Bacon Connoisseurs

My kids don’t just love bacon. They are connoisseurs of bacon. Even the one who's a vegetarian says that's the only meat she misses. These people know what they like. Don’t get me wrong, they will eat any and all bacon. But they say things like, “Mom, you could take this stuff on the road” when I get it just right.

They don’t have a preference for the thickness of the cut. But it has to be cooked ‘just so.’ I don’t know if it was my mom or my sister who told me about cooking bacon in the oven. I think my sister did it and my mom told me about it and that’s why it’s all jumbled in my head. Anyway, you line a big cookie sheet with aluminum foil and line up the bacon. There doesn’t have to be any space between the slices because they quickly shrink while baking.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes depending on the thickness of your bacon. This is the real science…my kids like the bacon crispy. So crispy that when you hold it up, it doesn’t bend – but is not one bit burned. It’s a harried few minutes while you open the oven door to check it, put a few more minutes on the timer…check it again…repeat. It’s so worth it though.

It’s even more worth it because the research (if there was any) behind the low-fat fad has been proven wrong. High cholesterol in humans does not come from animal fat. It comes from how our livers convert carbohydrates into cholesterol. So, your pancake, waffle, toast and syrup will raise your cholesterol and triglycerides. Your bacon and eggs will not. It’s still 70 calories or so a slice, so you can’t go crazy with it but you can have it without worrying about it causing your impending heart attack and/or stroke! Did anyone else even worry about that?

Allison likes to dredge her bacon in maple syrup. She loves how it makes the boys and I wrinkle up our noses and exclaim “Ew! Gross!” However you enjoy your bacon – give this stuff in the oven a try. Make it as crispy as you can. You’ll love it! 

A picture you can smell...