As we've discussed, breakfast for dinner has been on my supper menu this month. At the end of December, I bought several packages of turkey bacon, marked down to $1.39 per package. I've specifically targeted BFD nights for my busy evening of the week. Searing bacon in a skillet takes too much time for an evening when I have a meeting that I'm scrambling to get to.
So, I've been baking the bacon. My mother's 1957 cookbook has instructions for baking pork bacon in the oven, on a rack, in a jelly roll pan, at 400 degrees F, for about 15-20 minutes. This does work very well, and is a great way to avoid the painful grease splatters, while standing at the stove, cooking bacon.
What I have in the freezer right now is turkey bacon. So, I was curious whether or not turkey bacon would also bake well. I really loved how easy this was.
- I didn't use a rack, just laid the pieces out on the a jelly roll pan, close together. Even turkey bacon shrinks up. I was able to fit about 12 slices, at one time, onto the jelly roll pan.
- And I preheated the oven to 375 degrees F (not 400 F like for pork bacon)
- I baked for about 15 minutes, until they looked done.
- I was able to bake the whole package in two batches, one right after the other.
- Leftover cooked bacon was kept in the fridge for a couple of days. It can also be frozen, and quickly reheated, one or two strips at a time.
I didn't line the baking sheet with anything. But you can, if you want an easier clean-up. And I didn't grease the pan. I've heard that oiling the pan, first, will result in crispier turkey bacon. I may try that this week. But you don't need to add oil, unless you are baking the super lean variety of turkey bacon. The regular turkey bacon doesn't stick to the pan.
What I liked most about this method is that I didn't have to tend to it, while it cooked. When I microwave bacon it goes from not quite done to overdone quickly. And standing at the stove takes time away from other, more desirable, tasks.
