Lake time is a special time and no one needs to spend a lot of time in the kitchen preparing food when they can be out fishing, boating or just relaxing.

Bacon, eggs, bagel and coffee are all just words, but when we say them, they come to life. When someone says bacon, I can smell the bacon cooking and almost taste that savory sensation that we all love. So why not use this quick home made breakfast hack for your guests or family?

Oven Bacon: This recipe eliminates the spatter of grease on you and your stovetop, and ensures a quick cleanup. You’ll need 1 pound bacon of your choice, parchment paper and a baking sheet.

Turn your oven on to 400 degrees (no need to fully preheat). Line a baking pan with parchment paper, place bacon in a single layer, and cook for about 20 minutes. Flip or rotate the pan if needed. After the bacon is done to your liking, place the bacon on layers of paper towel to absorb the grease.

Two-Ingredient Bagels (No holes!): This is an easy way to make flavorful bagels. You’ll need 1 Cup Greek Nonfat Yogurt (don’t let the yogurt scare you away from this recipe), 1 Cup Self Rising Flour, Seasoning (I like Everything Bagel Seasoning, but you can use anything you’d like).

I normally make three individual bagels from the listed ingredients, but you can make four or just two big ones! Just remember the ratio of yogurt to flour is 1:1.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line the baking pan with parchment paper. MIx the yogurt and flour in a bowl until you get a shaggy dough. It will be moist and sticky. You may need to add a little bit more flour to handle the dough. Divide it into three equal parts and then mold them into a bagel form, place on the prepared pan.

Flatten them out just a bit to the thickness you want them to be. They don’t need to be completely flat and silky looking on top. I like to have the top a little rugged so my seasonings stick.

Sprinkle your seasonings on the bagel and lightly press down on them so they all don’t fall off when you cook and eat them. Cook for about 20 minutes and depending on your oven, you may need to raise or lower your rack to get them browned on the top and bottom.

That’s it! Assemble your bagels into sandwiches or just eat them with your favorite spreads.

Now, go out and enjoy your time at Lake Anna!

Chef John Pastino

John Pastino was born in Naples, Italy.  He attended Longwood College (University) and then spent 20 years in the U.S. Army as a Medical Services Corps Officer.  After the military he worked for the federal government and it was during that time that he attended Stratford University in Alexandria, VA at night and obtained an Associate of Applied Science in Advanced Culinary Arts – Summa Cum Laude in 2020.

He now lives full time at the lake and loves to fly-fish and cook.  His favorite meals to make are homemade pasta, pizza, and eggplant parmesan.