Preheat oven to 375°. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until crispy, about 8 minutes. Drain bacon on paper towels and leave about 2 tablespoons of fat in skillet. Add asparagus to skillet and cook until asparagus is bright green and only slightly tender. Season with salt and pepper then remove from skillet and squeeze lemon juice on top. Chop bacon and asparagus into bite-size pieces.
Cut brie into small square pieces, about 2” wide.
On a lightly floured surface, unroll crescent dough into a large rectangle. If there are perforated edges, pinch together seams to seal. Cut dough into 24 squares.
Grease a 24-cup mini muffin tin with cooking spray. Place a crescent square into each muffin cup then fill with brie, cooked bacon, and asparagus.
Bake until crescent is golden, about 15 minutes.
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Preheat oven to 400° and line 1 medium baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cook bacon: In a large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until most of the fat is cooked out, but is not crisp. Remove from pan and drain on a paper towel lined plate.
In a small bowl, combine cream cheese with garlic and season with salt and pepper. Stir until combined.
Assemble bites: Spread about 1/2 tablespoon cream cheese onto each strip of bacon. Place asparagus in the center and roll bacon until bacon ends meet. Once all bites are made, place on prepared baking sheet and bake 5 minutes, until bacon is crisp and cream cheese is warmed through. Serve.
Nutrition (per serving): 130 calories, 5 g protein, 3 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 1 g sugar, 11 g fat, 6 g saturated fat, 210 mg sodium
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We adapted these bacon and egg muffins from this recipe from Sin or Slim. We changed a few ingredients (we used spinach instead of tomato, cheddar cheese instead of parmesan, and more bacon instead of ham), and we also quadrupled the recipe so that we could eat the muffins over several days. Everything worked out despite the changes, which should mean that you can make your own changes to suit your tastes.
The muffins are really tasty, look great, and if you make them in advance they are a quick and easy breakfast, lunch, or snack.
low carb bacon and egg muffins (with whole eggs) - suitable for keto, paleo, atkins diet
Ingredients:
250 g (8.8 oz) pack of streaky bacon (approximately 12 rashers)
20 g (0.7 oz) of baby spinach leaves
8 medium sized eggs (size 6)
80 g (2.8 oz) of sliced cheddar cheese (I used colby)
Recipe:
Preheat oven to 190 C (375 F).
Grease or spray 8 slots of a muffin tray.
Cook the bacon for half of the usual directed time so that it is limp but not fully cooked.
Take a whole rasher of bacon and wrap it around the outside of each muffin slot. Then cut the remaining bacon rashers into quarters (this should give you approximately 16 quarters) and cover the bottom of each muffin with 2 quarters.
Place baby spinach leaves on top of the bacon (approximately 4 to 5 leaves per muffin).
Crack one egg per muffin on top of the spinach leaves.
Place pieces of the sliced cheese (breaking as need be to ensure the cheese does not go past the edge of the muffin) on top of each egg.
Place the muffin tray in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove the tray from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes.
One of my favorite comfort foods is a big bowl of mussels with crusty bread. If you’ve never had mussels before, they are like clams or oysters and have a briny flavor and firm, but creamy texture. Unlike clams or oysters, however, I’ve never eaten mussels raw and prefer them in a rich sauce.
Take this tomato sauce with bacon and wine, for example. This is one of those dishes that you might only think to order in a restaurant, but it’s actually very doable in a home kitchen! Let’s dig in and make some mussels.
HOW TO SHOP FOR MUSSELS
Fresh mussels are readily available these days, but it’s important to check for freshness. Fresh mussels should be alive; their shells should be closed, or if they are slightly open, they should close if you tap them lightly.
You can always ask your fishmonger where they came from specifically and how long ago they were harvested. The mussels should smell fresh, like the ocean, but not fishy at all.
HOW TO STORE AND CLEAN MUSSELS
Once you buy the mussels, you can keep them on ice in the fridge for a day or two without worry. Generally, I try to buy mussels the same day or the day before I’m planning on cooking them.
The only step you have to do to clean the mussels is to remove the “beard.” This is a tiny, almost furry piece that sticks out of the side of each mussel—it’s how they attach to rocks. It isn’t edible. (You can see it sticking out of the right-hand side of the musse in the photo above.)
Go through each mussel and just pull this off if you see it. It might not be on every single mussel, but it’s a good idea to check. Once you have removed the beards, rinse all the mussels with cold water; to get the mussels very clean, scrub them gently under cold water. Then they are ready to cook!
MAKING THE TOMATO SAUCE
This hearty tomato sauce has a lot going on, but to cut down on the cooking time, I’d recommend using a jarred marinara sauce rather than starting with canned tomatoes, which would require a longer simmer time to break down.
