Iowa Bacon Bowl and Tailgate

There was a fog machine under an inflatable Iowa Barnstormers helmet helping to cover up the hazy circumstances of Monday’s press conference at Wells Fargo Arena. 

From the promise of an “historic announcement” for the Arena Football League franchise, the unmistakable scent of fried pork emerged.

In a show similar to swine on skateboards, the Barnstormers announced the first annual Iowa Bacon Bowl in cooperation with the Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival, to be played on July 20 against the Utah Blaze. 

The Iowa Bacon Bowl tailgate will take place in the north parking lot outside of the Community Choice Convention Center at 3:00pm before the Barnstormers take on the Utah Blaze in Wells Fargo Arena and costs $25.

 Read More: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20130603/SPORTS/130603023/Iowa-Barnstormers-big-announcement-Bacon-Bowl

Meat Turtle with Bacon Armor

What do we have here?  The meat turtle with bacon armor!

Start by forming a patty out of hamburger, or better yet, Johnsonville brat burger patties.  Cut hotdogs in half, and putting three slices in each end for the feet.  Bring the tail to a point.

Now get out your bacon and make a bacon weave, and wrap the patty and hotdogs with it to provide the armor.

Toss on a grill or in the oven.

Avocado & Bacon Sammies

Lyell from www.RollBamaRoll.com shared a great recipe for Avodado & Bacon Sammies:
 

Ingredients:

• AppleGate organic bacon (or any other organic bacon). If you can't find organic bacon, regular bacon works just do your own research on the healthiest, least processed brand in your area.
• 4-6 Avocado's (You may need less or more depending on the amount of servings you need)
• Juice from one lime (may need more depending on serving size)
• Salt and Pepper
• 1-2 bags of Romaine Hearts

Steps:

1. Cook bacon as flat as possible. There are many ways to do this but using a heavy skillet or a bacon press is the best option. Set aside on paper towel to cool, making sure to keep bacon as straight as possible.
2. While the bacon is cooking, de-pit avocados and place avocado in a bowl. Add juice from lime and salt and pepper to taste, mix well.
3. Peel off strips of romaine hearts, rinse and set aside.

Assembly Required:

There's a couple of different ways to go about this:

1. Take 4 strips of bacon (2 for top, 2 for bottom), spread guacamole over the 2 bottom pieces of bacon and top with remaining 2 pieces of bacon. This can be a bit messy to eat, so you can use the romaine hearts as a wrap.
2. Take just 2 pieces of bacon (1 for top, 1 for bottom), repeat steps above and then use romaine hearts either as a wrap or a "taco".
3. Cut bacon strips into 2 inch pieces and make "mini" bite size sammies. (see picture above)

Either way you go, you have BACON and delicious avocado. I mean, how can you go wrong? Additional toppings could be: 

• Homemade pico de gallo
• Grilled chicken
• Jalapenos
• Sweet Peppers

Recipe: Bacon Cheddar Beer Bread

Here's a great recipe for a snack at the tailgate.  It is pretty simple to make, and goes great with anything.  A great use of this is to use the bread instead of a bun.  Just toast it slightly on the grill.

Ingredients: 

• 3 Cups Flour
• 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
• 1 Teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 Cup Sugar
• 1 Can of Beer
• 1 Lb Thick Cut Bacon, Cut in Pieces and Fried 
• 1 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• 1 Stick of Melted Butter 

 Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Mix dry ingrdients
3. Mix in beer, bacon pieces and cheese
4. Spray loaf pan with cooking spray
5. Pour mix into pan
6. Pour melted butter over everything
7. Bake 1 hour, remove from pan and cool

 Have a great tailgating recipe?  Please send it our way!

Atomic Buffalo Turds

Atomic Buffalo Turds are a great appetizer at a tailgate (or anywhere).  The true ABT has the bacon wrapped around the pepper, but laying the bacon on top saves a lot of time and yields the same result.

INGREDIENTS

• 20 large jalapeno peppers
• 20 pieces of thick cut bacon
• 1 package of little smokies (your choice of flavor)
• 2 cups fine shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 package cream cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix cream cheese and cheddar cheese together in a bowl. 
2. Cut jalapeno peppers in half, leaving stems in, and remove all seeds and core.
3. Fill jalapeno half with cheese mixture, put a smokie in the middle and top with a half piece of bacon.
4. Secure bacon with a toothpick thru the center of the smokie and pepper.
5. Put on a grill or smoker over low heat until the bacon is to your liking.  The peppers will look over cooked but that is the way they should be.