Cured Meat

These mini-taters keep portion size in check, so you can enjoy cheesy, bacony goodness without thinking twice.

This twist on pasta carbonara is sweet from leeks and rich thanks to cream (in place of eggs).

For this dish, balsamic vinegar adds the sweetness needed to balance the sharp flavor of red wine vinegar.

Potatoes cooked in chicken broth are mashed with just the right amount of butter, cream, chives and bacon to make an irresistible side dish.

Pancetta is the secret ingredient that makes this moist stuffing really flavorful. If you don’t have pancetta on hand, bacon works great too!

Company coming? Here’s an easy and elegant breakfast or brunch idea that your guests will really enjoy. It features puff pastry shells filled with egg, cheese, bacon and chopped chives!

We're skipping the classic cubes in favor of tangled butternut ribbons baked into a moist flat cake for a seriously showstopping first course. Pair the squash with a mix of spicy arugula and ever-so-slightly-bitter chicory enhanced with savory pancetta and toasted hazelnuts. A sweet-tart apple vinaigrette is the final touch atop the most refreshing fall salad we've tasted in a long time. Editor's Note: This recipe is part of our Gourmet Modern Menu for Thanksgiving for 2 or 20. Menu also includes: Citrus-Sage Roast Turkey with Gravy (whole turkey or breast ); Mashed Potato and Cauliflower Gratin; Cabernet-Cranberry Sauce with Figs; Challah, Sausage, and Dried Cherry Stuffing; and for dessert, Apple Crostata with Spiced Caramel Sauce .

Potatoes cooked in chicken broth are mashed with just the right amount of butter, cream, chives and bacon to make an irresistible side dish.

Wild mushrooms add depth of flavor to this take on the French classic. Make sure your bacon isn't too smoky; it could overwhelm the dish.

Let’s be clear: If you’re hosting the dinner party to end all dinner parties—Grandma’s good china is out of storage, the napkins have been ironed, and you’re polishing the silver—this is the ultimate first course. At first glance it may resemble a basic pear-and-arugula salad, but look closer and you’ll find that everything about it is just a little bit special, from the Champagne vinaigrette, to the creamy, salty ricotta salata, to the rich and savory pancetta. The ingredients do cost a little more, but it’s worth it.

Iceberg-wedge salads have been a restaurant staple, but this simple starter begs to be made at home. Hot pepper sauce adds zing to the blue cheese dressing, which is easy and delicious enough that you’ll want to save any extra and use as a dip for veggies or toss with cold cooked pasta for lunch. Serve with a grilled fillet of fish or steak, and you’ve got yourself an at-home meal that trumps anything you’d find on a menu.

With tender acorn squash, salty pancetta, a pungent and tart vinaigrette, and bitter chicory, this hearty salad is layered in flavor and texture. It will take you through all of winter, and would fit perfectly on most holiday buffets. You can use other winter squashes, including butternut, and bacon or prosciutto can easily stand in for the pancetta.

Forty-five minutes is all the time you’ll need to make this hearty, creamy chowder with bacon, salmon, and corn. A family-pleasing favorite for a winter night, the recipe also holds up to health-conscious variations. Sub in turkey bacon and low-fat milk, or swap in yams for the red potatoes for an extra dose of beta-carotene.

Eggs Benedict with a dash of Worcestershire sauce? Trust us—and Epicurious member Gromney—on this one: it lends a compelling touch to this brunch classic. To make this dish a touch healthier, substitute turkey bacon or smoked salmon and reach for whole-wheat English muffins instead of the plain old white.

Can’t believe that bacon could get any better? Brown sugar and a pinch of cayenne add both sweet and hot components to the meat’s smoky flavor. As the bacon sizzles in the oven, the spicy mixture forms a glaze over each strip, packing even more flavor and crunch. Serve this traditionally, with scrambled eggs and an English muffin, or go rogue and pile this crispy treat onto a club sandwich with turkey and avocado for an extra-special lunch break.

Epicurious member Tess Ellis of Washington, D.C, drew inspiration from the ingredients she had on hand to create this eclectic take on a classic comfort food. The savory ingredients add dimension to the creamy dish, while the red pepper flakes add a touch of heat. To achieve a delicious crusty top, she suggests that you “put it under the broiler for a few minutes to give it a nice brown coating.”

Created by Epicurious member Kathe Miller from Chelan, Washington, this beautiful salad has a wonderful presentation as well as a rich taste. Try it as a starter, or as a satisfying lunch. Miller recommends pears that are tender but crisp, giving the salad a divine texture and bite that is at once crunchy and juicy.

Leave it to bad-boy bacon to show no-nonsense arugula a good time. This savory treat towers with layers of flavor and texture, from the deliciously runny yolks melding with the cool tomato and tangy vinaigrette, to the chewy bacon and crisp Italian bread. Add breakfast potatoes for a nice Sunday morning brunch.

What makes this frittata so easy, according to Epicurious member Carla Joy Zambelli of Haverford, Pennsylvania, is that there’s practically no shopping required. The frittata can be made with whatever produce you have on hand. Some easy add-ins include caramelized onions, mushrooms, diced kale, or collards. “It’s an Italian version of a quiche—just without the fuss and crust,” she says. Served with a lightly dressed arugula salad, it makes for a perfect start—or finish—to the day.

This lightly fried, fleshy white fish paired with crisp bacon and cauliflower is surprisingly hearty. Cream of Wheat gives the rice-flour crust an airy texture that won’t drown the fish, and the bacon drippings infuse the cauliflower with a smoky flavor. To cut the fat, drain the drippings and sauté the vegetables in olive oil instead. Dover sole is a suitable flat-fish substitute.