BACON' it on My Own.

Carl and I enjoy having guests stay with us at our home and I (of course) want to make sure they leave our house happy and full.  I love having a few extra mouths to feed and my favorite thing to make on the weekends is a nice brunch.  Enter - BACON!  Who doesn't love bacon!? I love everything about bacon - EXCEPT... having to cook it.  I love the way it makes my house smell, but I do not like the way it makes ME smell.  Add the endless little splatter burns + a very messy stove top - a happy Nicole that does not make. 

A few years ago my sweet sweet Grandmother came to the rescue and told/showed me I was doing it all wrong. She filled me in on the secret weapon - the oven!! That morning I watched her as she prepped breakfast and was amazed at all she was able to do in the 20 minutes that it took to cook the bacon. Now - I'll be the first to admit that my Grandma is a force to be reckoned with in the kitchen.  She is up there with the best of them and definitely deserves superhero status.  I would even bet money that she would be able to pop out a 6 course breakfast with one hand tied behind her back!  Anyyyyway - after that morning I was sold.  The bacon was cooked perfectly and tasted exactly like it was cooked on the stove top.  Happily gone are the days of burns, splatters, messes + bacon body odor and I haven't looked back since.

As a result of this genius idea - I now cook bacon almost every weekend we are home.  I wanted to write a post about this because many of our guests that stay with us note how easy this process is.  I am pretty sure that it has saved those friends and family that have witnessed it's awesomeness quite a few minutes and messes in the kitchen.  I mean, really - who wants to do dishes and scrub their stove top on a weekend morning when they've only been up a few hours (tops)?! - Me? Ummm.... NO. THANK. YOU.

Have I sold you yet?  Well here it goes.

Kitchen do-dads you'll need:

• A cookie sheet
• Parchment paper or a thin wire rack
• Bacon

1.)  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2.)  Lay bacon on parchment paper or wire rack.

3.)  For flimsy/soft bacon - cook in oven for 15-20 minutes.  For crispy bacon (my fav) - cook in oven for 20-25 minutes or until it suits your likeness.  See Notes below.

4.) Transfer bacon to paper towel lined plate and blot excess grease.

5.)  Serve and stuff your face with bacon deliciousness.

NOTE:

Both methods are easy breezy and I have vary between my preference.  Clean up for the parchment paper method seems to be easier as very little bacon grease hits the actual pan.  The rack method, on the other hand, seems to cook the bacon faster and makes it crispier in less time.  Either work great and it's still easier than stove top cooking - any day.

UPDATE (05/24/12):
After some feedback from a couple of readers, I have heard that it has taken them a little while longer for the bacon to cook.  Due to varying temperatures and gas/electric ovens - you will have to adjust the cooking time appropriately.  I have a gas oven and the cooking times about work very well for me.

Questions about this post? Feel free to add a comment at the bottom of this post and I'll be happy to answer it!

I hope you have a great weekend and thanks for stopping by. xoxo.