggs, and serve with additional cornbread crumbs on the side.

GRANDMA'S BACON FAT CORNBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Whisk the cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda together in a large bowl. Whisk the buttermilk and eggs together in a medium bowl. Fold the wet ingredients into the cornmeal mixture until just combined; set aside.
• Heat a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over high heat. When the skillet is smoking-hot, turn off the heat and add the fat, carefully stirring it around the pan as it melts. Pour the melted fat into the cornmeal batter and stir to combine. (Do not wipe out the skillet.) Pour the cornmeal mixture into the hot skillet (batter will sizzle) and bake until the edges are golden brown and the center bounces back when pressed with a finger, 18 to 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

KALE AND BACON HASH BROWN CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with the butter.
• In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium-low until crispy, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels and set aside. When cool enough to handle, roughly chop bacon.
• Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease from the pan. Heat the skillet over medium, add the onion, and sauté until soft and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes. Add the kale and garlic and sauté until the garlic is tender and fragrant, another minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the chopped bacon.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and mustard. Add 1/2 cup mozzarella, 1/2 cup Gruyère, the hash browns, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; stir to combine.
• Stir the kale mixture into the eggs, then pour into the buttered dish. Top evenly with the remaining mozzarella and Gruyère. Cover with foil.
• Bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake, uncovered, until the top is lightly browned and bubbly, another 15 minutes. Serve hot. (Cooled casserole will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.)