Start the sauce with some bacon in a skillet and the fat will start to melt. Then add the garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper, and cook for a minute.
Deglaze your pan with wine (or you can use vegetable or seafoodstock) to scrape up any bits stuck to the pan and pour in the marinara. Bring the marinara mixture to a simmer and simmer for 5 minutes over low heat.
Once the sauce has simmered, add all your cleaned mussels, cover the skillet, and let them steam for five minutes until they have all opened. Any mussels that haven’t opened after five minutes should be discarded.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH MUSSELS
There are two options for serving these mussels.
Appetizer! Serve the sauce and mussels as a hearty appetizer with crusty bread. Use the bread to sop up the delicious sauce and people can scoop out as many mussels as they want. YUM.
Dinner! Cook and drain a pound of spaghetti, and add about 3/4 cup (or more) of marinara sauce from the skillet to the spaghetti and stir to combine. Divide the spaghetti among plates and then top with more sauce and mussels. Garnish the spaghetti with fresh parsley. It’s a real treat!
MUSSELS DO NOT MAKE GOOD LEFTOVERS
Mussels, unfortunately, don’t store well once they are cooked. I would plan on eating any leftovers in a day or two by gently reheating the sauce and mussels over low heat on the stovetop with a splash of water.
I wouldn’t freeze the sauce. Cooked frozen mussels are not a thing. Their texture gets mushy and they lose their fresh flavor.
Steamed Mussels in Tomato Sauce Recipe
Cleaning mussels isn’t too hard—it just takes a little bit of time.Mussels have a tiny fuzzy thing that hangs out of one side. This is called the “beard” and isn’t edible. Pull it out from each mussel and then rinse the mussels well in cold water.
INGREDIENTS
4 strips bacon, chopped
1/2 small white onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup white wine (optional)
1 1/2 to 2 pounds mussels, scrubbed, debearded, rinsed and drained
For serving (optional):
1 pound spaghetti, drained, if serving as a main course
Crusty bread, if serving as an appetizer
1 Make the tomato sauce: Add chopped bacon to a large, deep skillet over medium-low heat. Cook bacon until it renders out fat and starts to get crispy, 5 to 6 minutes. Then add onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper, and cook until onions soften and become translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Cook for another minute or two to soften the garlic and combine flavors. Then pour in the wine to deglaze the pan—this will release any stuck bits on the pan and help combine flavors. Cook for a minute and then pour in marinara sauce and stir. Bring the mixture to a simmer, turn heat down to low and simmer, partially covered, for 5 minutes.
2 Add the mussels and cook: Remove the lid and add all the mussels. Cover and shake the skillet gently. Cook mussels for 4 to 5 minutes, until they open. Discard any that do not open.
3 Serve: Serve with crusty bread as an appetizer or over cooked pasta as a main course.
Leftover mussels and sauce: Mussels, like most seafood, don’t keep well for long as leftovers. The sauce and mussels are fine in the fridge for a day or two. Reheat them gently on the stove with a splash of water. I would not freeze this dish.
I used my GoWise USA 5.8 Quart Air Fryer for this recipe. My husband and I have had a Sunday routine of making a nice breakfast together while drinking lots of coffee and relaxing.
We are so busy during the week and we enjoy pulling out the Lodge Cast Iron Skillets to make a big ole breakfast. Well, sir, since I have had my Air Fryer, I’ve been trying to use it to cut down on oil and fat.
We love, love, love the New York Style Coffee Shop Home Fries, it’s so greasy and delicious, but, that also means extra calories. If you have looked at the New York Style Coffee Shop Home Fries recipe, then you will know that my husband is the one who created that dish and cooks it to perfection. Ummmmmm!
I used his recipe and cooked them in the Air Fryer. While they don’t taste like a super delicious greasy spoon version, they are totally delicious and less work than the New York Style Coffee Shop Home Fries.
We usually have a small tub of bacon grease in the freezer, that we have collected from the rare times that we cook bacon and we like to use it when we cook eggs and Home Fries, but use whichever oil you prefer.
We’ve used Homemade Simple Ghee, Coconut Oil and Olive Oil, all with good results but our preference is bacon grease, as it gives a really nice flavor.
I’m not a smoked paprika fan, but if you are, you may prefer using smoked over non smoked.
The red peppers are optional, so leave them out if you don’t like them in your home fries. Some people use green peppers, or a combination of green, orange and red. It’s your choice; you’re the one eating it, so be creative. ��
First thing is to scrub and dice the potatoes. I always leave on the skin; I love the taste when it caramelizes.
