Meat lovers rejoice because this year, International Bacon Day is fast approaching on September 4th! Today, you will learn the history behind this unofficial “holiday.” We will also share some ideas and recipes to help you celebrate the love of bacon.
The day on which national bacon day occurs is somewhat disputed; however, we do know that it may have begun as early as 1997. Back then, two friends, namely Danya Goodman and Meff Leonard, exchanged gifts and celebrated bacon day on December 30th. In January 2004, a few college students from the University of Colorado Boulder also had the idea of celebrating a day dedicated to bacon. Later that year, these students (namely Alexa Halford, Seth Rittenhouse, and Evan Salim) made it a reality by getting together the Saturday before Labor Day to cook up some bacon and enjoy a good time as friends. From then on, they dubbed themselves Alexa and the Bacon Boys and even started a blog together. Regardless of which event started the unofficial national bacon day, we can all agree that bacon deserves a chance to be in the spotlight.
Countries worldwide have also celebrated bacon day over the years, but it may not land on the same day as the United States. At any rate, Americans can look forward to one more celebration just before the coveted Labor Day in September. The U.S. national bacon day occurs on the Saturday before Labor Day annually.
Bacon has always been a classic breakfast side and can be used in several ways when paired with eggs or potatoes. You don’t need us to tell you that virtually any savory food item wrapped in bacon will taste amazing. All the same, if you are planning to host a barbeque, consider cooking a brisket so you and your guests can indulge in a juicy BBLT (brisket, bacon, lettuce, tomato) sandwich. You can sprinkle some freshly cooked bacon bits into guacamole or other chip dips to serve on the side to add to the bacon-loving fun. Some people go as far as concocting bacon drinks and bacon ice cream as well, but we’ll leave that part up to your discretion.
If you’re looking for a less time-consuming meal, here is a recipe for creamy BLT pasta to help you celebrate this day.
Ingredients:
1 pound of fettuccine noodles
2 Tbs of unsalted butter
½ pound of bacon
2 medium leeks
¾ cup of heavy cream
15 oz. can of diced tomatoes (drained)
2 cloves of minced garlic
2 tsp of fresh thyme
½ cup of water
1 cup of fresh Parmesan
First, get a large pot of water and bring it to a boil. While you’re waiting, wash and chop the leeks making sure to discard the white part of the plant, then cook the bacon in a large saucepan. Let each bacon slice get crispy before setting them aside to drain on some paper towels. Add butter to the pan and cook the leeks, garlic, and thyme for about 5 minutes.
Pour in the cream, water, and diced tomatoes allowing your mixture to come to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and let it sit (stirring occasionally) for about 10 minutes. Cook the pasta until it is al dente and drain it before adding it to your sauce. Chop up the bacon and stir everything together to complete your BLT pasta dish. Season with salt and pepper at the end if desired. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top and serve immediately.
Before you go, this six-ingredient bacon jam may also interest you. It is the perfect spread for breakfast sandwiches, burgers, and snacks such as cheese and crackers.
Ingredients:
½ pound of thick-cut bacon
1 cup of thinly sliced yellow onion
1 clove of minced garlic
2 Tbs of white wine vinegar
½ tsp of brown sugar
⅓ cup of jalapeno pepper jelly (can be found in either the jam and jelly section or ethnic foods aisle in grocery stores)
First, cook the bacon slices in a large skillet. Turn the stove on medium heat and let each piece of bacon become crispy before placing them on paper towels to drain. In the same pan, saute the onions in the bacon fat for about 5 minutes. Stir them frequently so that the onions cook evenly. Add in your garlic and cook with the onions for 1 to 2 minutes and remove them from the skillet.
With the stove still on medium heat, pour in the vinegar and use a wooden spoon to scrape up the bits of bacon from the bottom of your skillet. Reduce the heat to low and add the brown sugar and jalapeno pepper jelly. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes so that it thickens. Meanwhile, chop the bacon into bite-sized pieces. Add the bacon, onions, and garlic back into the skillet once your mixture is ready to let everything combine.
Get ready to enjoy some of that deliciously fatty, salty pork as one last hurrah as Labor Day weekend brings summer to a close. On behalf of all of us at The Lintonian, we hope you enjoy celebrating National Bacon Day!
Featured photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels