Blog Layout
Chef Lauren's Bacon Garlic Creep Loaf
CSSI Staff Post - October 27, 2020
Our pumpkin carving parties and costume contests are limited in numbers this year, but that’s no reason to let the *👻spirit👻* of the season fade away. In fact, I see it as a reason to get even MORE into the festivities!! 🎃 Whether it’s a small family gathering, or you are sitting home alone with your goldfish—YES, you should decorate! YES, you should celebrate! While you are at it, throw on a hot pink curly wig and a pair of fairy wings!! Try out "I Put a Spell on You" Pandora radio while you’re cooking up some Creep Loaf for extra inspiration. You might end up with a One-Eyed-One-Horned-Flying-Purple-People-Eater Loaf! If things start getting too terrifying, add some extra garlic to the mixture to keep the vampires at bay.
Bacon Garlic Creep Loaf
Yield: 4 Loaves
Ingredients
Sauce
½ cup - ketchup
1 tbsp - Worcestershire sauce⅓ cup - BBQ sauce
¼ cup - apple cider vinegar
¼ tsp - cayenne pepper
¼ cup - dark brown sugarCreep Loaves½ lb - bacon, sliced
4 cloves - garlic, peeled, rough chopped
1¼ cup - yellow onion, rough chopped
2 tbsp - vegetable oil
1 lb - ground pork
1½ lb - ground beef
4 oz - Parmesan, grated
¼ cup - parsley, fresh, chopped
1 cup - seasoned breadcrumbs
2 each - eggs
1 tsp - kosher salt
½ tsp - black pepper, ground
½ tsp - garlic powder
Spooky garnishes**
Directions
For the Sauce:
- Add ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, BBQ sauce, apple cider vinegar, cayenne pepper and brown sugar to a medium-sized saucepan. Whisk together.
- Simmer over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes, or until mixture is thick and bubbly, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from heat, divide in half and set aside.
For the Creep Loaf:
- Lay bacon on a parchment-lined sheet pan in a single layer. Bake at 350⁰F for 20-25 minutes or until cooked through and starting to get crispy.
- Remove bacon from the tray and chop into fine pieces.
- Add garlic and onion to food processor and pulse until finely chopped and almost looks like a puree.
- Transfer onion and garlic mixture to sauté pan with vegetable oil, and cook over medium-low heat for 5-7 minutes or until mixture is translucent.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix chopped bacon, onion and garlic, ground pork, ground beef, Parmesan, parsley, breadcrumbs, eggs, salt, pepper and garlic powder.
- Using a scant 2 cups for each loaf, shape the meat mixture into a hand shape. Transfer to the parchment-lined sheet pan. Using half of the reserved sauce, brush sauce generously over the top of hands.
- Add spooky garnishes** and bake at 350⁰F for 30-35 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165⁰F.
- Serve immediately with remaining sauce and your favorite sides (preferably mashed potatoes).
**Thought starters for spooky garnishes:
- Use quartered pearl onions or cut bell peppers for fingernails.
- Use cut bell peppers or cherry tomatoes for scars, warts, and blisters.
- Allow some red chard to show through the back of the hand from the top to look like veins.
- Use leftover bacon to wrap around fingers or back of hands to look like bandages.
Lauren Kuhn
Culinary Center Manager
Culinary Center Manager
March 1st, 2023 We’re thrilled to introduce the newest addition to our culinary family: Chef Steve Madonna. Formally trained in both Italy and the United States, as well as having worked for Wolfgang Puck, Chef Steve brings an extensive set of connections and culinary knowledge to our already stacked chef roster. Featured in this month’s issue is one of Chef Steve’s favorite recipes for making memories at home with your loved ones.
October 19, 2022 Pumpkin pie is a nostalgic menu item and my personal favorite when it comes to fall and winter menus, as it goes hand in hand with a traditional Thanksgiving or Christmas feast. We elevate the nostalgia by turning this must-have holiday dish into a clarified cocktail that leaves your taste buds as curious as your eyes. We get adventurous as we replace expected visual elements with an ice-cold glass of clarified liquors infused with pumpkin pie. This cocktail defies all visual expectations, while leaving your sense of smell and taste immersed in a seasonally nostalgic experience.
October 19, 2022 Canada is well known for many things. Hockey, snow, maple syrup, and a few other stereotypical but somewhat accurate concepts may immediately come to mind. What you may not know, though, is how invested we are in the snacks that we consume. Compared to the U.S., sure, we are no match for the quantity and variety offered in the land of the free, home of the snacks. However, what we know in our hearts is that Canada has a long-standing, tried-and-true, flawed, yet beloved top-notch snack game. I’m talking about comfort foods that have become so integrated and so established that they are classified as cult-favourites—and no, I did not spell favourites incorrectly. You are about to see a lot more of the letter “U” in this article. Sorry! The great Canadian snack game is easy enough to understand. You think of a flavour and either slap it on a potato or pair it with chocolate. Snacking has always been a huge part of Canadian food culture, but it is only going up from here. To put it lightly, the past few years have been tough on everyone around the world, and Canadians have chosen to increase their spending on snacks by 67% as an indulgence or, personally, as a coping mechanism. In no way, shape, or form am I claiming to be a culinary expert somehow employed in the field of Finance, but I have eaten a lot in my life and right now, I’m the best and/or only Canadian guide you’ve got. Let’s get into the details:
Created by Olive + Ash.
Managed by Olive Street Design. 