My older son decided to go to a college in Birmingham, just an hour from home; and he chose to live in a dorm on campus. Because he doesn’t have a car, he doesn’t come home all that often. So when he does come home, I cook his favorite meals and fix snacks that he can take back to his dorm room.
I made this recipe for him recently in my slow cooker, and he loved it. In fact, he loved it so much that he said he probably wouldn’t share it with his friends. But he did share some with his brother and me, and we agreed that it’s delicious. We smeared the honey-bacon compote on plain, baked pita chips and sprinkled a bit of crumbled goat cheese on top.
One of the ingredients in this recipe is apple cider vinegar. Often touted as a health tonic, apple cider vinegar is reported to lower blood sugar, aid in digestion and reduce cardiovascular disease risks, among other health benefits. Some even refer to it as one of nature’s miracle drugs.
Slow cooker honey bacon compote
- 1½ pounds bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 medium yellow onions, large dice
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped
- ½ cup cider vinegar
- ½ cup honey
- ¾ cup strong, brewed coffee
- Cook the bacon in a skillet until it’s well browned. (I use an iron skillet.)
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain. Pour out all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease from the skillet.
- Add the onions and garlic and cook until the onions are translucent.
- Add the vinegar, honey and coffee and bring to a boil, stirring and scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.
- Add the drained bacon and stir to combine.
- Transfer the mixture to a slow cooker.
- Cook uncovered for 3½ to 4 hours on high. When the liquids have thickened and appear sticky or tacky, the compote is ready.
- Turn off the slow cooker. Allow the compote to cool to room temperature and serve.
- Place remaining compote in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to four weeks.
3.2.2802
