Bacon, Mushrooms, and Glazed Onions

Smokey chunks of bacon cooked with meaty mushrooms and balsamic glazed onions make this a hearty companion to any meal.

DIFFICULTY: Easy

PREP TIME: 15 minutes

COOK TIME: 25 minutes

FEEDS: 6 - 8 depending on how many other dishes are served with the meal

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound smoked bacon, diced in 1 inch chunks
4 shallots, ends removed and quartered
1.5 lb oyster mushrooms, sliced

any mushroom will work

3 T balsamic vinegar
2 T fresh thyme, chopped

rosemary or sage also work well

Salt and pepper for seasoning to taste

STEP 1: COOK THE BACON

Dice the bacon into roughly 1 inch pieces. Cook in a large pan over medium heat until it's 75% done and crispy. Pour out half the bacon grease from the pan and reserve.

STEP 2: COOK THE ONIONS

Add the quartered shallots to the pan with the bacon and cook, stirring frequently. Season lightly with salt. After a few minutes, deglaze the pan with 3 T balsamic vinegar. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the pan for any browned bits. After a minute or so, remove the glazed onions and bacon from the pan along with any juices and wipe the pan clean with a paper towel.

STEP 3: COOK THE MUSHROOMS

Set the pan over medium high heat, and once hot, add some of the reserved bacon fat, then the mushrooms to the pan. Cook the mushrooms in an even layer and stir occasionally, adding more bacon fat as the mushrooms cook down and brown. Add the chopped fresh herbs once the mushrooms are about done. Season lightly with salt and pepper to taste.

STEP 4: COMBINE ALL TOGETHER

Once the mushrooms are finished cooking, add the reserved bacon and onions to the pan. Once everything is hot, remove from the heat and make sure it's mixed thoroughly. Serve the bacon, mushrooms, and onion in an appropriate sized bowl or dish and enjoy!