Savory chive-studded French toast is topped with that irresistible trio, bacon, lettuce, and tomato. Serve this easy, creative open-face BLT for brunch, lunch, or dinner.

The simple combination of prunes wrapped in bacon creates a symphony of flavors and textures. Create your own variations by stuffing the prunes with blue cheese or manchego, or use dates in place of prunes. Versions of these colorfully named hors d'oeuvres have been popular for well over a century.

Often called "Salade aux Lardons," this staple of French bistro menus combines chewy morsels of bacon with the bright punch of vinegar and frisee -- feathery salad greens with a slightly bitter flavor. If you like, top this salad with a poached egg.

This elegant quiche combines zucchini with the richness of eggs, creme fraiche, bacon, and gruyere cheese in buttery tart dough. Serve for brunch with a fruit salad, or for dinner with lightly dressed greens.

As anyone who's ever had a BLT can tell you, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. This is the definitive recipe for the bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich, complete with homemade mayonnaise and fresh basil leaves.

Bacon and leafy greens are a match made in heaven. In this easy crowd-pleaser of a side dish, a splash of vinegar adds balance to the combination of sauteed spinach and rich, smoky bacon.

Quick-cooking grits are studded with bacon, jalapeno pepper, and sharp cheddar cheese in a classic Southern side dish. Serve for breakfast with eggs and biscuits, or for dinner with fried chicken or shrimp.

Bacon, shallots, and frozen peas combine in a creamy sauce for a simple-but-luscious take on spaghetti carbonara. This easy main dish is on the table in 20 minutes flat.

The soul-satisfying comfort food combination of tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches gets even better with the addition of bacon. If tomatoes are out of season, use canned diced tomatoes in place of the fresh ones.

A cocktail party staple for decades, this two-ingredient hors d'oeuvre combines crisp water chestnuts and smoky-sweet bacon. Serve these easy appetizers with teriyaki or barbecue sauce for dipping if you like.

An ordinary dish of orecchiette pasta with tomato sauce becomes extraordinary with the addition of bacon, red onion, and the lively bite of red pepper flakes. Add a vegetable to the sauce, such as zucchini, spinach, or broccoli, to make it a complete meal.

Scrambled eggs and bacon never go out of style, and here they are accessorized with the luxurious addition of avocado. This 15-minute dish makes a perfect breakfast, and it's great for dinner too.

Red onions are sauteed in bacon fat and then simmered with grape tomatoes and white-wine vinegar to form the alluring vinaigrette for this warm spinach salad. Add some grilled chicken to turn this into a main-course salad.

Dried porcini mushrooms, sauteed fresh mushrooms, leeks, scallions, garlic, and bacon add layer upon layer of flavor to this party dip, while cream cheese and sour cream tie it all together. Make the dip a day in advance to allow the flavors to blend.

No ordinary chowder, this one combines fresh sweet corn and shrimp with bacon in its creamy potato-flecked broth. Make sure to wait until the last few minutes to add the shrimp so they don't overcook.

Surprisingly sweet and tender beet greens are accented by bacon and scallions in this 10-minute side dish. If beet greens aren't available, use Swiss chard instead.

The sweetness of fresh corn and the rich smokiness of bacon make a winning combination. Depending on size, an ear of corn yields about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of kernels.

Not your usual bowl of spaghetti, this quick pasta dinner boasts bacon, shrimp, and scallions. Chopped tomatoes are a great addition too.

Mild cod is wrapped in a luscious blanket of bacon and accompanied by a bold salad of frisee and pink grapefruit. You can use any firm, mild fish in this recipe, such as bass, halibut, or haddock.

A chewy toasted bagel encloses fried eggs, melted American or cheddar cheese, and crisp-fried slices of bacon. This stick-to-your-ribs portable breakfast will keep you going strong until lunch.

Creamy white beans and bitter escarole create the base of this hearty soup. A generous portion of applewood-smoked bacon adds irresistible flavor and depth.

Chopped scallions and a piece of smoked bacon dress up clams on the half shell. To keep the clams tender, broil these easy, impressive appetizers just until the bacon is browned.

Bacon, eggs, potatoes, and spinach are a satisfying combination the whole family can agree on, whether for brunch or a light dinner. Ricotta cheese makes this frittata extra creamy.

