MVP Your Meal: Make bacon the star with these 3 game day recipes
Game day wouldn't be complete without a few sides that make bacon the star of the plate.
An all-star team of chefs -- Carla Hall, Michael Chernow and Stephen Hopcraft -- joined "Good Morning America" to serve up their best bacon recipes.
Check out their recipes below and tag GMA on social media if any of these delicious bites make it on your menu at home!
Carla Hall's Maple Glazed BLT Skewers
Ingredients
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 small head romaine hearts, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 pint grape tomatoes
For the maple glazed bacon
1 pound sliced bacon
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
Directions
To prepare the glaze, combine the syrup, mustard, black pepper and cayenne in a small bowl. Mix until smooth. Set aside.
Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil. Lay the bacon on the sheet pan without stretching it (use two pans if needed). Put the pan in a cold oven and set the temp to 400 degrees. Cook for 15 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven. Blot any excess fat with a paper towel. Brush each side of the bacon with the glaze and place the pieces on a baking rack, placing the rack on top of the same sheet pan.
Cook for another 15 minutes or until the bacon fat is rendered and bacon pieces are browned. Remove from oven to cool slightly.
Cut the bacon into one inch pieces. Continue to cool and crisp on the rack.
On a toothpick or skewer, stack a grape tomato, two to three pieces of lettuce and two pieces of bacon.
With an electric hand mixer, blend cream cheese, sour cream and mayo until smooth. Add spices. Transfer to shallow serving bowl. Top with scallions. Serve BLT skewers on the side.
Carla's Tips
Starting the bacon in a cold oven allows the fat to render more slowly, which prevents burning and results in a leaner, smokier bacon.
Line the sheet pan(s) in aluminum foil for easier cleanup.
Michael Chernow's Quick Bacon Station
Bacon wrapped shrimp
Ingredients
1 lbs tail on, peeled and deveined shrimp
Bacon 1/2 strips
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
Tooth pics
Lemon
Directions
Put 1/2 strips of bacon on baking rack and set in sheet tray and place in preheated oven at 425 degrees for 7 to 10 minutes.
Toss shrimp in olive oil, salt and pepper.
Wrap each shrimp with a piece of bacon and secure with a tooth pic, place back on tray.
Place back in oven for 10 minutes until cooked.
Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno and Cheese
Ingredients
Whole jalapeños
1/2 strips of bacon
Cream cheese
Shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and pepperOlive
Minced garlic
Directions
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Cut jalapeños in half, scoop out ribs and seeds - wear gloves. Toss the jalapeños in salt, pepper and oil.
Mix softened cream cheese, minced garlic and shredded cheddar together then stuff the jalapenos with the cheese mix.
Wrap each with a 1/2 strip of bacon, making sure the seam is at the bottom side of the pepper.
Place on aluminum foil lined baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes until bacon is crispy.
Bacon Wrapped Ritz Cracker with Manchego Cheese
Ingredients
Ritz crackers
1/2 strips of bacon
Shredded Manchego or Parmesan cheese
Directions
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Line sheet/baking tray with aluminum foil.Lay down 1/2 strips of bacon and place a Ritz Cracker on each piece of bacon centered.
Place one tablespoon of shredded cheese on op of cracker and wrap it with bacon. Cook in the oven for 30 minutes.
Stephen Hopcraft's Bacon Slider
Ingredients
2.5 ounces Ground American Wagyu Patty
Mini sesame seed slider rolls
1 tablespoon caramelized onions
1/4 slice each sharp white cheddar cheese
1-2 slices pickle chips
1 slice Roma tomato
1 2-inch thick slice of cooked smoked bacon
2 tablespoons BRG Sauce, recipe below
Directions
Heat a griddle or sauté pan on medium/high heat. Brush the Ground American Wagyu Patty with vegetable oil and season with salt and black pepper. Once griddle/sauté pan is hot add burger to pan and flip once deep brown color, about 2 minutes. Flip patty and cook for an additional minute or so. Add caramelized onions and white cheddar cheese to the top of the patty. Cover with a lid and allow cheese to melt. While cheese is melting, lightly toast the cut side of the sesame seed bun. Place tomato and pickles on bottom of the bun, top with cooked patty, add thick slice of bacon on top and cover the bacon with 1-2 tablespoons of BRG sauce coating the bacon and place top of bun atop the patty. Skewer and serve immediately.
For the BRG sauce
Combine 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon ketchup, 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives, 1 tablespoon finely chopped pickles, 1/4 teaspoon truffle oil, 1 teaspoon of pickle liquid and 1/2 teaspoon of shallots.
