Bacon, bacon, bacon

Bacon, who doesn’t like it? Ok, maybe the vegetarians out there, but they are not going to be reading this anyway. With my title, I surely lost them. Maybe not, if they have a rebellious child who refuses to eat vegetables!

In our house, we love bacon. It seems at times our motto is “Don’t forget the bacon!” We might be out of milk, but if you look in the fridge in the garage, I bet you will find a package of bacon. There is also a chance that there is a “safety” package in the freezer, just in case.

I truly dislike the mess of cooking bacon on the stove. The exception is if I am making a dish requiring “bacon bits”. If that is the case, the easiest, least messy way is to pull out a cutting board, stack up the slices (if not already stacked, since we generally buy the slabs), and with a sharp knife cut down the center of the slices lengthwise, and then cut across to make 1/4-1/2″ “bits”.

I throw the bits into a cold skillet and cook over medium heat, until almost crisp (almost crisp because by the time I get it out of the pan it will continue cooking). I then will remove the bits to a paper towel to drain. Saving the grease in a container that I keep in the refrigerator. I find this much easier and less messy than frying up strips and then crumbling then to get the bits. There is significantly less splatter with the smaller pieces and the bacon cooks more quickly.

Now if I’m making bacon for breakfast, or BLT sandwiches I definitely will not cook my bacon on the stove. There’s the mess, first and foremost, but how often do you only make 4-6 slices of bacon? You have to cook multiple batches in a skillet.

I prefer the oven (set to 375 degrees). Again, I don’t like the messy clean up. SO, I will line a sheet tray (that has a rim) with foil. I wrap it around the rim, and then put the strips on the foil. I personally think the idea of cooking bacon on a rack is silly. Talk about a pain to clean! Foil is my friend.

Put the tray in the oven, with the timer set for 22 minutes. When the timer goes off I check the crisp factor. You can adjust the time depending on thickness of the slices and how crisp you like it. Remove the bacon to paper towels to drain. Once the tray has cooled to a safe temperature, I will drain the grease into my trusty container and put it in the fridge.

Bonus point: I have also found that using the oven, the smell doesn’t linger in the house, like it seems to when the bacon is cooked on the stovetop.

On the rare occasion there is leftovers, I put it in a baggie in the fridge. I’ll reheat it wrapped in a paper towel in the microwave for about 15 seconds. Not much more, or it will burn. (This is a great way to have a BLT at work if there is a toaster available.) Bacon, love me some bacon!