Wednesday, May 12, 2010

How to Bake Bacon

I don't know about you, but on the rare occasion that I make bacon, I really regret it. Not because of all the fat or calories, but because of the mess.

My mom has this awesome CorningWare bacon tray she uses in the microwave that drains off all the fat and gives her perfect, flat strips every time. When I try to make bacon in the microwave I just end up with either burnt little tasteless crisps or soggy blobs.

For many years I've resorted to trying to make bacon on the stovetop. It splatters, it spits, the bacon curls up, and afterwards my entire kitchen seems to be covered in grease.

Then I watched an episode of Good Eats with the genius Alton Brown showing his method of cooking bacon. To bake it. Ah-ha! Why don't I ever think of these things?

Place a cooling rack inside a baking sheet. Lay strips of bacon on the rack. (I happened to use turkey bacon this time, but any type of bacon will work.)

Place in a cold oven.
Turn the temperature to 400°.
Cook for 12-15 minutes, depending on thickness and crisp preference.
Remove from oven and enjoy!

Oh, it was such a simple process! No babysitting it, turning it, and no mess. Just one step, pop it in the oven and come back when it's done! Such a great way to enjoy bacon!

11 comments:

Jessica @ How Sweet said...

I love to fry it because I love having the grease to cook in (yes, I'm like a grandma), but I agree it's a mess! I usually bake it too.

A Mother's Nature said...

oooh I will have to try this!!
Thinking foil under the rack would be even more mess-free.
Thanks for the tips!!

Laura said...

I LOVE to bake bacon, so easy and hands off. Dang NOW I want bacon. :D

Christina said...

Jessica, there wasn't much grease in these pics b/c it was turkey bacon, but I've baked real bacon this way. There was the usual amount of grease, which I just poured off and saved. :)

Mother's Nature - this pan is a MIRACLE pan and everything cleans right off of it, although it looks bad. But I agree - foil would work too!

Laura, I know what you mean. I was imagining SMELLING bacon as I typed this up and saw the pics! haha

Anonymous said...

When I am in the kitchen at work in the mornings - they're always pulling out huge trays of bacon out of the oven!

Anonymous said...

I bake my bacon too - foil lined pan all the way! I always check it half way through and flip it to ensure even baking. Don't you just love Good Eats? Alton rocks!

Jessie said...

Why have I never thought of this?? The few times I've made bacon, I've covered my kitchen in grease like you said! This sounds like a much less greasy way to make bacon :)

Have a great evening, Christina!

Unknown said...

I always make my bacon this way, no more greasy stove.

Tanya said...

I used to do this a long time ago, but it totally slipped my mind. It should just work just as well in a toaster oven too (I hope - just so to save on gas/ electricity).

Jenn@slim-shoppin said...

I love to cook bacon in the oven too!

It's awesome to be able to just walk away and not even think about it!

Elizabeth said...

This works so well. Bacon holds shape, too. Curls up too fast when placed in a hot oven. This method is great for using on sandwiches. Love it. Thanks!