Freshly ground chuck is the secret to a great burger. Here, the beef is mixed with browned bacon, onion, garlic, and fresh thyme to create burgers that will make your guests weak in the knees.

This traditional risotto recipe combines lightly browned bacon, sauteed leeks, and tender peas. Adding the broth a little at a time and stirring constantly yields perfectly creamy, tender rice.

This side dish of green beans simmered in chicken broth and speckled with bacon will make everyone want to eat their vegetables. These green beans are especially good with fried chicken, barbecued ribs, or brisket.

Just when you thought bacon couldn't get any better, we brushed it with a glaze of fresh orange juice and honey and baked it until it was caramelized and crisp. Serve this deluxe bacon with simple fried or scrambled eggs and buttered toast.

You'll look forward to lunchtime when you transform a ho-hum turkey sandwich into a roast turkey BLT. Add sliced avocado for an extra treat.

Sweet sea scallops and smoky, salty bacon are a mouthwatering combination. A sauce made of shallots, reduced white wine, and butter -- known as beurre blanc -- makes this a company-worthy main course.

This rich chowder is thickened with a roux made from bacon fat. Fresh broccoli and frozen corn kernels add a healthy dose of vegetables.

Delicate fingerling potatoes are bathed in a rich glaze of bacon, onion, tomato, thyme, and chicken stock. Serve this satisfying side dish with steak or roast beef.

Similar to a quiche, this easy, elegant breakfast or brunch casserole uses buttery store-bought puff pastry in place of the traditional pie crust. This dish is great for entertaining, as you can bake it ahead of time and then refrigerate and reheat just before serving.

Humble brown lentils are raised to new heights by crisp crumbled bacon and sauteed onion, carrots, and garlic. The lentils rest on a bed of frisee tossed in a simple vinaigrette of red-wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, and olive oil.

Eggs, Parmesan cheese, and half-and-half form a delectably creamy sauce for spaghetti and bacon. Create your own variations on this classic pasta dish by adding peas or by trying different types of cheese.

Tender asparagus is held together in perfect little bundles by a band of peppered bacon. Serve these as an appetizer or a side dish with their memorable dipping sauce of mayonnaise, Sriracha chili sauce, lime juice, and chopped cilantro.

Slabs of bacon and fresh sage leaves encircle thick slices of beef tenderloin in this Argentine-style entree. Searing the tournedos in a cast-iron skillet ensures a flavorful brown crust.

To make this appetizer, extra-sharp cheddar cheese is blended with chopped bacon and white onion to create a rich spread for mini cocktail toasts. The cheese spread can be made a day or two in advance of a party and then broiled on toast just before serving.

Inspired by spaghetti carbonara, this creamy pasta dish combines bacon, garlic, and yellow squash in a sauce of Asiago cheese and heavy cream. In place of the summer squash you could also use zucchini, broccoli, or cubes of roasted butternut squash.

Bacon and fresh sage add depth to this simple, hearty carrot-and-lentil soup. All you need to make it a complete meal is a loaf of crusty whole-grain bread.

Buttery-textured Red Bliss potatoes are tossed with a flavorful dressing of buttermilk, blue cheese, bacon, and chives. This salad is equally delicious with summer barbecues and winter roasts.

Cooking the cornmeal with milk instead of water creates rich and creamy polenta. Crisp crumbled bacon and fried sage leaves make a unique garnish.

Sauteed sweet red onion and bacon are an excellent match for tangy, creamy goat-cheese sauce. If campanelle isn't available, use any other short pasta shape like penne or rotelle.

Thin slices of bacon enclose perfect little packages of dates stuffed with pistachios and dried apricots. These party appetizers can be assembled and frozen up to one month before baking and serving.

The time-honored combination of Brussels sprouts and bacon gets a spicy update from pureed kimchi -- a Korean condiment made from fermented cabbage and chiles. To save time, you can purchase prepared kimchi in most Asian markets.

Pork chops, bacon, and cabbage are seared and then simmered in bechamel sauce just until tender. Serve this hearty main dish over noodles or mashed potatoes.

This from-scratch recipe for bacon begins with a five-pound slab of pork belly rubbed with sea salt, peppercorns, and apple cider. After curing for at least a day, the pork belly is hot-smoked with hickory wood chips for five to eight hours.