Savory Bacon Granola

Bacon is breakfast food. Granola is breakfast food. But, I had never encountered bacon in granola until I found this recipe on Honestly Yum. I was intrigued and thought it would be right up my husband's alley.

I think I might have liked this more than my husband. There's something about the crunch of sunflower seeds, with the smoky hints of bacon and slight sweet from the apple that really worked for me. (And, it appears we ate this without taking any pictures. Or I can't locate the pictures now in the jumble that is our lives currently. Honestly Yum had pretty pictures if you need a visual.)

Savory Bacon Granola
1 1/4 cup rolled oats
4 slices thick-cut bacon
1/2 cup flax seeds
1 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup dried apples, diced
1 egg white
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 Tbsp. maple syrup

Preheat oven at 325°F. Cut bacon into small cubes, and cook in a pan over medium high heat until fat renders and just begins to tan around the edges. (I used mostly pre-cooked bacon crumbles that we purchase from Neuske's. Best bacon ever.) Remove bacon from pan, and drain on paper towels.
Combine oats, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, dried apple and bacon in a large bowl, and toss to combine.

Whisk an egg white in a small bowl until frothy. Add maple syrup and oil to the bowl of the oat mixture, and add egg white. Toss to coat. Pour evenly on baking sheet lined with parchment, and bake for 25 minutes until lightly browned. Cool completely, and store in an air-tight container. Makes about 4 cups.