skip to main content

The Kitchen Table

How do you cook lots of bacon?

17 years ago

Kids are coming this weekend...have lots of tomatoes...gonna have BLTs...What's the best way to cook lots of bacon? We like ours nuked and crispy, but it will take too long to do it this way. Besides, it must overheat the microwave after 3 uses because it won't start again until it cools off.

Can I bake it at high heat? I don't like to broil...or pan fry more than one pan, either. But I'll do what I have to do because we love the kids and the BLTs ;-)

TIA,

Leslie/KS

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (23)

bunny_lover
17 years ago
Last time I had to cook a good amount of bacon, I used the grill. I lined the grates with foil. Sure kept the mess outside!
Chemocurl zn5b/6a Indiana
17 years ago
I have fried it up ahead of time, good and crispy, and then just frozen it, one pound (before fried) per package.

When ready to use, just let thaw a bit, and heat in the microwave. I found it was as good as freshly fried, and often do it just to save having the greasy frying mess so often.

Sue
Related Discussions
Beans - how do you cook them?
Q
Comments (27)
I agree with Linnea, all beans do not taste the same and do not have the same applications. I love all beans, but I do not particularly like plain beans, any more than I like plain tofu. Beans have a bland taste IMHO, which is why I love them, they can be spiced up in so many ways. But I don't like to mix and match either. What I make in the crockpot is baked beans (I like mine sweet and sour and spicy), black bean soup--again, spicy with chilis, and curried kidney beans (I just tried that recipe, dark red kidneys with a spicy curry sauce-yum, but then I like curry.) I use garbanzos and cannelinni beans with pasta and italian, middle eastern and spanish flavors. I would hate either one plain, I eat garbanzos in hummus, highly seasoned salads, or stews. Lentils taste earthy to me too, I do not like some lentil soups, but when I make mine I add tomato sauce, a bit of vinegar at the end, and something bitter like spinach, green pepper or celery. That's greek style. I also do sweet and sour lentils with pineapple and peppers. Or baked spaghetti with lentils, italian seasoned tomato sauce, and a hearty red wine like burgundy, topped with sharp parmesean. That would be yummy, but plain lentils would taste like dirt to me. I'm not a huge fan of blackeyed peas, although I like them in hoppin' john which I make with tabasco to counter the "earthy" taste. I'm not a huge fan of pintos, they also have an "earthy" taste to me. Particularly plain pintos. Those I can enjoy with a spicy salsa and sharp cheddar topping though. Same with kidney beans, they have an earthy taste which IMHO contrasts nicely with something spicy--so in my mixed veggie and spiced minnestrone or chili, I like them! I also like a tangy three bean salad, but not plain, I like it on lettuce with some other vegetables and croutons or sunflower seeds mixed in. So it seems to me, the key to enjoying beans is to season them well and mix them with sour, spicy, bitter, sharp and tangy flavors. That's part of the idea behind adding epazote to dried beans when cooking. I eat beans almost every day, but I would also find a bowl of plain beans very hard to palate. On the other hand, a spicy bowl of mixed bean chili with a dollop of lowfat sour cream and a few tortillas crumbled on top is my idea of heavan. Yesterday I had mixed color bowtie pasta, spicy ratatouille with lots of garlic, etc., and garbanzos all topped with parmesean and toasted pine nuts, that was delish. I've had plain garbanzos once, in a spicy curried gravy, that was good too--over brown rice.
...See More
Sigh- OT- Just HOW do you cook a meatloaf
Q
Comments (43)
Read through and didn't see my recipe anywhere in here so I'll add it to your list for consideration. FWIW, my DH refused to eat meatloaf based on horrific childhood experiences but after trying mine 20 years ago he's CURED LOL and asks for it weekly. 1.25 lbs ground beef (I usually aim for 90% lean) 1 cup dry pepperidge farm herbed stuffing (blue & white bag) 1 can Campbells condensed tomato soup 1-2 tsp Worcestershire to taste 1 egg dash of milk (maybe 1 T at the most) 4 slices bacon I beat the egg in the bowl first, then add Worcestershire and undiluted soup and mix together. Then add stuffing mix to moisten and add beef to all for thorough mixing to distribute the egg mixture throughout. Add dash of milk and mix in. Turn into a loaf pan - I use a pyrex glass one because it seems to form a nicer looking finished loaf - and pat down gently using a fork to remove air pockets. Top with 4 slices of bacon and pop into the oven for 50 min at 400. After 50 min, take out and drain grease. Put it back in for 10 minutes to finish. Here's what I learned the hard way - you have to let it sit in the warm loaf pan for at least 10 min after removing from the oven to allow the meat to reabsorb the juices and set which helps decrease crumbling. After 10 minutes rest, invert loaf pan onto dish, cut and serve. I find that it works well to pop baking potatoes alongside in the oven to cook the entire time as a side! Bon Appetit! Jen
...See More
cooked bacon
Q
Comments (14)
No such thing as leftover bacon around here. We don't eat much of it, but once it's cooked, I use it in several dishes. Crumbled into broccoli salad, quiche or scrambled eggs. Slices served as breakfast meat (sometimes for dinner). Raw draped over a meatloaf prior to baking or stuff inside a chicken for a smoky flavor (use the bacon later in a chicken salad with the leftovers). I have almost ZERO food waste here. I just can't stand to waste it. The rare item that is/becomes inedible gets composted (except meat) or fed to the chickens (which eventually STILL ends up in the compost pile...smile!). Deanna
...See More
The Best Method for Cooking Bacon
Q
Comments (26)
I've started buying bacon for myself again when I am alone in Cathedral City for four weeks at a time. Here's how I've been cooking it. First of all, I only want two or three strips at a time, but I've been mostly cooking three. I use a medium sized T-Fal non-stick skillet, and I spray the pan with a small amount of water. I then cut the bacon strips with scissors into varying lengths so that I can fit them into the pan easily, and I put the bacon in the slightly wet cold pan. I then put the pan on high heat until the water has evaporated and I hear a bit of sizzle, and then I turn the heat down to medium low. I turn the bacon several times and cook it until it is slightly crisp. As I take it out of the pan, I press it with the back of a spoon so that the grease goes back into the pan, and I let it drain on a paper towel. For the small amount of bacon I cook at a time, half a paper towel is enough. This method gives me bacon the way I like it, and I also have leftover bacon fat that I can save for later use. I think that preserving the fat is very important, and I have many uses for it. I would not want to use any method that would not yield leftover bacon fat. Since I cook bacon only once or twice a week, I do not end up with much bacon fat. I have not taken any of my cast iron pans to Cathedral City because I do not have space to store them. The house came with a lot of T-Fal non-stick pans, and I've decided that I like them.
...See More
grittymitts
17 years ago
When cooking it for a bunch I put it in a 400 degree oven in a large (rim sided) oblong pan. Usually takes only one turning to get crisp & is drained on paper towels. (Oven does get spattered but is easily wiped clean if done while still warm.)