Many people prefer naked Home Fries, so if that is you, peel the potatoes and then chop. We prefer smaller diced potatoes, so make the adjustment for your own preference.
For really delicious Air Fryer Greasy Spoon Home Fried Potatoes, make sure to soak the potatoes in water for 30 minutes to remove some starch.
While the potatoes are soaking, dice up the onion and red peppers. As you can see, I like a medium dice, rather than a fine dice so that I can taste the onions and not have them cook away to nothing.
Add the onions, peppers and the bacon grease (or oil of your choice) and toss well to coat thoroughly. The onions and peppers can be added when the potatoes are almost cooked, if you like.
Dump the potato mixture into the Air Fryer basket and insert it into Air Fryer. The seasonings will be added later to the Air Fryer Greasy Spoon Home Fried Potatoes.
Adding them now, will only give your potatoes a burned taste. Set aside the Large Mixing Bowl, as you will use it again before washing.
Mix all the seasonings together. Add an extra shake of each seasoning after the teaspoon of seasoning, as it needs a touch more than just a teaspoon. You may be wondering why I did not add the seasoning to the potatoes.
I like to add the seasonings shortly before the home fries are finished cooking, so that they don’t become burned during cooking. This is an extra step, but I like the results.
After the potatoes have been cooking about 25 minutes, remove the basket and dump the potatoes back into your Large Mixing Bowl.
The potatoes should be completely soft and caramelizing at this point. If they are not, put them back into the Air Fryer and add a few more minutes.
Dump in the seasoning and give them a good toss to coat the Home Fries. Dump the Home Fries back into the Air Fryer and cook another five minutes.
Here you have perfectly not greasy, Air Fryer Greasy Spoon Home Fried Potatoes!
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A couple of weeks ago, The Inn at Christmas place hosted me for a night’s stay in their lovely hotel. Having visited the Christmas Place store since I was a little girl, I was excited to check this place out! First, here’s some basic details:
The Inn At Christmas Place:Main website or call 1.888.465.9644
Location: The Inn can be found at traffic light 2A on the Pigeon Forge Parkway, right across the street from the Christmas Place shopping area.
I was excited from the moment I pulled into the parking lot and took in the gorgeous decor and the architecture of the building itself.
Just look at this fun entryway! I love the toy soldiers standing guard – reminds me of one of my favorite childhood movies, Babes in Toyland! As I approached the double doors etched with Christmas wreaths, a friendly doorman held open the doors for me and greeted me with a warm welcome. What a great way to start my visit!
When I walked into the lobby, I heard subtle Christmas music being piped into the area, and there were tasteful holiday decorations all around. There was also a pleasant smell in the air that reminded me of a mixture of cinnamon and nutmeg.
Of course there is a large, lovely Christmas tree, and for those of you who are long time patrons of the Christmas Place right across the street, there’s another Porter music box right next to the fireplace! I remember loving this thing when shopping with my parents as a child.
The lobby has a large cozy fireplace with comfortable seating and abundant decorations. There always seemed to be a small group of travelers conversing in the seating area. In fact, sometimes the Inn had more of a bed and breakfast feel than a hotel, which gave it a cozy family atmosphere!
Doesn’t it make you miss the holidays?
While checking in, I was given a free mini Christmas ornament, which I thought was a cool extra touch.
My room was nice and spacious and contained two Queen beds with a subtle holiday theme. I appreciated that the Christmas decor was present but not too overpowering.
This is the view standing in front of my balcony looking toward the door to the hallway and the door into the bathroom on the left.
Each room has a coffee maker, mini fridge, and a microwave. I can also assure you that the refrigerator will actually get and keep your food and drinks cold, which is usually a problem for hotel fridges. Not the case here!
More subtle decorations – the tree above the television actually has lights on it! Every room comes equipped with a DVD player, so you can bring your own or there are free Christmas rentals available from the front desk.
The bathroom was clean and roomy and the subtle holiday adornments carried on in here as well.
Looking back the other way at the tub/shower combo. I love the pull-out mirror attached to the wall above the hair dryer – so convenient when you have no vanity to use in the morning!
This was the view outside of my balcony, looking out at the parkway of Pigeon Forge and across the street at the Christmas Place shopping area. There’s lots of water features and a quaint little courtyard that wraps around to the hotel’s outdoor pool. There are even ducks waddling around!
A look in the other direction from my balcony. The little gazebo is actually a bird cage, but those feathered friends were currently hanging out in a warmer home in the main lobby this time of year.
