Tony Roma’s Ribs with a Side of Bacon

Is there anything as mouthwatering as Tony Roma’s Ribs? Juicy and succulent, they are almost without peer in the realm of savory deliciousness. We say almost because, let’s be honest, there’s also bacon. But what if you can have your Tony Roma’s Ribs and bacon too? If that sounds like a dream come true, hold onto your hat because we’ve got some recipes for you.

• What could be simpler than Bacon Crackers? To make them, preheat your oven to 350, set a wire rack into a rimmed cookie sheet, and lay a package worth of Townhouse Butter Crackers on the rack. Slice a package of bacon into thirds, placing a piece of cut bacon lengthwise on each cracker. Sprinkle the bacon with a generous amount of brown sugar and a light sprinkling of cayenne pepper, then bake until the sugar is melting and the bacon is crisp. Let your bacon crackers cool, and you’ve got the perfect crunchy accompaniment to Tony Roma’s Ribs!
• Onto what will you slather Bourbon Bacon Jam? A better question is what won’t you slather it on? You might serve your rib dinner with toast, rolls or crackers, but no matter what, this makes an excellent addition to your feast. To make it, cook 1 and ½ pounds of bacon in two frying pans, so it has plenty of room to crisp properly. Once it’s perfectly browned, with as little visible fat as possible, transfer it to paper towels and drain it. Finely chop 2 cups of shallots with 1 cup of sweet onions in the food processor or by hand, and cook them in 1-2 tablespoons of bacon fat until they start to caramelize. Add 4 finely chopped garlic cloves and cook for another minute before stirring in 1 teaspoon of chili powder and ½ teaspoon of smoked paprika. Increase the heat to high and carefully add ½ cup of bourbon and ½ cup of maple syrup, then bring to a boil, stiring and scraping the pan to loosen the bacon bits, and boil for 2-3 minutes. Add ¼ cup balsamic vinegar and ½ cup brown sugar, boil for 3 minutes more. Cut or tear the bacon into small pieces, toss it into the pan, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for about 10 minutes, during which time the mixture will start to look like jam. Turn off the stove, and pour your jam through a sieve or cheesecloth to drain any excess fat. It will be pretty chunky, and you can leave it that way, or if you prefer a smoother jam, pulse it in a food processor until it breaks down further. Transfer it to jars, and store it in the fridge! You can slather it on whatever you’d like, or heat it in the microwave if you’d like to drizzle it over something like meat on the grill.
• Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies are the perfect little dessert to go with your Tony Roma’s Ribs picnic. To make them, cook 8-10 ounces of bacon until it’s crispy, set aside, and save your bacon grease in a glass container, allowing it to solidify. Preheat your oven to 375, and combine ¼ cup bacon fat with ¾ cup of butter, 1 cup packed brown sugar, and ½ cup sugar, creaming them in a large bowl until fluffy. Add 2 eggs and 1 teaspoon of baking soda and mix well, then mix in 1 teaspoon of vanilla, then 2 and ¼ cups of flour. Crumble your bacon and stir it in, along with 1 cup of semisweet chocolate chips and ½ cup of chocolate chips. Drop by rounded scoops onto a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for about 8 minutes, allowing to cool before devouring.
• These Bacon Pancake Dippers make the most of a classic combination, and couldn’t be easier to make! Just whip up your favorite pancake batter and pour it into a squeeze bottle with a big enough hole to pour the batter through. Spray your griddle with cooking spray and heat it to medium heat, about 300 degrees. Pour the batter onto the griddle in ovals slightly larger than pre-cooked bacon slices, realizing that it will expand when cooked, and place a pre-cooked slice of bacon in each oval, gently pressing into the batter. Zig zag some more batter on top of the bacon, cook until the batter bubbles up, then flip and cook until golden brown. The only thing left to do after that is serve these dippers with butter and maple syrup!

Want more delicious recipes or to learn more about Tony Roma’s Ribs? Pre-cooked and simple to prepare, they’re the perfect meal, any time or place. Find us, and connect with other rib enthusiasts on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest for more mouthwatering recipes.

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