Suzi
lilliepad
17 years ago
I do mine like Sue only I cook it in the oven.I have a huge stainless steel baking pan,(restaurant type) that I use. cook in a preheated 400* oven.I cook it just under "crisp" then freeze it in portions.Then it's just right when I nuke it.I just open the bag and nuke it in the bag.That will keep it from drying out too much.Shouldn't take more than a few seconds to heat it up.I always have ready to eat bacon in the freezer.It will keep for a while in the fridge too so if you plan to eat it within a week you wouldn't have to freeze it.
I like bunny lover's idea.No mess in the house and no mess to clean up.I may try that next time I cook bacon.
JoanMN
17 years ago
We've been doing ours in the oven, too. Saw it on the Food Network. Works great! I line the cake pan with foil.
JoanMN
sandy_in_ia
17 years ago
I have made it in the oven, but I think I would line the grill and do it on there! (but then...we do just about everything on the grill!)
whidbeykathy
17 years ago
I make it in the oven too..
lindyluwho
17 years ago
DH cooks our bacon in the oven like Grittymitts. He does it when he has time and stores it in the fridge or freezer for use later. He doesn't cook it all the way. When we heat it the the microwave for a short time it finishes cooking and gets crisp.

Linda
msmarion
17 years ago
I've been cooking mine in the oven for years. The restaurants do it the same way. I line the pan with parchment paper and bake at 400. I don't bother to preheat.
Terri_PacNW
17 years ago
oven, oven oven....can't beat the oven...
Marigene
17 years ago
Definitely in the oven, that is the only way to do it!
dilly_dally
17 years ago
Do you own a deep fryer? One quick dip is all it takes.
snap58_in_wi
17 years ago
In the oven....fast & easy! I just now got done with 3 lbs of bacon for BLT's. Yummy.
frazoo
Original Author
17 years ago
Alrighty then...looks like I'll use the oven! So glad to know this. Thanks, everyone!

