Cheesy Bacon Holiday Crack.
{Today I am partnering with Kettle Brand to bring you this addicting holiday snack!}
Happy Sunday! I have snacks, upon snacks, upon SNACKS to share!
I hope you are all enjoying your weekend, doing fun things, baking sweet things and maybe even slow cookin‘ dinner? Whatever your up to, I hope it’s the best! If you’re like me, you’re carving a little time out from your weekend for holiday planning… because I’m the world’s biggest holiday freak, and Thanksgiving and Christmas are my two favorites. It’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away, but it has me very excited! I’ve shared a few new Thanksgiving recipes like these sweet potatoes and these mashed potatoes, and I have more on the way, BUT this easy appetizer or snack is such a great one to serve up this season!
So let’s chat about this cheesy bacon holiday crack. It’s beyond addicting, hence the word “crack” in the title. Sweet, salty, a little cheesy, plus all kinds of crunchy! And simple! When it comes to holiday appetizers and snacks, I really like to keep things simple.
My oldest brother was asked to bring a dish to a Friendsgiving gathering this year and asked me what he should bring. Now, if you know my brother, than you know he is not the best in the kitchen. His skills lie somewhere between frying a steak on the stove (one time he actually cooked it in water, I practically ran out screaming) and heating up leftovers in the oven.
Bottom line: he’s not the most skilled when it comes to cooking. So I knew I needed to give him a recipe that one, included a little meat, and two, was as easy as baking some ingredients on a sheet pan and calling it a day.
Enter this sweet and savory holiday “crack”. Just add everything to a sheet pan (and when I say everything I mean all SIX ingredients), bake for ten or so minutes, and serve. EASY and DELICIOUS. The hardest part is cooking up the bacon in a skillet before hand, but I trust that most of us can handle that!
This recipe is perfect for everything from Friendsgiving, to actual Thanksgiving, to Christmas, to New Years…thus the word “holiday” in the title. 🙂
I am really excited because I’ve partnered with Kettle Brand to help raise awareness to No Kid Hungry. This Thanksgiving, Kettle Brand and No Kid Hungry have gotten together to help make your Friendsgiving not only delicious, but one that gives back too! By hosting a Friendsgiving you and your friends can help feed kids in need. If you are throwing a Friendsgiving gathering this year…or have just been inspired to do so, please consider signing up here to make your Friendsgiving an extra special get together to benefit No Kid Hungry. You will be doing some serious good this holiday season. <–totally all about eating good food, hanging with friends, and doing a little good at the same time!
One of my favorite things about this time of year is the opportunity for us to give back. The holidays always bring out the giving spirit in people, and if there’s one thing my mom taught me, ok well aside from a love for all things, chocolate, carbs and butter, it’s that giving back is one of the best things we can offer. No Kid Hungry is making giving so easy, and FREE, so please be sure to check out their site for all the info…then head to the grocery store, buy some Kettle Chips and make some holiday snacks!
OK, real quick here, let’s break this recipe down so you know everything that’s happening:
…start with some Kettle Brand Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper (or any another flavor you love!)
…then add a little brown sugar
…drizzle a little maple syrup
…add some cheddar
…some bacon
…a generous sprinkle (at least for me!) of cayenne pepper
…bake, break it up, serve.
…now eat…and eat, and EAT. Trust me, this stuff is addicting…hence the crazy title! 🙂
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Cheesy Bacon Holiday Crack.
By halfbakedharvest
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: bacon, cheese, festive, holidays
It's beyond addicting, hence the word "crack" in the title. Sweet, salty, a little cheesy, plus all kinds of crunchy! And simple! When it comes to holiday appetizers and snacks, I really like to keep things simple.
Ingredients
- 10 slices thick cut bacon chopped
- 1 bag Kettle Brand Black Pepper or Sea Salt Potato Chips
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/2-1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- rosemary for garnish (optional)
Instructions
-
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Cook the bacon in a large skillet over high heat until the fat renders and the bacon is just beginning to crisp, about 5-6 minutes. Slide the bacon out onto a paper towel lined plate to drain.
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Arrange the potato chips on the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the chips. Now drizzle the maple evenly over the chips. Add the cheese and bacon. Sprinkle on the cayenne pepper. Transfer to the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the bacon is crisp and the cheese is melted. Remove and break the chips into pieces. Serve warm or at room temperature. Keep any leftovers stored in the fridge.
Happy Sunday Snacking!
PS. This recipe would be great for Sunday football too…just sayin’.
