Bacon Carbonara

1 pound of bacon

4 cloves garlic

1 cup of dry cheese, like Asiago or Parmesan. Can be whatever you want. I'm partial to piave, but we used dry aged Gouda and Asiago last time and it was really good. Just make sure when you shred it, you turn it into a fine powdery consistency. 

3 eggs

1 package of pasta - I used a long pasta just a little more robust than spaghetti

Fresh cracked pepper

Cook your pasta of choice to al dente in well salted water.

Chop your bacon into pieces and allow to cook in the pan until crispy.

Remove the bacon from your pan and remove 1/2 the fat from the pan.

Crack your eggs into a bowl and beat them add in your cheese and set to the side.

Add in your minced garlic and allow to cook a little. Do not burn your garlic, it's just awful and you want the garlic to still have a bite to it instead of the mellowed sweet kind of garlic.

Remove the pan from the heat, the residual heat from the pan and the pasta will be enough to cook the eggs without scrambling them. 

Return the bacon to the pan.

Drain off your pasta but keep a cup water in reserve for your sauce.

Dump your pasta into the pan with the bacon and garlic and toss well to coat in fat and garlic.

Add in your cheese and egg mixture and mix it in well.

Your sauce will begin to thicken, add in spoonfuls of pasta water to get your desired consistency. Add in small amounts of the water, a little goes a long way.

Dump into a bowl and top with fresh pepper and a little more cheese.

So.good.

Cheesecake cups

 

Cheater "cheesecake" cups

This is an evolution. I've been making cheater cheesecake for years, mainly because whenever I attempt a real cheesecake it's an abysmal failure. So this "cheesecake" is my go to. Excuse the use of dream whip, it does serve a purpose! And this is a fantastic last minute dessert. 

Cheater "cheesecake"

Cream cheese filling

8 ounces of cream cheese (philly type will do, but if you can get your hands on Victoria style it makes it that much better)

1 1/4 cups icing sugar

1 pkg of dream whip prepared as stated on package.

Graham crumb base

1/2 cup graham crumbs

1/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup butter

1 can of cherry pie filling

In a pan melt the butter and dump in crumbs and sugar. Over medium low heat keep moving until the mixture begins to stick together. Do not allow to burn!

Spoon into the bottom of your glasses (mason jars, shot cups ect.)

In a mixing bowl mix up the dream whip as per the package.

Add in the cream cheese and allow to mix together.

Leave on medium low for a few minutes.

Mix in the icing sugar and allow to mix together another minute, stoppin g every now and again to scrape down the sides.

Layer the cream cheese mixture into the jars on top of the crumbs.

Layer cherry pie filling on top of the cream cheese mixture.