INGREDIENTS
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
Giardiniera Sauce
• 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-package sweet slider rolls, (I like King’s Hawaiian)
• 1 Roma tomato, sliced medium
• Romaine lettuce, sliced to fit the roll
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
For the Bacon: 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. (Do this the day you are serving, having let the bacon cool to room temperature).
For the Giardiniera sauce: 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 occasionally and deglaze as necessary with the balsamic. Cook until a deep golden brown, about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
On each, lightly toasted bun, place a layer of the caramelized onions, 2 halved pieces of the candied bacon, then the tomato. Sprinkle the tomatoes with a bit of salt. Add the lettuce and a smear of the sauce on the top only. Close and serve.
*available from Amazon
**available from Publix
