BACON!

   If you have read the blog before you know that I LOVE PORK! (You can read and see a picture about how much I love pork, here).  It's hard to choose but bacon is definitely on the top of the list.  My kids would eat platefuls of bacon if I let them but I don't, I swear I don't! The problem is that bacon takes so long to cook, you get burned and it is so messy, right???  WRONG!!

  Bacon is time consuming and messy if you cook it on the stove in a pan.  Listen, when my son was going through some of his worst times with PANDAS, he was constantly at my side (due to separation anxiety), couldn't focus or remember my instructions about staying away from the hot pan, or just couldn't stop jumping around that I was literally scared he would knock the whole hot grease filled pan all over the floor. I would start to loathe making bacon because of the hassle and fear of someone getting hurt (most likely me, because I would jump in front of a flying hot pan full of grease to save my child damn it!).  

  One day I figured there had to be another way that didn't occupy what seemed like my whole morning and was safer for everyone.  Why not the oven??  Here is the great thing about this, you can get the bacon crispy, squishy or how ever you like it.  It all depends on how long you cook it and bonus...its ready all at the same time!!! You don't have to slave in front of a pan, burn yourself, or worry about the kids.  You can actually sit down and enjoy a cup of HOT coffee while the bacon is cooking. Plus, this allows everyone to be able to sit down and enjoy hot bacon at the same time. What could be better than that? Oh, I know...easy clean-up!  ******Edited - I no longer use foil as aluminum has been linked to several issues. I now opt for parchment paper and it works just as well. 

   Keep in mind some people might want to put the bacon on a rack to allow for the drippings to separate from the bacon, but I have never done that and it works fine.  Honestly, I have no desire to clean a rack that has cooked bacon on it, that just seems too time consuming.  I drain the bacon on a paper towel which does a pretty good job of soaking up the excess grease. Plus, once you remove the bacon you can collect that grease and keep it for a later recipe. I keep a jar of bacon grease in my fridge at all times.  
  
  Now, go cook yourself some bacon while you actually enjoy that cup of coffee!

  

BACON - Cooking Instructions

Prep Time:2 minutes

Cook Time:12-18 minutes

Total Time:approx 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• One package of bacon - there is a paleo friendly bacon with no sugar. 

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Line a large baking pan with parchment paper.  Be sure to have it up the sides to allow a place for the grease to catch. You want it to stay in the parchment paper to get that easy clean up. 
3. Separate bacon and line on pan. They can slightly overlap to fit more on the pan. 
4. Place pan on middle rack and cook for 12-18 minutes depending on how crispy you like your bacon. FYI - It will crisp up more once it is removed from grease.
5. Remove pan from oven and transfer bacon to paper towel lined plate to drain grease. 
6. Once paper/pan has cooled, carefully pick up and pour grease into glass container and refrigerate for later. 

*******EDITED -We no longer use aluminum foil (due to the issues associated with foil) and I have updated the recipe to parchment paper that works very well.******