Ah, yay-yuh!!!!!!! This is definitely going on the holiday menu this year. I can’t wait to try this addictive looking stuff!
Yes! I hope you love it Tori! Thank you
Oh yeah, this sounds like something I would binge eat alright ahahahah!! Looks so good!
http://bloglairdutemps.blogspot.pt/
Thank you Ruth!
This sounds absolutely amazing. I’m not always sure about the sweet and savory combination especially with bacon, but this looks and sounds soo good. Time to defrost the bacon.
I hope you love this one Andrea! Thank you so much!
What a good idea!
Thank you Cassandra!
Love it! Will have to make two different batches though. Have some in my crew that do not care for sweet mixed with savory – it is one or the other for them. But me???? I could eat the entire batch myself while reading a good book! Thanks for sharing!
I hope they turn out great for you Naomie! Thanks so much!
Would of course use, Tillamook Vintage extra Sharp Cheddar and next batch Jalapeno Jack.
Thank you Thank you..Can’t wait !!
Awesome! I hope you love these, thanks Leslie!
Made them used combo of both Vintage and Jal,,,they were fab..l Did not refig..left then out in a seal container. Double batch. Fantastic. I will be making MORE and even MORE. Only wish there were no so many broken chips in my bag.
thank you dear lady.
Yummy!!
Thank you!
like every other self centered so called cook on the web: this supposed to be about the recipe,not your picture taking or your family,one picture and recipe,,typical;;If you think I,m wrong ask average people what they think,chasing from one link to another to find recipe..
Hey Willie, not sure why you feel you have the right to put others down, but no one forced you to read my blog or look at my recipes. If you do not like what you see, please just LEAVE . Thanks so much. 🙂
Love your recipes and your stories!
Can’t wait to try this one out 🙂
Thanks Vanessa!! Hope you love it!!
Shame on you Willie. Yes go away.
May your stocking be full of coal this year. It must be tough living every day being as miserable as you.
My boys will love this.
FYI: I think your formatting is off. Doesn’t matter which browser I use. It’s been weird for the last couple of days.
Thank you!
I know, so sorry about the weird characters. Trying to fix it ASAP. Thank you again!
How long will they keep? Is it ok to make them in advance?
Hey Holly! Keeps about 1-2 days and yes, you can make in advance. Let me know if you have questions. Thanks!
I can’t even with this recipe. Drooling all over right now!
Lol! Glad you like these Gina! Thanks so much!
Love the name, love the chips, and would be instantly addicted for sure
Glad you are loving these Matt! Thank you!
these look amazing!! Totally going to try this recipe!
Glad to hear that! I hope it turns out awesome for you Alice, thank you!
I don’t even know if “crack” can fully describe how addicting this stuff would be. Looks absolutely positively AMAZING!
Haha I am really happy you are loving these Karly! Thank you!
Yep. I could devour them all in one sitting!! Kettle Brand is the BEST!!!
Haha yes! Glad you are liking these Jennifer, thank you!
You are really bad, Lady! Made these to munch on while watching the Hawks beat New England Sunday – they are so easy, fun and so really bad for us!! Had some leftover to heat up Monday for another snack and they were as crisp & tasty as the first night. Thanks for another fun appie. P.S. We will try to make them just every few months – they are addictive.
I think thats the best bad there is? Haha! So happy you all enjoyed Jean! Thank you!!
Kettle sea salt chips are on the top of my list along with Tyrell’s Mature Cheddar and Chive. This recipe just kicked it up a notch. I don’t know how my Italian husband’s traditional palette will deal with the “sweet factor” – maple syrup and brown sugar- but I think if I just don’t say anything he will enjoy and have no idea…
I’m sure he wouldn’t notice!! Let me know how it goes!! Thanks!!
May try this with a little squirt of sriracha instead of cayenne. Will let you know how it comes out. Thanks for the recipe!
Ooo yes please do! I hope you love these, thanks Joe!
It has my four food groups. Bacon, cheese, chips and maple syrup (being the good Canadian girl that I am). It is currently in the over as I type for a baby shower. Hopefully it makes it there.
Haha that saying reminds me of the movie of Elf! lol! I hope it made it to the baby shower and everyone enjoyed it! Thanks so much Kayla!
These look amazing. If I want to make them ahead and bring them into work for a pot luck, how would you recommend I store/serve them. Make them the night before, store in the fridge and then heat in the microwave? Or serve at room temperature?
Thanks!
Hey Chloe!! Yup, make the night before and then i’d day just serve at room temp. I think microwaving them might make them soggy. Let me know if you have questions. Hope this is a hit. Happy Holidays!
