Prayer to Assist with the Enjoyment of Quality Bacon
O wonderous St. Anthony, please bless me with an abundance of quality bacon and grant me the patience and timing to properly fry each glorious strip. Amen.
I’ve fried my share of bacon over the years and I know that sometimes it does take the intercession of the Saints to keep things from going to hell in a handbasket. But I’ve learned that you don’t need the patience of a Saint to cook bacon. And you don’t need to spend hours degreasing your kitchen either. What’s my secret? My bacon never sees the inside of a frying pan anymore.
It may seem radical, but I cook my bacon in the oven. I got the idea from Ina, the Barefoot Contessa herself. And then I wondered why it never occurred to me before. It’s the perfect solution. All you need is a hot oven, a baking sheet, and a wire rack and you too can enjoy quality bacon. Amen.
Ina’s Oven Cooked Bacon
-
Thick cut slices of smoked bacon
-
Sheet pan
-
Wire cooling rack
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place the wire cooling rack in the sheet pan and arrange the bacon on the rack in a single layer. Bake for 15 to 25 minutes until the bacon is browned and crisp. Drain on paper towels and enjoy.
Bon Appetit Hon 
Yes! I totally agree! I started cooking the bacon in the oven only because my family seems to eat it in mass quantities and it was necessary to cook it all at once to prevent a stampede to the bacon.
Stampede to the bacon, I love it.
I find that you get less fat rendered out in the oven than on top of the stove, so less mess to clean up. And then there’s also the bonus of not having to stand at the stove and get splattered with grease while the bacon cooks.
Why didn’t I think of that? With my love of all things pork, I’ll be sure to give this a try asap!
Seriously, this is the easiest way to fix bacon. I think this recipe and St. Anthony and his Bacon Prayer both came into my kitchen about the same time. Coincidence? I think not.
I’ve got other bacontastic treats coming up. How do Brown Sugar Bacon Waffles sound?
God love ya, Wendipants! I have a friend that swears by cooking bacon in the oven. Only she puts parchment paper down in the sheet pan so that it soaks up the grease. I am, however, known to keep bacon renderings for other delectable foods. (aka I’m a heifer and I know so I clap my hands.)
I have found that you don’t get nearly as much grease in the sheet pan when you cook it in the oven. So if bacon grease is required byproduct of the process, you need to stick to a frying pan on the stove top.
I line my sheet pan with foil and then clean up is a breeze and I’m on to eating bacon.