recipe

Extra-Cheesy Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaf

Makes 8 servings

1 pound Fantasma's Finest Sugar Cured Jalapeño Bacon

1 pound Fantasma's Finest Ground Beef

1 pound Fantasma's Finest Ground Pork

1 cup Italian breadcrumbs

2 teaspoons Mexican oregano

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 eggs

3/4-1 cup High-Temperature Cheddar Cheese Bits (available in our retail store; this cheese is the same product we use in our flavored bratwursts)

1 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce (we used Fiorella's Jack Stack Original Barbecue Sauce), plus more for serving

Fresh chopped parsley, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350° F. Place a rack on a baking pan and set aside.

On a flexible surface such as silicone baking mat or parchment paper, weave a 5-slice by 5-slice square, alternating the strips under and over. You may wish to alternate fat and thin ends of the strips to make a tighter weave. Set the bacon blanket aside.

In a large mixing bowl, add beef and pork. In a small bowl, combine breadcrumbs, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper with the eggs, mixing with a fork to create a smooth binder. Add the binder to the beef and pork and knead with your hands until thoroughly combined. Add cheese bits and combine until evenly spread through the mixture.

To test the final consistency of the meatloaf, hold your hand upside down; the meat mixture should stick to your hand. Kneading and mixing are important to get enough protein extraction, so the meatloaf stays together and isn't crumbly.

Form the meat into a loaf shape and place on the rack. Carefully slide the bacon weave onto the loaf and tuck the ends under the loaf. If necessary, use a few toothpicks to secure any stray bacon ends.

Baste the bacon with barbecue sauce and bake in the oven for 1 hour. Check the meatloaf with a meat thermometer and continue basting with sauce and cooking up to 20 more minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160° F.

When fully cooked, remove the meatloaf and allow it to sit for 10 minutes before slicing. Garnish with parsley and serve more barbecue sauce on the side, if desired.

One-Pot Chicken and Rice with Artichokes and Green Olives

Makes 6 servings

1 whole Barham Family Farm Young Chicken, giblets removed, available at Paradise Locker Meats retail store)

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 lemon, cut in half, quarter half, slice the other half

1 bunch thyme

1/2 cup chopped Fantasma's Finest Marinated Artichokes, plus 1/4 cup jar marinade (available in retail store)

6 Fantasma's Finest Stuffed Blue Cheese Olives, thinly sliced (available in retail store)

2 cups water

1 chicken bouillon cube, such as Knorr's

1/4 cup white wine

1/4 teaspoon crushed saffron threads

1 1/2 cups long grain rice, such as basmati

Garnishes, if desired: 

Charred lemon slices

Crumbled feta cheese

Chopped marinated artichokes

Sliced olives

Chopped parsley

Preheat the oven to 350° F. 

In a deep cast-iron pot with a tight-fitting lid, heat the vegetable oil. Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Season chicken generously with salt and pepper and place breast side down, cooking 5 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Carefully flip the chicken with tongs and brown the opposite side. Add quartered lemon and thyme to the chicken cavity.

In a large microwave-safe measuring cup, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add 1 foil-wrapped bouillon cube to the water and stir. Add marinated artichoke juice and white wine to make 3 cups of liquid. Add the liquid to the pot, pouring into the spaces around the chicken instead of over it. Allow the liquid to come to a boil. Add rice and use a spatula to make sure to remove any grain clinging to the chicken as the grains will not cook unless submerged. Carefully sprinkle the olives, artichoke and saffron threads around chicken and over the rice. Place the lemon slices over the top of the chicken. Place the lid on the pot and place in the oven for 40 minutes.

Turn the oven to broil.

Remove the lid on the pot and cook the chicken and rice for 10 minutes or until the internal temperature on a meat thermometer registers 165° F. Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes before carving. Remove the meat, chop or shred and stir into the rice, scraping the sides of the pan to get all the crispy rice bits. 

Add parsley and stir the chicken and rice. Garnish with lemon slices, feta, additional artichokes, and olives, if desired 

Jalapeño Bacon Roses

Makes 12 roses

1 pound Fantasma's Finest Jalapeño Bacon

1 quarter cup whipped cream cheese

1/2 a large jalapeño, finely minced

Fresh basil

Preheat the oven to 375° F.

Take a slice of bacon and roll it into a "rose" and secure it at the bottom with a toothpick. Continue to roll up 12 buds and place each upright in a muffin pan. Bake the bacon for 20-30 minutes, depending on your preference for doneness. Remove muffin pan from the oven and place bacon roses on a paper towel to blot excess fat.

In a small bowl, combine cream cheese and jalapeños. Use a piping bag to fill the hole of the bacon with cream cheese.

Use basil sprigs to create a rose bush and serve.

Italian Wedding Soup

Makes 12 servings

1-pound Fantasma's Finest Ground Beef

1-pound Fantasma's Finest Heritage Ground Turkey (available in our retail store)

2/3 cup Italian breadcrumbs

1 egg

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried Italian herb seasoning

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 cup chopped onions

2 celery stalks, thinly sliced

1 (1-pound) bag crinkle cut carrot chips, (cut any large chips in two so carrots are roughly the same size)

12-14 cups smoked turkey or chicken stock (preferably made from a Fantasma's Finest Sugar Cured Smoked Turkey carcass, see our recipe for Smoked Turkey Noodle Soup)

1 cup whole wheat pearl couscous or

1 cup (5 ounces), or more, shredded kale

Shredded Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with vegetable cooking spray.

