I love bacon, but I used to hate the mess that the skillet fried bacon created all over my stovetop, burners, knobs, etc. For several years now I have been baking the bacon in a hot oven and couldn’t be happier with the results. Since the bacon is baked on a rack all the excess fat drips and collects in the aluminum foil lining inside the baking sheet and is discarded after it cools. The cleanup is so much easier than the skillet method. Give this a try and you won’t want to go back.
Preheat oven to 450F, center rack
Line a large baking sheet with heavy duty aluminum foil (18-inch wide) and allow it to extend 4 inches on either side. You will have 4 walls of aluminum foil extending on all sides and this will help to catch most of the splatter and the result is a less messy oven!
Place an oven proof rack large enough to fit inside the baking sheet.
Arrange a 1-pound bag of sliced bacon side by side on a single layer on the rack.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until crispy golden brown.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and place it on a cooling rack.
Use metal tongs to transfer the baked bacon to a paper towel lined platter. Remove the rack from the baking sheet and brush it under running hot water immediately. Most stainless steel racks are dishwasher safe. Set the baking sheet aside so the bacon fat cools, it will solidify as it cools. Next pull up the four corners of the aluminum foil and press together at the top to seal. Discard the aluminum foil with the bacon fat inside without getting your baking sheet dirty.
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