Bacon Ketchup!!! Trendy!!

How could I not make this recipe?! An interesting example of the trendy use of bacon these days. If you are intrigued by unusual recipes, this is it! I hope someone else makes this; I would really like another opinion. Well worth trying. I am not sure I liked the finished product cold; room temp might be better. Warmed, it is more like a salsa, great on meatloaf or hamburgers. Perhaps chicken cooked with this would also be good. For me, it's a little too sweet as is; I corrected that with a tad more vinegar and a good sprinkle of sea salt. When making it again, I will cut down on the sugar. Not having thick bacon on hand, I used regular bacon and doubled the amount. But thick bacon would give a chunkier result. I had gorgeous thick-walled red peppers which also helped to make a nicely chunky sauce . And I'm a fan of chunky sauces. And its a beautiful red color! It certainly could be pureed to a texture more like Heinz but I think it would lose some of its appeal. The smoked paprika added a lot; I would increase this to taste. And maybe add a dash of Tabasco too. This takes quite a while to make, heck, you gotta roast those peppers! But it is time well spent. In the summer I'll sacrifice some heirloom tomatoes for this, see how that works. I found the recipe in two places. First, in a recipe book packed in a crate of premium canned tomatoes from Muir Glen. Then, online, under Lisa Carlson's Chef Shack Bacon Ketchup. Identical recipes. Also it appears in several food blogs. And, while we're talking bacon, I can't see bacon cookies. Or fudge. Not in my kitchen.

• Ready In: 1 hr 30 mins
• Serves: 8-10
• Yields: 1 quart?

Ingredients

• 1  medium onion, diced into small pieces
• 10  raw garlic cloves, diced into small pieces
• 2  tablespoons olive oil or 2  tablespoons  vegetable oil
• 1⁄2 cup brown sugar
• 1 (32 ounce) can  whole peeled plum tomatoes, strained and chopped
• 4  large red bell peppers, roasted, peeled, destemmed, and chopped
• 1  teaspoon  smoked paprika
• 1  bay leaf
• 4  sprigs fresh thyme
•  salt and pepper, to taste
• 1  tablespoon  balsamic vinegar
• 5  pieces  of nice thick bacon

Directions

1. Roast those peppers!
2. Saute onion and garlic in a tablespoon or two of oil until tender and caramelized.
3. Add brown sugar to caramelized onions and garlic, and cook a couple of minutes until well integrated.
4. Add tomatoes, roast bell peppers, paprika, bay leaf, and fresh thyme. Simmer about one hour.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add balsamic vinegar at the end.
6. Preheat oven to 350. Place bacon strips on a baking sheet in the oven until they are crispy all over. Drain on paper towels and dice into small pieces; fold into ketchup.
7. Serve with hamburgers, French fries, grilled cheese, or anything else you wish had some bacon on it.