Leslie/KS
tami_ohio
17 years ago
I use the Pampered Chef bar stone pan. 425Â° for about 15-20 minutes. No turning. Each batch will take a minute or two less if you do consecutive batches. I can usually get about a pound on it at one time, depending on the size of the slices.

Tami
lilliepad
17 years ago
Oh yeah, I forgot about the deep fryer! We cooked it in the deep fryer when we had the cafe.I have one of those counter top ones that looks like the restaurant one. I have used that too but put it up over a year ago because I didn't use it much anymore.Didn't even think of that.LOL
naughtykitty
17 years ago
I do it in the oven but I use a metal grid to keep the bacon suspended above the pan and then the grease all drips into the pan.

Metal grid-- I am blanking on the name. You know the grid thing you cool cookies on..... Cooling rack??
glenda_al
17 years ago
Oven baked on the broiler slotted top , so drippings drip down into the pan.
I make breakfast cookies which includes bacon in the recipe.
wildchild
17 years ago
I use the broiler pan like Glenda.
susanjf_gw
17 years ago
oven here, and have for years...i do it at 350...we're into turkey bacon...
joyfulguy
17 years ago
Lots of good ideas above.

Another alternative - borrow a second microwave from a neighbour ... to be plugged into a different circuit, of course!

ole joyful
lindasc
17 years ago
The only way I cook bacon is in the George Foreman.
sharon_fl
17 years ago
Like naughtykitty..I have baked mine for years in the oven. However-I have cookie sheet sized mesh cooling racks, so I place one of them on my silver baking tray then place the bacon on it. The grease drips into the tray, no need to flip the bacon. Once 2/3rds done, I remove & place on paper toweling.
To reheat-I put whatever amount I need on a tray & place under the broiler for a minute. Hate the microwave & freezer for cooked bacon. Call me old fashioned-I'd rather make it fresh, when needed.

Related Stories

KITCHEN DESIGN 8 Kitchen Organizing Ideas for Messy Cooks

By Lisa Frederick

Not the clean-as-you-go type? Not to worry. These strategies will help keep your kitchen looking tidy no matter what your cooking style is

KITCHEN DESIGN Kitchen Recipes: Secret Ingredients of 5 One-of-a-Kind Cooking Spaces

By Sheila Schmitz

Learn what went into these cooks’ kitchens — and what comes out of them

MOST POPULAR The 100-Square-Foot Kitchen: A Former Bedroom Gets Cooking

By Mitchell Parker

DIY skill helps create a modern kitchen where there wasn’t one before

KITCHEN OF THE WEEK Kitchen of the Week: Cooking With Creekside Views in Maryland

By Jeannie Matteucci

Thanks to a major addition, this kitchen packs in function and looks out to a beautiful vista

WHITE KITCHENS Kitchen of the Week: An Open and Airy Space With Lots of Function

By Jeannie Matteucci

A remodel turns a dated cottage-style bungalow kitchen into a stylish cooking and entertaining space with an open feel

KITCHEN DESIGN A Cook’s 6 Tips for Buying Kitchen Appliances

By Christine Tusher

An avid home chef answers tricky questions about choosing the right oven, stovetop, vent hood and more

EDIBLE GARDENS A Formerly Weedy Lot Now Brims With Edibles and Honeybees

By Mitchell Parker

Photographers transform their barren backyard into an oasis filled with fruit, vegetables, honey, eggs and more

HOUZZ TOURS Houzz Tour: Wide-Open Views on a Narrow Canadian Lot

By Mitchell Parker

Expansive glass walls facing the street create openness, sun-filled rooms and closer relations with the neighbors

ARCHITECTURE 3 Home Design Solutions to Challenging Building Lots

By Duo Dickinson, architect

You don't need to throw in the towel on an irregular homesite; today's designers are finding innovative ways to rise to the challenge

COLOR Cooking With Color: When to Use Blue in the Kitchen

By Jennifer Ott Design

Keep your cool. We show you when to nosh around navy or try a taste of turquoise so you can stay relaxed while finishing your kitchen

Sponsored

Boss Design Center

45 Reviews

Reputable Home Renovation Company Serving Northern Virginia

More Discussions

“ --wandered around aimlessly trying to remember where they parked”

41

Does this have any value??

20

Weekend Music - Body Parts, Part II

22

I'll show you mine/ysmy - Mon 6/8/26

15

Refrigerating meat — pork, chicken

6