Scallops a la Death

As requested, here is my made-up recipe for Scallops a la Death.

I was going for a recipe similar to the baked mussels from Irishai here in Greenville.
I succeeded.

Obtain 1 lb sea scallops (the big ones). I used dry pack, which means no preservatives. You can ask the fish counter attendant if they are dry pack or not. I bought mine at a hole-in-the-wall place here in Greenville. I was not let down.

Mix together in a bowl:
3/4 C Mayonnaise (I warned you)
1/2 t paprika
3/4 t garlic powder
salt and pepper (use the same amount you would if you were seasoning the scallops directly)

Add the scallops, and toss to coat. Pour this mixture into an oven-proof dish. I used my 9x9 pyrex, but a casserole dish would be fine too.

**At this point, Mike called and told me he'd be working late, so I popped the dish, covered, into the fridge for about an hour.**

Preheat oven to 375.

Grate some extra sharp cheddar cheese, maybe 1 C or more (a dietitian's dream recipe, I know), and sprinkle over scallops to cover. Place in a 375 oven.

A note about baking time: My dish took 30 minutes, but it had been chilled for an hour. Look for the cheese to melt completely and the liquid to be bubbling nicely. I'd estimate 20 minutes for room temp scallops.

Take some scissors and snip 3 slices bacon (again, I warned you) into 1/4 inch strips. I snip the bacon while it's still stacked up to save time. It falls apart quickly when it starts to cook. Cook over medium heat in a saucepan (seriously, the rendered fat is deeper and cooks the bacon faster) until crisp. Interestingly, this mixture gets quite foamy. Stir it frequently. When the foam starts dying down, check the bacon strips. They're bound to be close to crisp. Spoon the bacon out of the fat and drain.

Slice 2 green onions into little rings, greens and whites.

Once the cheese/scallop mixture is out of the oven, sprinkle the bacon onto the surface of the cheese. Pop it under the broiler for 1-2 minutes so the cheese gets little brown spots on it.

Sprinkle the green onions over the finished dish. Enjoy!

Here's your finalized ingredients list:
1 lb. dry pack sea scallops
3/4 C mayonnaise
1/2 t paprika
3/4 t garlic powder
salt & pepper to taste
extra sharp cheddar cheese
3 strips bacon
2 green onions

Now that you know about Scallops a la Death, use with caution. I'm pretty sure the fat and cholesterol in this dish is enough for the entire year. It was good, though. Tell me if you make this! I should say that a pound fed Mike and me, so it probably would feed 3 normal people. I don't see any reason why doubling it wouldn't work. If you use bay scallops, cut the baking time. Those little guys cook fast.