Bacon Sandwiches with Bourbon-Caramelized Onions and Feta

Oh, y'all. 

 Tonight, my brother and I found ourselves cooking a quick and simple supper that was so very good. We took my trusty cold-weather potato soup and livened it up with some amazing bacon sandwiches. The bourbon onions on the sandwiches (Little Brother's creative concoction!) were downright amazing, and added a little taste of Kentucky!

Bacon sandwiches with caramelized onions and feta cheese

• 6 slices bacon
• 2 medium white onions
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Bourbon
• Kosher salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
• Feta cheese crumbles

Caramelize the onions: Melt 1 tablespoon of butter over low heat in a saucepan. Add sliced onions and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cover. Simmer until translucent and tender, 10-15 minutes. Remove cover, increase heat to medium. Add remaining tablespoon butter, brown sugar and a dash of pepper. Stir until sugar has dissolved. Add splash of bourbon, simmer another 5 minutes.

For each sandwich, use three slices of bacon. Cut each slice in half. Lay three of these pieces vertically side-to-side. Lay remaining pieces horizontally on top of the vertical slices and weave in an over-under design, creating a bread-shaped square of bacon. Place in a shallow baking dish lined with aluminum foil. Bake in a 425 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until brown and crispy.

On toasted sandwich bread, add a layer of feta cheese crumbles, a bacon square and caramelized onions.

Potato-leek soup

• 6-7 slices bacon
• 2 leeks, chopped (white and light green portion)
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 7-8 Russet potatoes, peeled and chopped into quarters
• 64 oz box chicken broth
• 1/3 cup half-and-half
• Kosher salt, freshly cracked black pepper

Cut bacon into lardons. Place in dutch oven over medium heat; cook until bacon is lightly browned and fat has rendered. Add leeks and garlic, cook until translucent (3-4 minutes). Add potatoes; let cook for 10-15 minutes. Add chicken broth (It's better to use homemade stock, but packaged broth will do in a pinch...) and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let cook for about 25-30 minutes, until potatoes are soft. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Using an immersion blender (or a food processor), blend most of the soup, leaving a few chunks of potato. Add half-and-half and let cook another 10 minutes or so before serving. If leaving on the stove for a while, you may need to gradually add water to keep from thickening too much.