I’m gonna start by saying that this recipe is just a bit tetchy – there is a lot of cooking spray application involved.
But.
Everything can be done well in advance of having folk over, so, when they have arrived, you only need to fill the bacon cups with the deviled egg dip and mebbe add a sprinkling of paprika over the top before presenting a platter full of bacon and egg goodness that is certain to please.
The basic recipe comes from a 2014 CuisineAtHomeSpecials.com magazine, but I made a few changes to suit my tastes.
INGREDIENTS
Bacon Cups:
•1 lb thin sliced bacon
•2 mini muffin pans
•24 mini muffin paper liners
•2 large, rimmed baking sheets
•Cooking spray
Deviled Egg Dip:
•6 hard cooked eggs
•1/4 cup Medianoche mayonnaise*
•1 tbsp Chop Pickle (or any pickle relish you prefer)
•1 tsp Cajun Power Spicy Garlic Pepper Sauce (or, your preferred hot sauce, to taste)
•1 tsp white vinegar
•1 tsp dry mustard
•1/2 tsp Seasoned Salt
•1/2 tsp black pepper
•1/2 tsp dried chives
•1/4 tsp Cayenne
•Paprika, for a garnish
*Or any good mayonnaise.
Note: my thin sliced, uncured bacon came in TWELVE OUNCE packets, so I used one full and about one third of a second to make 24 bacon cups.
Heat your oven to 350º and arrange the mini muffin pans, upside down on a foil lined, rimmed baking pan; apply the cooking spray to the muffin pans.
Cut the bacon slices in three inch lengths then place two slices in a cross shape over each muffin tin bottom.
Apply a bit more cooking spray to the bacon, then press a paper muffin liner over each of the crossed bacon slices. Apply a bit more cooking spray – YEH, I KNOW.
Apply – YOU GOT IT! – a bit MORE cooking spray to another large baking sheet and place this on top for the paper lined bacon.
Pop into the oven and bake until the bacon is nicely crispity, 60 to 90 minutes. Mine was nicely crispity after one hour, mebbe on the edge of too crispity, so check after 45 minutes or so, just to be safe.
Remove from the oven, peel off the paper liners and stash the bacon cups in the fridge until you are ready to serve.
While the bacon cups are in the oven, let’s put together the deviled egg dip.
I had hard cooked the eggs the day before in my pressure cooker – terrific method! – and found that peeling them was a bit easier than when I have just boiled them.
Purée the eggs together with the mayonnaise, vinegar, and seasonings, then stash in a covered bowl until needed.
I know, all that applying of cooking spray and processing of eggs and stuff gets a bit involved, but, as I noted above, you can do all of this stuff well in advance of folk coming over, then, after everyone has had a first sip of wine, spoon a bit of the deviled egg dip into the bacon cups on a platter, dust ’em all with paprika, and serve.
What is not to love?
By the way; I found that I had leftover deviled egg dip, which just so happened to make for a fine sammich the next day on toasted sourdough with lettuce, tomato, and a bit more of that bacon.