In a mixing bowl, combine beef, turkey, breadcrumbs, egg, garlic, garlic powder and Italian herb seasoning. With your hands, combine the ingredients and form in 42 meatballs, placing them on the prepared baking sheet. Bake meatballs for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

In a stock pot, add oil and heat on medium-low heat. When the oil is warm, add the onions, celery and carrot chips and sauté until crisp tender, stirring occasionally. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Boil the stock and vegetables for 5-10 minutes, or until carrots are crisp-tender.

Add couscous and cook on low heat for 20 minutes with a cover on the pot.

When the couscous is cooked, add meatballs and kale until the kale is slightly wilted and meatballs are warmed through. Serve immediately with cheese.

Chorizo Cheese Dip

Makes 1 1/2 quarts

1 pound Fantasma's Finest Chorizo

1 pound processed cheese food (such as Velveeta TM), cut into 1-inch cubes

1 (8-ounce) can tomatoes and onions (such as Rotel TM), drained

1/2 of a (4-ounce) can Hatch green chiles, reserve 1 tablespoon for garnish

1 teaspoon cumin powder

Tortilla chips or items for dipping

Crumble the chorizo into a 12-inch skillet and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, occasionally using a spatula to break up the meat. Drain the fat off the chorizo and place 3/4 quarters of the pound into a 1 1/2-quart slow cooker, reserving the rest for garnish. Add cheese, tomatoes, chiles and cumin to the slow cooker insert and cook covered on high for 1 1/2-2 hours. Garnish cheese dip with remaining chorizo and chiles. Serve with tortilla chips.

Beef Short Rib Tacos

Makes 12 tacos

1 (2.5-pound) package Fantasma's Finest Beef Short Ribs

All-purpose flour

2 teaspoons R Butts R Smokin' Honey Chipotle BBQ Seasoning (available in retail store)

1 tablespoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

5-6 guajillo peppers

1 1/2 to 2 cups water

1/2 cup chopped yellow onion

3 large cloves garlic

1/2 cup white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon Mexican oregano

3 whole allspice berries

1 stick cinnamon

1 (12-ounce) can Mexican-style lager beer (we used Boulevard Brewing's Southwest Blvd Lager with Salt & Lime)

2 (10-count) packages Yoli Tortilleria Flour Tortillas (made with pork fat from Paradise Locker Meats!)

Pico de gallo, for garnish

Chopped cilantro and lime wedges, for garnish

Pat short ribs with a paper towel. On a plate, use a fork to combine flour, BBQ seasoning, salt and pepper. In a deep skillet, heat oil and sear ribs on all sides then place in the slow cooker.

Remove the stem and slit the pepper with kitchen scissors to remove seeds and veins. Put the peppers in a small saucepan and add water. Bring the water to a boil and allow the peppers to soften, up to 5 minutes; reserve the cooking water.

In a blender, place the onion, garlic, vinegar, oregano, allspice berries, cinnamon and peppers. Strain the cooking liquid to remove any remaining seeds and add to the blender. Liquefy the peppers to create a wet rub. Pour the rub over the short ribs. Add beer to the slow cooker and cook on high for 6 hours. Shred the meat with two forks and reserve the meaty cooking liquid for pasta or mashed potatoes. (Thicken with a cornstarch slurry, if desired.)

In a small skillet, warm the tortillas and fill with taco meat, garnish with pico de gallo, crema and chopped cilantro.

Pork Stew with Sweet Potatoes, Butternut Squash, Apples and Green Beans

Makes 8-10 servings

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons taco seasoning

1 (3-pound) Fantasma's Finest Boneless Pork Loin Roast, cut into 1-inch chunks

1/2 cup white wine

2 stewing apples, such as McIntosh, Braeburn or Winesap, peeled, seeded and finely chopped

1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped into 1-inch cubes

4 small, sweet potatoes, peeled, chopped into chunks

2 cups beef stock

2 cups spicy vegetable juice

2 teaspoons black cocoa chile powder (or other blend)

1-pound fresh green beans, cut into bite-size pieces, steamed

Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

In a 12-inch sauté pan, heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat.

Put the stew meat in a large mixing bowl, add flour and taco seasoning; rub the mixture into the meat. In batches, add seasoned stew meat to a heated pan and using tongs, sauté until brown on all sides. Remove the first batch of stew meat and place in the bottom of the slow cooker. Continue to brown stew meat until all meat has been browned.

Add wine and apples to the sauté pan, and deglaze the pan, stirring occasionally until the wine evaporates. Pour the apples over the stew meat.

Add sweet potatoes and squash to the slow cooker. Pour stock and vegetable juice over the stew ingredients. Sprinkle black cocoa chile powder over the top and cook on medium-high for 4-6 hours.

