Maple Pepper Candied Bacon BLT Sliders with Giardiniera Aioli
- Level: Easy
- Yield: 8 to 10 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 10 servings
- Calories
- 674
- Total Fat
- 67
- Saturated Fat
- 26
- Carbohydrates
- 12
- Dietary Fiber
- 1
- Sugar
- 8
- Protein
- 7
- Cholesterol
- 112
- Sodium
- 781
- Total: 1 hr 5 min
- Active: 35 min
Ingredients
Maple Pepper Candied Bacon:
1/4 cup maple sugar
1 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon freshly cracked pink peppercorns
1 pound thick-cut bacon
Nonstick cooking spray, for the rack
Giardiniera Aioli:
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup hot giardiniera, chopped fine
3 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons stone-ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
Sandwich:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 Maui or Vidalia onions, sliced
Balsamic vinegar, for deglazing
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
One 12-ounce package sweet slider rolls, such as King's Hawaiian, split, buttered with salted butter and lightly griddled until golden
1 Roma tomato, sliced medium-thick
4 crispy leaves romaine lettuce, shredded
Directions
- For the maple pepper candied bacon: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Mix the maple sugar, black pepper and pink pepper in a bowl. Place the bacon flat on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Top the bacon with a sprinkle of the sugar-pepper mixture. Bake until super golden brown and crispy, 25 to 30 minutes. Immediately transfer to a wire rack WELL-GREASED with cooking spray to cool. (Ideally, this should be made day-of and cooled for 1 to 2 hours before serving. Do not hold overnight.)
- For the giardiniera aioli: Mix together the mayonnaise, giardiniera, ketchup, mustard and granulated garlic in a bowl until smooth.
- For the sandwich: Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Place the oil and onions in the skillet and gently sweat, stirring only occasionally and letting the sugars develop, and deglazing as necessary with the balsamic a couple of times. Cook until a deep golden brown, about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
- On each buttered and griddled bun, place a layer of the caramelized onions, 2 halved pieces of candied bacon, then the tomatoes. Sprinkle the tomatoes with a bit of salt. Add the shredded lettuce and a nice schmear of the aioli on the bun top ONLY. Close and serve!