Bacon plays a role in a pair of recipes

Recipes that appear in Idea Alley have not been tested by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

Arkansas tomatoes should be hitting market stands any day now and Dave Johnson shares just the recipe to enjoy the summer favorite.

BLT Pie

2 refrigerated pie crusts

1 pound applewood smoked bacon, minced

2 large, vine ripe tomatoes, sliced ½ -inch thick

Salt and ground black pepper

1 avocado, peeled and pitted

Juice from ½ lemon

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce

Thinly sliced red onion

Line a pie plate with one of the crusts and bake according to package instructions.

Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large skillet until crisp. Drain.

Arrange bacon in the bottom of the baked pie crust. Layer one of the tomatoes over the bacon.

Season with salt and pepper, then arrange the second tomato over. Season again with salt and pepper. Top with second crust, sealing and crimping edges.

Bake according to package instructions.

In a small bowl, mash the avocado with the lemon juice and mayonnaise. Mix with lettuce and onion. Slice pie and serve topped with lettuce-onion avocado mixture.

Makes 1 pie.

Michelle Wilson shares these recipes from Weight Watchers.

Bacon, Egg and Spinach Breakfast Stacks

12 baby bliss or other small potatoes

9 ounces fresh baby spinach

1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

2 eggs, beaten

2 tablespoons chopped chives

6 slices uncooked Canadian bacon, cut into quarters

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Place muffin liners in 12-well muffin tin.

Wash and steam potatoes until just done or slightly underdone, about 10 minutes.

Cool immediately. Slice each potato into 4 rounds. Set aside.

Wash and steam spinach until just wilted. Cool, drain well and set aside.

Combine ricotta cheese, eggs and chives.

Place one of the middle potato rounds in bottom of each muffin hole so it lays flat. Top with a quarter slice of bacon, 1 teaspoon ricotta cheese mixture, about 2 tablespoons spinach and about 1 tablespoon cheddar cheese; repeat layers.

Top with remaining potato rounds and sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese.

Bake 30 minutes or until set.

Makes 12 servings.

Chicken Enchilada Skillet

12 corn tortillas, torn into bite size pieces

1 (12.5-ounce) can chunk chicken breast, shredded

1 (10-ounce) can Ro-Tel 1 (10-ounce) can red enchilada sauce

1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided use

Coat large skillet with cooking spray. Add tortilla pieces and chicken. Mix well. Cook over medium-high heat about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Pour the Ro-tel (and its juice), the enchilada and tomato sauces over chicken mixture.

Mix well. Sprinkle with ½ cup cheese. Cover skillet and cook another 5 minutes or until hot, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

REQUEST

Wine and cheese salad dressing for Clara Vogt. The dressing is “popular at several [Hot Springs] Village restaurants.” Vogt did not say if it is a creamy dressing or a vinaigrette.

Send recipe requests, contributions and culinary questions to Kelly Brant, Idea Alley, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, Ark. 72203; e-mail:

[email protected]