Do you love bacon but hate the mess that goes along with baking it? Today, the traditional way to bake bacon in the oven is to line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. But foil is not a necessary material to get that crispy, delicious, oven-baked bacon ready for your early morning breakfast and coffee pairing.
Instead of wasting your aluminum foil (save it for those baked potatoes) get a crispier tray of bacon by using parchment paper. You also will get less mess, as the bacon grease will slide more easily off the parchment paper so that you can save it for cooking endeavors later in the day or week. Read on to learn more about how you can get a crispier and more delicious tray of bacon for your morning breakfast table.
Contents
Ingredients
The ingredients you need are quite simple. Gather 12-ounces of pre-sliced sliced bacon, a roll of parchment paper, a baking sheet, a cooling rack, a spatula, a clean jar, and paper towels.
Prepping the Kitchen
Set your oven to 350 degrees and allow it to warm up while you prep your baking sheet. To get started, place a clean baking sheet on your kitchen counter. Tear off enough parchment paper to line the baking sheet.
Another tip to help with removing the grease from the parchment paper after the bacon is done baking is to tear off parchment paper that is a little longer than the baking sheet. Then, fold in the right and left corners of one side, much like you would when you are folding the nose of a paper airplane. Open the folds. Follow the steps below as usual, but once the bacon is done, the creased paper will help direct the flow of the grease as you pour it into a jar.
Placing the Bacon
Pull the bacon strips out of the package and gently place them in even rows across the length of the parchment-lined baking sheet.
Wash your hands. Do not forget this step because you are handling raw meat and you do not want to cross-contaminate any surface.
Place the tray in the oven and bake the bacon for about 25 minutes. You will know the bacon is ready when it turns brown.
While the bacon is baking, line a cooling rack with paper towels. You will place the bacon on these paper towels as soon as they come out of the oven.
Taking the Bacon Out of the Oven
Immediately transfer the bacon from the baking sheet to the paper towels, so that the paper towels can absorb excess bacon grease. Pick up the parchment paper on both sides and direct the leftover bacon grease into a jar. The grease should roll off the parchment paper easily.
Sweet Parings
Bacon goes best with eggs at breakfast, brunch, or dinner. But if you are feeling a little creative, then use bacon as a garnish atop pancakes. Drizzle maple syrup on top and then dig in to this sweet and salty breakfast feast. The crispy, salty texture and taste of the bacon pairs perfectly with the contrasting sweetness of pancake syrup. Enjoy!
Conclusion
Stop wasting your aluminum foil on bacon! Save it for the foods that really need it. There are better alternatives, and parchment paper proves the point. The next time you are ready to bake bacon to a delicious crispiness, try lining your baking sheets with parchment paper. The beauty of parchment paper is that it is economical and nothing sticks to it. Grease rolls off it easily, allowing you to collect it and save as much of it as possible for later cooking projects.
With a little patience and by using a little resourcefulness, you will not only get crispier bacon, but you will get easy cleanup every time! Parchment paper takes the mess out of baking bacon! Once you try parchment paper, you will never go back to baking bacon — or any other greasy food — with aluminum foil. Is it time to start breakfast? Crispier, more golden brown bacon strips are calling your name!
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