I commented above I heated up our leftovers the next day (in the oven – not covered) and they were as crisp as the 1st day. Don’t know about microwaving them, tho.
Wow!! Thats amazing!!
I love your blog! Thank you for such unique, easy and delicious recipes! This recipe – Cheesy Holiday Bacon Crack – was over the top outstanding! I made it for our monthly dinner party – an instant hit! Addicting is not a strong enough word – the combination of flavors! Folks -do not be afraid of the cayenne pepper – you really need it to cut the sweetness! Thanks again!
Hi!! Thanks so much Barb!! This is one of my favorites too!! So happy it was a hit!!
How many servings and/or how many people should this serve? Thanks-sounds delish. I’m making it today!
Hey Jules! I would say this serves about 6-8 people. Let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this and Merry Christmas?
I doubled the recipe, used 1 bag of kettle jalapeno chips, one kettle sea salt n pepper chips, and added some Tajin seasoning in addition to the cayenne. Christmas Crack lived up to its name! SOOOO GOOD!!!! Merry Christmas to you too! 🙂
Ah you made a ton!! thats so awesome!! Thanks Jules!
Yum!!!!! I will be making this delight. Thank you. 🙂
Hope you love it Claudia!! Thanks and merry christmas!
Made for Christmas Eve. Even people I thought would avoid it wanted more. Wonderful
Wow that is so great! SO happy you guys liked them, thanks!
Sounds amazing. Is it better to serve them hot right away or are they better room temp? Just trying to figure out appy linguistics.
Wither way is great, but I prefer warm. Hope you love this! 🙂
Ha, you know what I mean.
What size is the bag of chips? I may or may not have a Costco sized bag at home!
hi! I use a 13 ounce bag! 🙂
This combination is just weird enough to make me HAVE to try it!! Super glad I did….everyone loves it!
I am so glad you liked this Kathryn!! Thank you!
As everyone else stated this was a huge hit for Christmas eve festivities. No kidding, my brother said it was like crack without him knowing the recipe name.
You wrote in the article “The hardest part is cooking up the bacon in a skillet before hand”. That was so true as it always is using bacon in a recipe, because the bacon gets eaten. Good thing I know me and bought extra bacon!
Thank you for the great recipe!
Haha good thing! I am really glad you enjoyed these! Thank you!
It looks delicious but I really wish people would stop naming food after a devastating drug epidemic that ruined lives and families and perpetuated institutionalized racism.
I wanted to make this for a holiday party at work potluck. Can it be made the day before?
Sure! You can make this up to 3 days ahead. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much!! xTieghan ?
I’m thinking of giving these as a gift – secret Santa – do they stay crispy or do you have to eat them right away?
It stays pretty crispy for the most part. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much!! xTieghan ?
Do the chips lose their crunch if they are stored in the fridge and then eaten a day or so later?
Hi Madi! Yes, they loose a little bit of their crunch. They are still good however. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Gotta be honest, not a fave. wasn’t “crack”, one bite was enough.
Hi! I am sorry you did not enjoy this! Are there any questions I could help you with? I hope you try some other recipes of mine! xTieghan
did not like at all.
My roommate and I have made a variant of this with the Northern Spices from the World of Warcraft cookbook instead of cayenne, and it is awesome.
Northern Spices are, IIRC, juniper berries, ginger, cardamom, salt, pepper, and one or two other things ground together in a spice grinder.
Ooo so cool! Thank you for sharing this, Jasin! xTieghan
Looks awesome! Always looking for new recipes 🙂 … wondering though how much “kick” does the cayenne pepper give it ?
HI! The pepper does add a nice amount of heat! You can always adjust the measurements to be to your liking however. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Making these tomorrow for my friends Thanksgiving party. Wish me luck! Will update ❤️
I hope this turns out amazing for you, Lex! Thank you! xTieghan
I TRIED THIS RECIPE NOT A HIT THE BROWN SUGAR AND MAPLE SYRUP BURNED BEFORE CHEESE WAS TOTALLY MELTED WAS NOT EVEN IN FOR THE 10 -15 MIN TIME LIMIT AT 350 DEGREES I AM GOING TO TRY AGAIN WITHOUT MAPLE SYRUP & BROWN SUGAR
Hey Theresa,
So sorry you had issues with the recipe, please let me know if I can help in anyway! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Looks delicious!! Would Costco bacon bits work instead of cooking raw bacon? Thanks!
Hey there,
Yes, that will work just fine. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan