Friday, September 18, 2015

Bacon, Egg, Cheese and Tomato Biscuit Stacks with a Honey “Hollandaise” Sauce- A Wonderful Weekend (or Anytime) Treat!

I don't really eat a lot of fast food. I haven't sat in a drive-through line in over a year. But, for some strange reason, I LOVE fast food breakfast sandwiches. If there are bacon, eggs, cheese and warm biscuits involved, I want in on the party (the same could be said about biscuits and gravy!) I can't really explain it, it's just a quirk of mine. I'm going to be honest and tell you that there really are about a million ways to make a breakfast sandwich. And none of them are wrong. I even have a nice little breakfast sandwich maker that is awesome! But my favorite always comes back to the bacon, egg and cheese on a biscuit. And I've also found that if you have a nice sauce of some sort to drizzle/ pour over the whole thing, it's that much more delicious. When I was given a chance to sample the Honey Ridge Farms Clover Honey Creme (and create a sauce with it), it honestly took my sandwiches to a whole different level. The “Mock Hollandaise” that I made using it was light, crisp, tangy and sweet all at once. It really brightened up the dish and was very versatile (it could definitely be used in other dishes as well). So, here's what we do!

First off, you will need biscuits. Home made, store bought, out of a can, your choice. Just be sure that they are warm when it's time to put the dish together. Secondly, you need eggs. If you are a die hard scrambled fan, go for it. But, I prefer poached or fried/sunny side up. I used poached for this recipe, as I simply par-boiled them earlier on and then just reheated/finished them off for about 1 minute right before assembly (there are lots of good tutorials online if you're interested in trying to poach eggs. The recipe that I linked to here includes one.) Fried eggs are also awesome, as the runny yolk really contributes to the overall taste. It's all up to you. Thirdly, there is cheese. Go crazy, people. I used shredded Monterrey Jack, as I had a handful leftover from a dish that I had made the day before, but I highly recommend cheddar as well. You really can't go wrong with any cheese (just don't overdo it if using something stronger/ more pungent.) Then there is the bacon, tomato and the Honey Hollandaise, which are all easy-peasy and described below. Now that we have that out of the way, allow me to introduce you to my new favorite splurge!

Bacon, Egg, Cheese,and Tomato Biscuit Stacks with a Honey “Hollandaise” Sauce
by Chris
Inspired by the recipe for Lighter Eggs Benedict with Mock Hollandaise Sauce by the kitchn
Serves 4

8 slices of bacon, cut into 16 shorter pieces (2 slices per person, in four shorter rashers)
1 large, firm red tomato (or two if needed), cut into (4) 1/4-inch thick slices (1 per person) and patted as dry as possible
Any Cajun/Creole spice or rub of your choice (I used Slap Ya Mama) OR freshly ground black pepper
1-2 teaspoons Honey Ridge Farms Clover Honey Creme (for drizzling the tomato slices)
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
4 teaspoons lemon juice
Dash of cayenne pepper (to taste)
2-3 dashes of Louisiana-type hot sauce (I used Crystal)
2 teaspoons Honey Ridge Farms Clover Honey Creme
2 1/2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Salt and Pepper, to taste
4 biscuits, warmed to serve (1 per person)
4 eggs, cooked to your liking (1 per person)
4 Tablespoons OR 4 slices of cheese of your choice (1 Tablespoon OR 1 slice per person)
Paprika (optional, for serving)
1/4 - 1/2 cup chopped green onions (optional, for serving)

Begin by preheating your oven to 400°F. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Place the raw bacon onto the lined sheet, and cook for about 15 minutes. While the bacon is beginning to cook, pat the tomato slices dry and give them a generous sprinkle of Cajun/Creole seasoning OR salt and black pepper on the top side. Drizzle lightly with about 1 teaspoon of the Honey Creme Clover. After the bacon has cooked for 15 minutes, remove the sheet from the oven, drain any excess grease (do NOT wipe down the sheet), and flip the bacon slices over. At this point, add the seasoned and drizzled tomatoes, seasoned/drizzled side up to the pan IN the remaining bacon grease. Place the bacon/ tomato mix back into the oven for another 15-20 minutes, until the bacon is completely cooked through.

While the bacon and tomato mixture is cooking, mix together the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, hot sauce and 2 teaspoons of Honey Creme Clover. Melt the butter, but leave it to the side. If needed, go ahead and start to warm the biscuits, cook the eggs and prepare the cheese. After the 15-20 minutes (whenever the bacon is done, but not burnt), remove the bacon from the cookie sheet and place on a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Flip the tomato slices over, drizzle with the other teaspoon of Honey Creme Clover, add a touch more black pepper if desired, and set the oven to a low broil (move the oven rack up one position). Gently broil the tomatoes for 2-4 minutes, watching that they do not burn. You want them to be warmed and juicy, not charred.

When the tomatoes are done, mix the butter into the Hollandaise sauce and assemble the dish as follows: Plate one biscuit, open-faced (if it happens to crumble, no big deal, just use it anyway), 1 Tablespoon of shredded cheese/1 slice of cheese, 1 tomato slice, 4 smaller (2 total) pieces of bacon, 1 egg and approximately 1/4 of the Hollandaise sauce spooned on top of the entire dish. Sprinkle with paprika and garnish with chopped green onions. Serve as soon as possible, as they are best warm and fresh from the oven.

If you happen to have leftovers, simply allow the stacks to cool and loosely wrap each individually in foil. Reserve any Honey Hollandaise separately. When you want to rewarm, simply place the foil packet(s) into a 325°F oven for about 15-20 minutes. Warm the Hollandaise slowly and spoon over, topping with paprika and green onions as directed above. This dish was a huge hit at my house and I'm sure that you will enjoy it as well. It is great for breakfast, brunch, or a lazy supper...any time of day, as long as you are hungry. Cheers!

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