Carbonara Recipe Wins the Governor’s Muffin Contest

A bacon-flavored muffin won $150 and first place at the 2013 Governor’s Favorite Muffin Contest at the Utah State Fair. Instead of going with sweet flavors, Cheryl Phipps of Clearfield said she came up with her Carbonara muffin because she wanted to do something different.
Governor Herbert and First Lady Jeanette Herbert were part of the judging team. In announcing the winner, Governor Herbert said this muffin was the First Lady’s overall favorite.

In my article for the Standard-Examiner, Phipps said the muffins first started out as ham and cheese, but she ended up using bacon because the ham flavor didn’t come across as well.

Carbonara is an Italian pasta dish with a sauce based on eggs, bacon, and cheese (usually Romano or Parmesan).

Phipps, who has won several contests at the Utah State Fair over the past 2-0 is an experienced competitor. has been a past State Fair winner. She won the Spam contest twice, was named Grand Champion Canner Twice, and took second place in the 2012 Governor’s Muffin Contest. She’s also won in contests sponsored by Land O’Lakes and Mrs. Fields.

These make a great breakfast or lunch, but probably not dessert.

Carbonara Muffins
1 pound bacon
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup coarsely chopped Portobello mushrooms
1 clove garlic, minced
1 3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more to sprinkle on top
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup Alfredo sauce
2 large eggs
1 green onion, chopped
2 large eggs
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 8 large muffin tins with cooking spray.
2. Fry bacon until crispy. Reserve 4 tablespoons of drippings. Coarsely chop up bacon. Set aside.
3. Saute onion, mushrooms and garlic in 2 tablespoons bacon drippings until tender. Set aside.
4. In a medium bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pepper, thyme leaves and Parmesan cheese with a whisk.
5. In a small bowl, combine the buttermilk, Alfredo sauce, eggs, 2 tablespoons bacon drippings and green onions.
6. Gently stir wet mixture into the dry mixture along with the bacon (reserving some bacon to garnish the tops of the muffins) and the sauteed vegetables, just until combined.
7. Fill muffin tins about 3/4 full. Sprinkle tops of muffins with reserved bacon.
8. Bake 10 minutes. Sprinkle a small amount of Parmesan cheese over muffins. Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, until muffin tests done in the middle.
9. Serve warm. Delicious for breakfast or a nice dinner with a Caesar salad.
— Cheryl Phipps, Clearfield
First Place, Governor’s Favorite Muffin Contest, 2013