Hey bacon lovers! ...and who doesn't love bacon, huh? If you haven't heard of this amazing idea you'll be surprised by how simple it is. And, it just might change the way you prepare bacon from now on after you give it a try. Bake your bacon. Yes, bake bacon in the oven instead of cooking it in a pan on the stove top. It's less-mess, the bacon will cook more evenly, and you don't need to stand over it, turning it and being splattered with bacon grease.
Thanks to Martha Stewart and marthastewart.com for this awesome tip. Whether you like her, love her, or neither of those-(gasp!), she was one of the firsts sharing all things home. Good things, that is, cause she always let us know..."it's a good thing!" There is a reason she is still as popular as ever. She knows her stuff, and has been sharing it with us for years. Thanks Martha!
This sure is 'a good thing', and I certainly wanted you to know all about this good thing if you didn't! Now ...Let's get busy and make some bacon!
Baked Bacon
For one pound of Bacon:
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet(s) with aluminium foil, lay each bacon piece flat and do not overlap. Bake until crisp and browned approximately 15 to 18 minutes or until desired doneness, rotate the sheet(s) once during cooking process. Transfer the strips to paper towel to drain. Blot excess grease from top of bacon if necessary or desired. Thicker bacon will require longer time to cook.
Optional suggestions: Use parchment paper to line pan. Sprinkle brown sugar on bacon strips for added sweetness. Sprinkle black pepper on bacon strips for peppered bacon. Lightly drizzle on maple syrup for maple flavored bacon.
Note:
-The first time I cooked the bacon in the oven for 20-22 minutes. I *drained the bacon grease from the pan after baking, and then added a few remaining uncooked pieces to the previously used foil lined pan. The bacon was crispier then the first batch at 20 minutes time. *(I used a glass pyrex bowl to drain the grease into since it was very hot!)
-The next time I prepared bacon, I used the same type and thickness, but drained the grease after 10 minutes then turned the pan and finished for additional 10 minutes. The bacon was nice an crisp.
And, this is one of my favorite ways to enjoy bacon...
The BLT! Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato sandwich! ...mmm, hmm.
Here's something else I came across for cooking bacon, you might want to check out this gadget for cooking bacon in the microwave.
http://www.makinbacon.com/about.php
I much prefer baking bacon now, and it really is so much easier and less messy than cooking it on the stove top! I feel like I've been doing it wrong all these years!
It's a whole new way of makin' bacon, or bakin' bacon!
Enjoy...
