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Chef Char shares a jam with a twist

Bacon tomato jam is perfect for grilled cheeses.

WHITEHALL, Mich. — Chef Char Morse is back with another delicious recipe to try -- and this week, she's got a jam recipe with a twist! Check out this recipe for tomato bacon jam, perfect for grilled cheeses, BLT spreads, or even in baked beans!

Chef Char's Tomato Bacon Jam

Ingredients:
1 pound bacon, cooked until crisp and bacon fat reserved
2 sweet onions, finely diced
6-8 cups ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Instructions:
In a large cast iron skillet, cook bacon until crisp.  Place cooked bacon on a paper towel on a platter until bacon is cool enough to crumble into small pieces.  Reserve the bacon fat in the pan to cook the jam.

Over medium heat, add diced onions to the bacon fat and cook while stirring occasionally until onions start to brown and caramelize, about 10-15 minutes.

Reduce heat and stir the bacon crumbles into the onions.  

Add the tomatoes, sugar, vinegar, salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper flakes to the bacon and onions in the pan.  Stir until the sugar is dissolved. 

Allow pan to simmer with occasional stirring for one hour.  The jam will need less stirring in the beginning of the process, but as the jam reduces and thickens, more stirring will be needed, especially in the last 15 minutes of simmering.

Place jam in a seal-able container or jelly jars.   Cool before covering and refrigerating or freezing.  Use refrigerated bacon jam within six days.  Use any frozen bacon jam within 3 months.  To thaw, place frozen jam in refrigerator overnight, stir before use, and use within six days after removing from freezer.

This jam may be a little unconventional, but it's delicious! Chef Char said there's tons to do with a bacon jam:

  • Spread on grilled cheese sandwiches
  • Add to mayo and spread on a BLT
  • Use like relish on a burger
  • Mix with softened cream cheese and spread on crackers or bagels
  • Spread on a breakfast sandwich with fried egg and cheese
  • Stir into baked beans
  • Stir into your favorite BBQ sauce and glaze grilled chicken or pork

Find more recipes from Chef Char on her Facebook or blog, www.chefcharmore.com.

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