E loves bacon. Unfortunately for him I do not eat and have not eaten any pork products (ever) and we keep a kosher home. READ: NO BACON ALLOWED.
So when I found out that Jack’s Gourmet made kosher beef bacon (aka Facon), I knew we had to try it! While I love eating Facon for breakfast with two over easy eggs (tasty yolky goodness), I wanted to incorporate it into dinner somehow. I always see chefs on the Food Network incorporate different percentages of meat into their meatballs so I thought I could do the same.
Ground Turkey + Facon = a match made in meat lovers heaven!
Sautéing the onions and sauce in the Facon fat added a really nice depth of flavor to my sauce. We will definitely be making these again soon!
Oh, and did I mention that this recipe is Kosher for Passover?! Jack’s Gourmet Facon is KP! #happydance
Ingredients:
Jack’s Gourmet Facon, 1 package, diced finely
**Reserve two strips of Facon to crisp up, crumble up and flavor the sauce!
Empire Ground Turkey, 1 package
Shallot, 2, diced
Garlic, 3 medium cloves, peeled and finely chopped
Sea Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper
Chili Powder
Marinara Sauce or Crushed Tomatoes, 1-1/2 cups
Onion, 1 small, diced
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (“EVOO”)
Directions:
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the Facon, shallots and garlic, ground turkey, sea salt, fresh ground pepper and chili powder. Use your hands to mix thoroughly until everything is evenly distributed.
- Form the mixture into 12-13 meatballs and arrange on the baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes.
- Heat your Le Creuset Skillet on the stovetop. Drizzle in about a tablespoon of EVOO. Sauté the Facon until crispy. Remove and place on a paper towel lined plate.
- Sauté the diced onions in the Facon fat until translucent. Add the marinara sauce or crushed tomatoes to the skillet. Season with some additional sea salt and fresh ground pepper.
- Transfer meatballs to the Le Creuset Skillet. Simmer on low for 15 minutes, turning the meatballs occasionally to make sure they are fully covered in sauce.
- Serve the meatballs on their own, with pasta or other sides. Top the meatballs with some crumbled Facon bits! I served the meatballs with a broc slaw salad with crispy pepitas (aka pumpkin seeds) drizzled with a lemon lime garlic vinaigrette!
**What is kosher? See HERE.