Stir green beans into the stew, garnish with parsley and serve.

Pork Medallions and Egg Noodle Stroganoff

Makes 8 servings

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon Hungarian smoked paprika, plus garnish

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 pound Fantasma's Finest Pork Medallions, sliced into 1/2-inch strips (available in retail store)

1 tablespoon canola oil, plus 2 teaspoons

2 tablespoons butter

1 onion, finely diced

16 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced

2 tablespoons Dijon country mustard

About 3 ounces (1/2 package) Boursin cheese with herbs

1/2 cup beef stock

1/2 cup heavy cream

Salt, to taste

1 (16-ounce) package egg noodles, cooked according to package directions

Parsley, chopped

On a plate, season flour with paprika and pepper. Pat the pork medallions dry with a paper towel and dredge in seasoned flour.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet and add first batch of pork, making sure not to crowd, and sauté over medium heat until lightly browned on both sides; set aside on paper towel. Sauté the second batch and set aside.

Heat 2 teaspoons oil to the pan. Sauté onion and mushrooms until the onions are translucent and the mushrooms have expressed all their liquid and begin to brown; set aside.

Add broth to the pan to deglaze over low heat. Using a whisk, incorporate mustard, Boursin, and cream, continuing to scrape up the browned bits to create a gravy. Add pork back and allow the liquid to continue to thicken. Fold in mushroom-onion mixture and season with salt. Stir hot noodles into the skillet. Garnish with parsley and a sprinkle of paprika. Stroganoff is best served immediately!

Moroccan-Inspired Harissa Pot Roast with Chickpeas

Makes 8 servings

1 (3-5 pound) Fantasma's Finest Beef Chuck Roast

3 tablespoons ground harissa, plus more

1 tablespoon sea salt

Pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 bunch carrots, peeled and sliced into 2-inch pieces

2 (15-ounce) cans fire-roasted tomatoes

1 cup beef stock

1 to 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas

Couscous, to serve

Rinse and pat the chuck roast with paper towels. Rub the roast with harissa, salt and pepper. Heat oil and sear the meat on all sides. Place the onion in the bottom of a slow cooker crock. Place meat on top of the onions and nestle carrots on the sides. Pour tomatoes and stock over the top. Add chickpeas to the pot. Sprinkle top with more harissa. Cook the pot roast on High for 8 to 10 hours or until the meat is tender. Serve pot roast over couscous and spoon vegetables and sauce over the top.

Phyllo Bites: Pipe the filling from Quark and Bacon Deep-Fried Olives into storebought phyllo bites. Garnish with chives and bits of Fantasma's Finest Shoulder Bacon.

Quark and Bacon Stuffed Deep-Fried Olives

Makes 18 to 24 olives

1 (6-ounce) jar Hemme Brother's Quark

2 slices Fantasma's Finest Shoulder Bacon, cooked to desired doneness

Snipped chives

18-24 jumbo martini olives, dried with paper towel

All-purpose flour

1 egg

Breadcrumbs, panko or Italian

Canola oil

In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, combine quark, bacon and a tablespoon or so of chives. Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip. Fill each hole in the olive with quark mixture.

Set up a trio of ramekins: In the first one, place flour. In the second, whisk and egg and a tablespoon of water. In the third, fill with breadcrumbs. Roll each stuffed olive in the flour, egg and breadcrumbs until well coated. Place olives in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

In a large saucepan, heat oil until it registers 350° F. on a deep-fry thermometer. Using a spoon, carefully lower six olives, or fewer (do not crowd), into the oil and allow to fry until golden brown, about 1 minute. Remove the olives from the oil and allow to drain on paper towels.

If you have quark filling leftover, try our Quark and Bacon Phyllo Bites.

Sticky, sweet, fatty and unctuous! These pork belly "lollipops" are a decadent, perfect to ring in the new year, and great chased by a flute of Champagne. Consider serving with Paradise's Quark and Bacon Stuffed Deep-Fried Olives.

Pork Belly Lollipops

Makes 36-40 pieces

1 (3-pound) Fantasma's Finest Pork Belly

1 large yellow onion, cut into big chunks

6 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

1 (2-inch piece of ginger, grated

Apple cider

1/2 jar Fantasma's Finest Apricot Preserves

Preheat the oven to 250° F. Place pork belly fat side up in a 9- by 13-inch oven baking dish. Add onions and garlic. Pour apple cider into dish about halfway to 3/4 of the way up the belly (don't cover completely). Cover dish with foil and bake for 6 hours.

Remove pork belly from the oven and allow to cool. Drain the juice and fat from the pan and return the pork belly to the baking dish. Place a piece of foil over the top and weight with heavy cans of food. Place the baking dish in the refrigerator for the night.

Next Day

Preheat oven to 350° F.

In a small saucepan, warm the apricot preserves over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.

With a sharp knife, cut pork belly into 1- by 1-inch squares. Pour the warm preserves over the pork belly and brush evenly over the top. Place pork belly in the oven and rewarm for 15 minutes, or until the preserves are thick and bubbly.

Spear each pork belly square with a toothpick and keep warm until time to serve.