If you, as many do, think I’m nuts and that bacon makes everything better, you can amp up the bacon flavor (and save yourself a step) by sautéing your vegetables in the same pan you fried the bacon in. In fact, I like to cook it in the oven because I don’t like the lingering fried bacon fat smell. You can use any breadcrumbs you like, but check out my recipe for Easy Homemade Breadcrumbs! I always use up leftover bread this way, and I keep them in a freezer bag for easy access.Ī NOTE ABOUT BACON: I have kind of a controversial opinion about bacon. My mouth is watering just writing about it.

It’s not difficult, but it’s got lots of ingredients, takes some time to make (one hour is a lot for an appetizer, in my opinion), and the buttery, garlic-y clam sauce that goes over the top is particularly sinful. This is definitely a special occasion kind of recipe. The addition of bacon makes this specifically a “Clams Casino” mash-up, with a nod to another classic American dish. The appetizer that my mom always made for company was baked clams, and if there were both red and green peppers in the mix, we knew it was party time. I think of it as the type of appetizer your mom would make when company was coming over. More like the “sneaking rum punch at your parents’ Christmas party” kind. Stuffed mushrooms have a vintage cocktail party vibe, but not the swanky “sipping old-fashioneds at the 21 Club” kind.