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Prudence Hilburn: Loaded potatoes, Buffalo chicken call for Candied Bacon Bites for dessert Comment By Prudence Hilburn More Content Now MailTribune.com By Prudence Hilburn More Content Now Posted Mar. 16, 2015 at 12:55 PM By Prudence Hilburn More Content Now Posted Mar. 16, 2015 at 12:55 PM » Social News For years, my niece who lives in Bryant, Arkansas, and I have enjoyed getting together to be creative in the kitchen. Marcella loves to cook and is good at it. Just because we haven’t been able to get together recently doesn’t mean we don’t continue to share recipes. Recently, I found a recipe she sent me several months ago. I knew I was going to like it because it had so many of my favorite flavors in it. Who doesn’t like loaded potatoes and Buffalo chicken? This recipe includes both, and everyone knows a loaded potato needs cheese, green onions and crisp bacon. All of these are in the special topping. I actually found two versions of this recipe. One called for red potatoes and the other uses Yukon gold potatoes. Either does well in this recipe. I like the gold potatoes because they have a buttery flavor. When I made this casserole, I reduced the amount of hot sauce to one tablespoon because I was afraid two would be a little too hot for my palate. I think, perhaps, I will use the 2 tablespoons next time. The original recipe was rather involved, with several cooking steps. Marcella worked on the recipe and make it much simpler. I used her version, and it was great. It never ceases to amaze me when I see how creative cooks are using bacon. What really surprises me is that it is now being used in desserts. How about some “pig candy?” Sounds awful doesn’t it? However, once you taste this new treat, it just might become a favorite snack. The Candied Bacon Bites recipe is from “Southern Living Community Cookbook” by Sheri Castle. Loaded Potatoes and Buffalo Chicken Ingredients: 1 pound boneless chicken breasts, cubed into 1-inch pieces 6 to 8 medium red or gold potatoes, skin on, cubed in 1-inch pieces 1/3 cup olive oil 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 tablespoon paprika 2 tablespoons garlic powder 2 tablespoons of hot sauce (more, if you like it spicy) Topping: 2 cups shredded Fiesta blend cheese 1 cup crumbled crisp-fried bacon 1 cup diced green onions Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9-by-13 dish well. Mix olive oil, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder and hot sauce. Mix well. Add potatoes and chicken. Stir to coat well. Spoon carefully into casserole dish. Bake 55 to 60 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes. When chicken and potatoes are tender, top with cheese, bacon and onions. Bake 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve warm. Candied Bacon Bites Ingredients: 1 pound thick-cut bacon slices 1/2 cup firmly-packed dark brown sugar 1 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Separate bacon into slices and let stand at room temperature 5 minutes. Stir together sugar and pepper. Lightly and evenly coat bacon slices in brown sugar mixture. Arrange slices on baking sheet in single layer. Sprinkle any remaining sugar mixture over bacon. Bake at 325 degrees in center of oven for 35 minutes or until golden brown and firm. Let stand 1 minute, transfer to plate in single layer to cool. (Do not let bacon cool on baking sheet or it will stick fast). Bacon continues to crisp as it cools. Cut slices into bite-size pieces, if desired. Prudence Hilburn of Piedmont, Alabama, has won more than 30 national cooking awards and has written several cookbooks, including “Kitchen Keepers.” Write her at [email protected] or visit prudencehilburn.com . By Prudence Hilburn More Content Now MailTribune.com By Prudence Hilburn More Content Now Posted Mar. 16, 2015 at 12:55 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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