Cooking Bacon in the Oven

I like bacon, but I hate cooking bacon so Lo usually takes care of that (and almost all weekend breakfasts).  On the few occasions when I need to make bacon, I refuse to do it in a skillet and get burned by grease splatters, so I always make it in the oven.  A lot of people are surprised to see how easy and clean it is to make bacon in the oven. 

I use a rack from a broiler pan on top of parchment paper in a pan with a rim so the grease drains on the paper, which I can carefully fold up and throw away. If you don’t have a rack, it works just was well to cook it directly on the parchment paper. Foil would probably work as well, but it may cook more quickly or burn more easily.

This is simple enough that it’s not a recipe.  Just lay the bacon on the rimmed pan or the rack on the pan, trying to leave a little space between the strips.  There’s no need to preheat the oven.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15 – 20 minutes until is cooked to your preference, watching carefully towards the end.  Cool for a few minutes before serving.

If you want a real treat, rub the bacon with cayenne pepper and brown sugar for Sweet and Spicy Caramelized Bacon.

Mmmm….bacon