Baking Bacon
For some of us, the mere mention of bacon is enough to fill us a plethora of emotions, from guilt to euphoria. There's no way around the fat and sodium content health professionals warn us about, but somehow, we just can't turn our backs entirely on such a culinary luxury.
Supermarkets still sell tons of bacon - in fact, they often put it on sale to get people to buy it more often than they normally would. A supermarket around here usually has a BOGO - Buy One, Get One - or a 2/$5.00 deal I can't seem to pass up. A lot of the bacon will go to the freezer for later, but I found a way to make a lot of bacon at once without making a huge mess, the part of making bacon that I like the least.
Buy several pounds of bacon when it is on sale and/or you have a coupon. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Put single-layer strips on aluminum foil in a large baking dish (you may have to use two). Bake strips 30 to 40 minutes or until they look cooked to your preference. Place bacon on plates lined with paper towel to drain off extra grease. You can either serve what you’ve made or store the pieces in a zip-lock freezer bag and freeze, which makes it easy to remove only a small amount that you need for a quick breakfast or a sandwich. You can reheat the bacon for a short time in the microwave. (This method is even better than the baggie method I’ve used. Clean up is quick since there will not be any bacon grease splatter on your stove top.
BLT DIP
We LOVED this dip. It’s easy and goes well with warm sliced French bread. You can even serve it with crackers, pretzels, or raw veggies. I cooked the bacon the way companies package microwavable bacon. It’s faster, less messy, and I’ve never burned bacon cooked this way. (See below)
1 cup low-fat sour cream
1 cup Miracle Whip or mayo (I used Miracle Whip - we LOVE Miracle Whip!!)
½ to 1 pound bacon – cooked and crumbled
½ to 1 pound bacon – cooked and crumbled
1 tomato – diced
Small lettuce leaves – torn into strips
In a bowl combine sour cream and mayo/Miracle Whip. Set aside. For making larger quantities of bacon at one time, as I suggested above, prepare bacon in the oven. Or, you can make bacon in the microwave. Use three 1-gallon-size zip-lock baggies with two pieces of paper towel inside each. Place as many slices of uncooked bacon on the paper towel without over-lapping as you can – usually around 6 to 8 slices for each baggie. Put each bag – one at a time – on a microwave-safe plate into the microwave and cook for 4 minutes. The bag will inflate, but if you seal it tight and remove as much air when you seal as you can, it shouldn’t explode. When taking each baggie out, be sure to use a pot holder as the plate will be hot. Let each bag sit about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon from the bags and place on a plate lined with paper towel. Once it has cooled enough to slice it, slice/crumble the bacon on a cutting board and mix into the mayo/Miracle Whip and sour cream mixture.
Last, dice the tomato and mix it into the sour cream mixture. Add the tomato last because the water in it will absorb into the dip and make it too mushy. Serve with lettuce, warm sliced French bread, or crackers. You can even use the dip for vegetables.
Small lettuce leaves – torn into strips
In a bowl combine sour cream and mayo/Miracle Whip. Set aside. For making larger quantities of bacon at one time, as I suggested above, prepare bacon in the oven. Or, you can make bacon in the microwave. Use three 1-gallon-size zip-lock baggies with two pieces of paper towel inside each. Place as many slices of uncooked bacon on the paper towel without over-lapping as you can – usually around 6 to 8 slices for each baggie. Put each bag – one at a time – on a microwave-safe plate into the microwave and cook for 4 minutes. The bag will inflate, but if you seal it tight and remove as much air when you seal as you can, it shouldn’t explode. When taking each baggie out, be sure to use a pot holder as the plate will be hot. Let each bag sit about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon from the bags and place on a plate lined with paper towel. Once it has cooled enough to slice it, slice/crumble the bacon on a cutting board and mix into the mayo/Miracle Whip and sour cream mixture.
Last, dice the tomato and mix it into the sour cream mixture. Add the tomato last because the water in it will absorb into the dip and make it too mushy. Serve with lettuce, warm sliced French bread, or crackers. You can even use the dip for vegetables.
BLT Fried Egg-and-Cheese Sandwiches
This sandwich would be good for ANY meal. It's not just for breakfast!! This recipe will make 2 sandwiches - add or subtract ingredient quantities based on how many you need. Again, I always use Miracle Whip whenever a recipe calls for mayo - but it's up to you.
8 slices bacon - cooked to desired crispness
4 slices Monteray Jack Cheese*
4 slices of bread - I used thinly sliced Italian bread - you can use French bread, too
4 leaves lettuce
8 slices tomato
2 tbsp. Miracle Whip or mayo
2 large eggs
2 tsp. butter - unsalted since the bacon is salty
Cook your bacon the way you prefer - on the stovetop, in the oven, or in the microwave, to your desired crispness. Drain on a plate lined with paper towel. Slightly toast you bread slices. Layer 2 slices of the toast with Monteray Jack cheese, bacon, tomato, and lettuce. On the other 2 slices, spread the mayo or Miracle Whip. In a small skillet, melt butter. Add the eggs and fry over medium heat, turning once, until crisp around the edge - about 4 minutes. The yolk should still be runny. Slide the egg onto the layered bread slice - on top of the lettuce. Close the sandwich and it's ready to eat.
You can add or subtract any of these ingredients - especially the type of cheese you use. You can also double the bacon or any of the other ingredients. ENJOY!!
*Monterey Jack cheese was invented by David Jacks, a 19th century cheesemaker who lived near Monterey, California.
Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus
In an attempt to try a variety of vegetables I have not yet prepared this year, I found this recipe on the Michigan Asparagus Advisory Board (yes, there is such an organization) website for ideas. I bought fresh asparagus at the Flint Farmer’s Market and gave this recipe a try. It was very good – and gone in a very short amount of time. Not exactly a diet appetizer, but very satisfying!
In an attempt to try a variety of vegetables I have not yet prepared this year, I found this recipe on the Michigan Asparagus Advisory Board (yes, there is such an organization) website for ideas. I bought fresh asparagus at the Flint Farmer’s Market and gave this recipe a try. It was very good – and gone in a very short amount of time. Not exactly a diet appetizer, but very satisfying!
1 pound fresh Michigan asparagus
8 – 10 strips bacon
Wash and trim the asparagus spears. Cut the bacon strips in half crosswise. Wrap one strip of bacon around each asparagus spear, leaving the tip and end exposed. Line a cookie sheet with sides with aluminum foil. Lay each wrapped spear on the cookie sheet. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until bacon is cooked. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Wash and trim the asparagus spears. Cut the bacon strips in half crosswise. Wrap one strip of bacon around each asparagus spear, leaving the tip and end exposed. Line a cookie sheet with sides with aluminum foil. Lay each wrapped spear on the cookie sheet. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until bacon is cooked. Serve warm or at room temperature.
****These are good dipped in your favorite hot sauce or dressing
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