Bacon Inspired Dishes for Your Next Party

The Food Network has a list of 50 things you can make with bacon. Some sound better than others, but it's always fun to experiment with food, especially if that food is bacon.

Here are 10 of the 50 suggestions. To see all 50, just visit The Food Network.

1. Cheesy Bacon Popcorn - How can you go wrong with this combination? Just cook up enough bacon to get 1 tablespoon of drippings. Drizzle that over 4 cups of popcorn. Next crumble up the cooked bacon with 1/4 cup grated Parmesan and 1/4 cup grated cheddar. Sounds good for a movie night!
2. Bacon-Beer Mussels - These sound pretty good! Just cook up 1/4 chopped slab bacon with a sliced onion. To that, add 3/4 cup beer, thyme sprigs, and 3 lbs. of mussels. Cook (covered) that for about five minutes, until the mussels open. Last, stir in 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley and 2 tablespoons of whole-grain mustard.
3. Bacon Nuts - This could be interesting to make for a party. Just beat an egg until its frothy then mix with 2 cups of nuts, 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, and 4 slices of cooked bacon that are crumbled. Put in the oven at 325 degrees F for 10 minutes. Sounds pretty easy!
4. Bacon Wrapped Steak - Bacon and steak? Sign me up! First take 1 1/2 pounds of beef tenderloin and rub it with minced garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Once you have the rub on the steak you can wrap it with bacon. Then sear it on all sides in a skillet you can put in the oven, roast at 400 degrees F for about 20 minutes (until the meat is at 125 degrees F).
5. Hot Bacon-Crab Dip - This is the one I really want to try. It sounds so good! First, mix 8 oz. of cream cheese, 8 oz. of crabmeat, 1 cup of crumbled cooked bacon, 1/2 cup of mayonnaise, 3 chopped scallions, and lemon juice (from 1 lemon). Place mixture in a baking dish and top with breadcrumbs. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F until it is bubbly.
6. Bacon Muffins - This recipe sounds so easy! Just make any corn muffin mix and add a 1/4 cup crumbled bacon and 2 tablespoons of chives (chopped).
7.  Bacon Grits - Love cheesy grits, but bacon makes them that much better! First, you simmer 2 cups of milk and 2 cups of water in a saucepan with 1 teaspoon of salt. Next, mix in 1 cup of grits and simmer until they are tender (about 35 minutes). Last, stir in 2 tablespoons butter and 1 cup of grated cheddar and 1 cup of crumbled cooked bacon, then top with chopped chives.
8. Bacon Brittle - I'm not sure how I feel about this one, but it might be interesting enough to try. Start by boiling 2 cups of sugar and 1 cup of water in a saucepan (don't stir), until it reaches 340 degrees F which will take about 8 to 10 minutes. Once you have reached the right temperature, stir in 1 cup of peanuts, 5 slices of crumbled cooked bacon, 1 tablespoon of butter, and a pinch of cayenne and cinnamon. After you have mixed that all together, spread it on a greased baking sheet and let it harden.
9. Bacon-Wrapped Scallops - This is a classic that always tastes good. Plus, they are super easy to make. Just wrap each scallop with bacon, stick a toothpick through each one, and broil (make sure to turn them) until they are crisp (about 8 minutes).
10. Sweet Bacon - I've never made these, but they sound as easy as the Bacon-Wrapped Scallops. Just coat both sides of the bacon slices in brown sugar. Next place a rack on a rimmed baking sheet. Place the bacon on the rack and bake for 18 to 20 minutes at 375 degrees F. Make sure to flip the bacon once.

Any one of these would be good for your Fourth of July party you are having this weekend. Most of them sound pretty easy to make too.

Again, all of these recipes are from Food Network and you can just click on the link to see all 50 recipes they have on the list. Lots of good bacon involved recipes!

Make sure to grab your tickets for our Bacon and Brew Fest! It happens July 18 and celebrates all things bacon. We’ll have live music, great craft beer, and bacon inspired dishes from local restaurants. Tickets are $15 at ctbaconandbrew.com and $20 at the door. Hope to see you there!

Listen to Liz Kaye weekdays from 10-2 on 105.5 FM, online at kicks1055.com/listen-live/ or by downloading the radioPup app for your mobile device.