Bacon Guacamole with Cheddar Chips

Guacamole is an easy sell. Put a bowl out at a party, and immediately the entire group is hovering over the bowl ready to dip in. So, imagine what might happen when a bowl of bacon guacamole is served. Stand back—this is a flavorful, high-fat snack that people are going to run towards.

Basic guacamole doesn’t really need a recipe. In essence, it’s just avocados, lime and salt. However, if your usual go-to has tasted a little ho-hum lately, this recipe will guide you back to an amazing bowl of guacamole. Ripe avocados are mashed with shallot, garlic, cilantro, lots of lime, and yes, bacon. Bacon is the perfect salty, crunchy topper for guacamole.

Speaking of crunchy, eating guacamole with a spoon instead of dipping in a chip just isn’t the same. It doesn’t have to be a corn chip though. This Primal and keto-friendly guacamole is scooped up with chips made out of Cheddar cheese. That’s it…just Cheddar cheese. Grated and baked, the cheese melts into a crispy, salty chip that’s perfect for guacamole. (Don’t do dairy? Then try chicken skin chips.)

Time in the Kitchen: 25 minutes

Servings: 4 to 6

Ingredients

• 3 cups grated Cheddar cheese (270 g)
• 2 strips cooked bacon, crumbled
• 1 teaspoon lime zest (from about ½ a lime) (5 ml)
• 2 tablespoons lime juice (30 ml)
• 1 small shallot, finely chopped
• 1 small garlic clove, pressed
• 1 jalapeno, finely chopped (optional)
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro (30 ml)
• ¼ teaspoon salt (1.2)
• 4 ripe avocados

Instructions

Recipe Notes:

Cheddar chips don’t stay crispy long, so make them right before serving the guacamole.

Guacamole usually taste bests chilled, so either refrigerate the avocados for an hour or two before making the guacamole, or press plastic wrap against the surface of the made guacamole to protect it from air (which turns it brown), and chill for several hours before serving.

Preheat oven to 400º F/205º C.

Line a baking sheet with parchment or Silpat.

Drop heaping tablespoons of grated cheddar onto the baking sheet. Space the mounds a few inches apart. You should get approximately 16 mounds. Spread the cheddar mounds out into circles about 2 inches/5 cm wide.

Bake 8 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbling.

Let the cheese set for a minute until it starts to solidify, then lift the Cheddar rounds off the baking sheet with a spatula. The cheese will quickly cool into “chips.” The Cheddar chips will not be perfectly round; if you want them to be, then use kitchen shears to trim the edges.

Prep all the guacamole ingredients, and have them ready so the guacamole can be mixed together immediately after the avocados are cut.

Halve the avocados and remove the pits. Use a knife to cut the flesh into small cubes. Scoop the cubed flesh out with a spoon into a medium bowl.

Sprinkle all the remaining ingredients over the avocado: bacon, lime zest, lime juice, shallot, garlic, cilantro, and jalapeno.

Use a fork to mash the avocado into guacamole with a texture you prefer, either smooth or chunky. Serve with Cheddar cheese chips.

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