Perfect bacon. For most of us, it’s a strip (or three!) with breakfast, an adornment to a cheeseburger or best supporting actor in a BLT. It falls in the category of what I call “naughty food” but since it’s so stinkin’ good, shouldn’t we learn to make it the evenly-crispy-but-not-too-crisp treat it deserves to be?
Did you know the average American eats 18 pounds of bacon a year? 😍
Holy pork belly, Batman! And you know who skews the average? College students. Football players. Young males. My grandsons and sons-in-law, that’s who! I spent almost 4 years working in LARGE scale food service on a college campus, in a HUGE kitchen with permanently mounted soup pots big enough to bathe in. And I’m telling you something. I learned how to make enormous amounts of bacon quickly because we served loads of bacon to a lot of students who all ate tons of it!
Turning? No. Splattering? No. Battling to keep it flat? No!
Hint: Ice cold bacon right from the fridge can be a beast to separate without tearing. Either set it out for a little while so it can soften or run it under the faucet with cool water. This seems to minimize shrinkage, too, for some reason! Sliding a rubber spatula under each slice will also make it easier.
Now lay it in a single layer on a rimmed baking pan lined with parchment paper and pop it in a 425 degree oven for about 15 minutes. You won’t need to to turn it or do anything to keep it from curling! Keep an eye on it after 10 minutes because the baking time can vary depending on the thickness and sugar content ot the bacon and your desired level of crispness. Me? I like my bacon to stand at attention (but never burnt!)
You can do this ahead, too, like the night before, which is what I do when the family gathers for my famous Potato and Leek Frittata or a summer Sunday at the cabin!! (Just cover it lightly with wax paper or plastic film.) The amount of bacon my boys can put away borders on obscene!
Drain on paper towels or on brown paper bags and enjoy!
Secret confession: I always save some of the drippings in a pint jar in the fridge to use later. It adds unbeatable flavor to scrambled eggs or cornbread or vegetables. Oh come on, don’t go getting all shocked about bacon drippings! The Pioneer Woman or Paula Deen would borrow some from me in a heartbeat, you know they would.
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Love, GB (Betty Streff)
I love to cook my bacon like this! You can cook so much more at one time.
Right!! Straighten up and fry right!! LOL
Does this splatter all over the inside of the oven?
amazingly, no. I saw another blogger put a layer of brown paper sack under the parchment to soak up more grease but I like to save my drippings.
Oh thank you. I saw this on Rachael Ray. Since then I’ve been doing it also. My son was the bacon maker but I am now. It doesnt splatter, stays flat. I dont have oven, but purchased a counter top one and I cant quite get the whole pkg of bacon on it. I cut the bacon in half due to size of my little overn.. and I cant cook. So glad it caught on.
Well you ARE a cook my friend and very innovative!! Creativity is such a key ingredient! Hooray for you!!
Do you warm it up next morning if you do night before if so how?
Hmm, never done that but I’d try laying it on paper towels and give it 30 seconds in the microwave or lay it on a brown paper bag or paper towels in a very low oven, like 200 for just a few minutes!
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Do you refrigerate it if cooked the day before?
Yes. Then you can reheat it quickly in the oven or microwave!
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i use aluminum foil on a rimmed baking sheet! works everytime
Laying it flat to cook is such a great idea, isn’t it?? 😊
Will this method work on a stoneware baking pan? And you really don’t have to flip?
Yes. I use my Pampered Chef stoneware rimmed bar pan, and you never need to flip it. I will tell you it takes considerably longer on the stoneware than when you use a metal one. I’m usually in a hurry, so I use metal pans more often now, but you bet, the stoneware does great.
I have pint size jars of bacon grease in the freezer all the time – at least 3! I use it to cook my greens!
Absolutely! Bacon drippings are awesome, I fry eggs in it!😉
GB, your Beth’s Banana Bread is a HUGE hit! My daughter is asking for it every week!
Debbi, that just tickles me to death; I’ll tell my daughter! 😍
Can I use a convection/toaster oven to bake the bacon? If so for how long and what temperature?
I have never tried that, Jean, but it should work. I know lots of people use an air fryer to cook bacon and that’s a countertop convection oven. If I were you, I’d try it with a couple of slices.