There’s outdoor seating available both on the main level and the floor above it. The patio in this photo can be accessed by exiting through the lower lobby, and then a staircase can be taken down to the courtyard.
I went for a little stroll to see what I could find.
Looking up toward the back of the main building – so pretty!
Fire pit seating area and the windows into the LARGE 24-hour indoor pool. Yep, you heard me right. I’ll have a peek inside of the pool a little later on in this post! The outdoor pool was, of course, closed this time of year.
Another look…
While exploring the inside of the hotel, I noticed these themed displays popping up all over the place, particularly outside of the elevator doors on each floor. My absolute favorite had to be this Christmas Story spread – it was so detailed!
Just look at all of the teeny details, and I didn’t even photograph them all. There’s even the famous Chop Suy Palace (fa ra ra ra ra….). Love it.
I had fun walking around to find all of the different displays. Here, I found a more classic Santa and elves…
Icy polar bears and a more classic holiday theme…
How fun is this one? A full-on Grinch display that even plays the original animated movie on a loop. I bet the kids love this!
Little adorable details, all from the classic film.
Oh gosh, a peppermint and gingerbread house display!
So much color! I want this one in my house, it’s so happy and festive! I adored the little candy cane and peppermint lollipop trees, and all of the little gingerbread men inhabitants of the village. Buddy the Elf would get a kick out of this, for sure.
The lower lobby, just behind the elevators and down the staircase from the main lobby, offers comfortable seating and big multi-story windows. There’s a massive Christmas tree on one end, and on the other end is the famous glockenspiel setup. Made from European Beech from the Black Forest region of Germany as well as hand-cast bronze bells from the Verdin Company in Ohio, this glockenspiel (German for “play of bells” plays Christmas carols on the hour from 9 A.M. to 9P.M.
If your kids want to sent a letter to Santa, you can do so via the mailbox located in the lower lobby. You can even leave your email or mailing address if you’d like a response! This would be positively magical for a child to drop a letter into the enormous decorated mailbox – a direct line to the big guy himself!
Okay, here’s that photo of the fantastic indoor pool that I promised you! It is toasty warm in the pool area, so even in the dead of winter you can enjoy a comfortable swim. The pool is open 24 hours a day (um, awesome), and the water depths range from 3 to 5 feet. In the corner, not shown in this photo, is a large indoor hot tub nestled in a glassed in bay window area.
My stay at the Inn was on the cusp of the 14th annual Saddle Up event in Pigeon Forge, celebrating cowboy culture and the “wild wild West” through tales and poetry and authentic dining. The hotel was hosting their own little event exclusively for guests, which included a sampling of chuck wagon cuisine and live music right in the lower lobby.
Joyce Woodson and T. Scot Wilburn performed for guests while they noshed and nommed on the delicious samples provided by Kent & Shannon Rollins. Speaking of…
Spicy chicken-fried steak with white gravy was on the menu for the afternoon. Don’t you love the cast iron cauldron?
Why is classic white gravy so stinkin’ delicious? I never tire of it – I would eat it on practically anything! The chicken-fried steak was amazing, I could have polished off a full serving of it!
After exploring, I snuggled up to watch some Olympic coverage with my laptop and the free wi-fi provided by the hotel. This was the view outside of my window as the sun set.
From 8-10pm, the lobby hosts a fun lil’ event called Cookies for Santa. A selection of soft bakery cookies and hot spiced cider are set out in the main lobby for the guests to enjoy. The flavors available the night of my stay were snickerdoodle (a fav of mine!), oatmeal raisin, and of course, chocolate chip – delicious!! The hot cider was pretty amazing and instantly caused me to yearn for the holiday season – it was loaded with fragrant spices and really hit the spot.
Before you head out in the morning, don’t you dare miss the breakfast! The Inn has stepped up the idea of a continental hotel breakfast (though it has all of the choices you would expect from such a thing – pastries, toast and bagels, hot and cold cereal, yogurt, fruit, etc) with an attended hot buffet of freshly-prepared food. You can select from such things as scrambled eggs, soft biscuits and hot gravy, fried bologna, regular and turkey sausage, bacon, freshly-sliced ham, bacon, breakfast potatoes, Belgian waffles, and more! There’s even a separate custom omelet bar where you can choose your toppings and watch as it is cooked up right in front of you. Drink options include milk, juice selections, and four kinds of coffee. The breakfast is available daily from 7 A.M. until 10 A.M. – don’t miss it!
I was pleased with my entire stay at The Inn at Christmas Place. The staff was friendly, the property was lovely, the amenities were abundant, the rooms were comfy, and the food was yummy. I highly recommend this place to anyone spending some time in Pigeon Forge!
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