BACON BANANA PEANUT GRANOLA BAR

i like to call this "THE ELVIS 2010"

maybe if Elvis was still alive in 2010 and trying to be a bit healthy he would start his day with one of these babies...

GRANOLA, WHEATGERM, BACON, BANANA CHIPS and SALTED VIRGINIA PEANUTS (and a touch of cayenne)

i know...i like to put bacon in alot of things, but this one is a winner. i've already made them 3 times and just today i had a friend ask if he could order a months worth. he said it was the best granola bar he'd ever had. his friend said his mouth was exploding with flavors. granola bars are easy to make and you can't help but feel a bit healthy eating them even though you know there's a little sugar and butter involved along with extras you decde to add.

i used Alton Brown's Granola Bar(2005) recipe for the base.

i don't find myself using Alton's recipes that often. he tends to get a bit too detailed for my liking, but this type of recipe is the kind you can mess with and make your own...as i did.

below, i have copied his recipe found here or you can click on this and read the full site with the comments of others.

Ingredients
8 ounces old-fashioned rolled oats, approximately 2 cups
1 1/2 ounces raw sunflower seeds, approximately 1/2 cup
3 ounces sliced almonds, approximately 1 cup

i used 1 cup slightly chopped salted virginia peanuts-no seeds, no almonds
1 1/2 ounces wheat germ, approximately 1/2 cup
6 ounces honey, approximately 1/2 cup
1 3/4 ounces dark brown sugar, approximately 1/4 cup packed
1-ounce unsalted butter, plus extra for pan
2 teaspoons vanilla extract-i used 1 tsp vanilla and 1 tsp maple
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 1/2 ounces chopped dried fruit, any combination of apricots, cherries or blueberries

i used approx 1 c. broken banana chips and 1/2 c. dried apricots

the 3rd time i added 1/2 c. peanut butter chips

and scant 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

BACON...i almost forgot about the BACON...1 package(12 oz.)center cut

crispy! crumbled into small pieces

Directions
Butter a 9 by 9-inch glass*** baking dish and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Spread the oats, sunflower seeds, almonds, and wheat germ onto a half-sheet pan. Place in the oven and toast for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
In the meantime, combine the honey, brown sugar, butter, extract and salt in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook until the brown sugar has completely dissolved.
Once the oat mixture is done, remove it from the oven and reduce the heat to 300 degrees F. Immediately add the oat mixture to the liquid mixture, add the dried fruit, and stir to combine. Turn mixture out into the prepared baking dish and press down(i took this step seriously and pressed down really good and hard, evenly distributing the mixture in the dish and place in the oven to bake for 25 minutes.(i left mine in untill the edges were starting to brown and the top was golden) Remove from the oven(i pressed down slightly again) and allow to cool completely. Cut into squares and store in an airtight container for up to a week.

***the 1st time i used a 9x9 cake pan and they came out great, but just a bit thick. i did, however, like them because they were different...like a cube of goodness. the next time i used a 9x13 cake pan or roasting pan, also metal, and they came out great as well. i just got more squares out of the deal. i think it all depends on how you like your squares and how many extras you add in. just make sure you don't go overboard because you want the whole thing to have enough "goop" to keep it all together or you'll end up with loose granola. great granola, probably the best you've ever had, but just not the bar we're shootin' for here.