Inspire me please - I took the bacon out of the freezer this morning...............

[FAQinglovely]

intending to do Bacon and Onion Hotpot......

Only problem is I've just realised that I haven't yet finished unpacking all of the kitchen boxes and so don't have a dish out to cook it in.

What else can I do with it instead

Have you got a frying pan or a grill?

Any eggs or tomatoes?

...and lentil soup

baked potatoes scoop out middles and mash with fried bacon and onion bits?

bacon in a carbonara sauce and pasta

Have you got: onion, potatoes, sweetcorn and a little bit of cream/yoghurt/creme fraiche?
Fry the bacon and onions while you parboil the sliced spuds for about 5 mins, drain the spuds (reserve some of the water) add them to the pan, when everything's colouring a bit, add the corn, a bit more water and cook it for about 10-15mins, stir in the cream for the last couple of mins..

unfortunately the breadmaker is still also packed and we always have homemade bread with soup (and the alternative shop bought bread really is quite right for nice homemade soup..........morrison value ).

I have eggs, and a grill pan, and I do have 2 pots unpacked

That's one of my faves! (plus a bit of cheese mixed in)

Fry bacon with garlic and onions

Add tin tomatoes and reduce the sauce. Season and add a little sugar

Add tin chickpeas and fresh rosemary

Serve with cooked pasta

macaroni
tomato paste
bacon
onions

fry onions, cook macaroni, fry bacon. Mix in tomato paste and bake with cheese on top... Very comforting...

bacon muffins

bacon butties

pasta and bacon

that should of course be that the alternative bread isn't quite right for homemade soup

I have potatoes (no idea what size until I open the huge bag I bought the other day), pasta, milk, onions, mushrooms, cheese, tinned tomatoes,

How about this?!

ermm is a carbonara sauce sort of like a white sauce??

you could do tomato bacon pasta then

carbonara is eggs and cream

hmm have no cream - and last time I tried to do a carbonara sauce it turned out like scrambled eggs - even worse I'd told DH he could stay for dinner and was very when I presented us all with what resembled scrambled eggs on spaghetti (with a few mushrooms, cheese and bits of chopped up ham thrown in ))

Oooo - I can't decide now..........too many nice suggestions

Yeap I do a cheats version with white sauce and cheese
and also keep emergency packet of sauce in cupboard

oh I can do white sauces

although DS's have just thrown a spanner in the works and both told me they want baked potatoes with baked beans and cheese on for dinner if we're not having the hotpot so I shall keep the bacon in the fridge and use it tomorrow.

I have 3 other packs in there so will try out some of these other ideas with those

Ohh i grill bacon then chop up put on top of baked pots with cheese and scallions

nah - shall use for another meal - I like to consider myself quite "frugal" with my ingredients, if they're not necessary for a meal and can be used for another the next day then I do that

very sensible