breakfast is my number one meal time, if i didn't make that clear on tuesday. and wes and i make no secret of the fact that when we do open our restaurant it will be breakfast oriented. so it should come as no surprise that we eat a lot of bacon. 

but lately, wes has made a small tweak to our usual bacon practices that is an absolute game changer. one of the things about cooking that captured my heart is the crazy idea that you can add just a little bit of one ingredient to completely enhance and change the way something tastes. in this case, a little brown sugar makes already delectable bacon, irresistible. 

want to step up your bacon game? here is how. 

brown sugar bacon
serves: 4 pieces
prep time: 10 minutes (or as long as it takes your oven to preheat)
cook time: 20-25 minutes
total time 30-35 minutes
ingredients: 4 pieces thick cut bacon. 2 tbs brown sugar. rimmed baking sheet. parchment paper. 

start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees f. line your baking sheet with parchment and lay the bacon flat.

sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the bacon. 

cook in the oven for 20-25 minutes, starting to check the bacon at 20 minutes and then every minute or two until it is crispy and the edges are caramelized. 

remove from the oven and allow to cool on a cooling rack until cool enough to enjoy.

xo, a

brown sugar bacon
serves: 4 pieces
prep time: 10 minutes (or as long as it takes your oven to preheat)
cook time: 20-25 minutes
total time 30-35 minutes
ingredients: 4 pieces thick cut bacon. 2 tbs brown sugar. rimmed baking sheet. parchment paper. start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees f. line your baking sheet with parchment and lay the bacon flat. sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the bacon. cook in the oven for 20-25 minutes, starting to check the bacon at 20 minutes and then every minute or two until it is crispy and the edges are caramelized. remove from the oven and allow to cool on a cooling rack until cool enough to enjoy.

if i had known how easy it was to make homemade ricotta, i would have tried it a LOOONNNNNNGGGGG time ago. i love fresh, creamy, decadent ricotta, but the ones sold at the grocery store leave something to be desired. they are just a bit, artificial. 

for the baby shower wes and i are catering this weekend, i really wanted to serve a delicious balsamic berry jam over ricotta on toast, so it pushed me to take that leap to homemade. 

game. changer. 

it requires ingredients you likely have at home or could pick up in one trip to the store. it takes less than ten minutes of work and it is worth every second. you can order cheesecloth HERE and be making your own in no time. 

homemade ricotta
yields: 1 cup
prep time: 1 minute
active time: 15 minutes
inactive time: 1 hour total time: 1 hour & 15 minutes
ingredients: 1 quart whole milk. .5 cup heavy cream. 2 tbs lemon juice. .5 tsp salt. mesh strainer or sieve.cheesecloth. 

in a large, heavy pot, combine the salt, milk and cream. over a medium heat, gradually bring the liquid to a rolling boil. the time here may vary depending on how cold your milk and cream start out, but anywhere from 5-10 minutes. 

add in the lemon juice and reduce the heat so that the liquid is simmering. simmer the liquid till it begins to curdle. about 2-5 minutes. 

remove the pot from the heat and pour the liquid into the strainer lined with cheese cloth placed over a large bowl. 

allow the ricotta to drain for an hour. 

use or store in the fridge for up to two weeks. i recommend it on toast, some lasagna or blood orange & ricotta pancakes.

xo, a

homemade ricotta
yields: 1 cup
prep time: 1 minute
active time: 15 minutes
inactive time: 1 hour total time: 1 hour & 15 minutes
ingredients: 1 quart whole milk. .5 cup heavy cream. 2 tbs lemon juice. .5 tsp salt. mesh strainer or sieve. cheesecloth. in a large, heavy pot, combine the salt, milk and cream. over a medium heat, gradually bring the liquid to a rolling boil. the time here may vary depending on how cold your milk and cream start out, but anywhere from 5-10 minutes. add in the lemon juice and reduce the heat so that the liquid is simmering. simmer the liquid till it begins to curdle. about 2-5 minutes. remove the pot from the heat and pour the liquid into the strainer lined with cheese cloth placed over a large bowl. allow the ricotta to drain for an hour. use or store in the fridge for up to two weeks. i recommend it on toast, some lasagna or blood orange & ricotta pancakes.