Bacon Jam

This post is sponsored by Crunchmaster. Thank you for supporting the brands who keep The Kitchen Paper running!

Two words: Bacon. Jam. BACON JAM! Have you guys had bacon jam before? It's sweet, it's savory, it's spicy (if you want it to be), and it's applicable to almost all food situations. That's an exaggeration, but there ARE a ton of great uses for this: on a breakfast sandwich, with eggs, in/on potatoes, on a PB&J, on waffles, on a BLT, in a grilled cheese, as a dip, on a cracker with goat cheese (as pictured here) — need I go on? I think not.

I'm partnering with Crunchmaster this year for their "____master" campaign — my choice to master? BALANCE. BALANCEMASTER! If you follow me on instagram, you know I've been struggling to find balance in my life between various jobs, social activities, physical activity, etc. I announced last Friday that I'm cutting back at my day job, so I'll have Fridays to work exclusively on blog stuff from here on out! This is my year to find balance, and become a balancemaster!!

My intention with this first recipe as a #balancemaster was to post something delicious but healthy — because JANUARY, right? — but ... bacon jam got stuck in my head and I couldn't not make it. But I think it still counts (hear me out): I'm eating lots of veggies and healthy stuff this month, but every once in a while think a delicious treat like this is in line. Also, bacon jam totally has a sweet/savory balance thing going on, AND the bacon jam combined with creamy goat cheese is a texture balance that I can't.stop.loving. These little bits are pretty darn addictive on top of a crunchy cracker!

Let me know if you end up making this, and what your favorite application of bacon jam is!

Bacon Jam

• Author: Mary
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 4 hours
• Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes
• Yield: 1 pint 1x

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Description

Sweet and salty bacon jam requires minimal effort, and returns a delicious topping or spread which can be used on a variety of other foods! Paired with crackers and goat cheese here, they're a simple, perfect snack or appetizer.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 1.5 lb. bacon, cut into 1" pieces
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 jalapeños (optional)
• ¼ c. brown sugar
• ¼ c. maple syrup
• ¼ c. apple cider vinegar
• 1 bay leaf
• 3-4 cups water
• ¼ tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 8 oz goat cheese, for serving
• 1 box Crunchmaster Multi-Seed Crackers, Original

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Instructions

1. In a frying pan over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until very done and crispy, but not burnt.
2. Remove the bacon from the pan, but leave the fat and reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes before adding the garlic and jalapeños.
3. Once the jalapenos begin to soften (another 3 minutes or so), remove everything from the pan and put in a saucepan along with the cooked bacon, brown sugar, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, bay leaf, and 1 cup of water.
4. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 3-4 hours. As the water reduces (every ½ hour), add another ½ cup of water.*
5. After 3-4 hours, it should look sticky/jammy. Reduce the water so there's only about ¼ cup left, then add the pepper and transfer everything to a food processor. Pulse a few times, so there are still small chunks but it comes together like a jam.
6. Taste, add more salt or pepper if needed, and serve with goat cheese and Crunchmaster Multi-Seed Crackers (I used Original flavor).
7. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

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Notes

*Roughly. Keep an eye on it — it should never go dry, but never be totally swimming in water.