I love to cook, but clean up? Not so much. 

I’m always looking to improve my cooking game. Sometimes an improvement means reducing the mess in my kitchen without sacrificing taste. The way I make bacon is the perfect example of preparing something a different way that reduces clean up and doesn’t diminish the quality of the end result.

My family loves bacon but I don’t love the clean up. I found that I made bacon less and less because of the grease that splattered around the kitchen. Making bacon in a pan on the stove top turns out delicious bacon but left grease on the range and countertop. There had to be a better way. What if there was an easier method that offered a perfect result and easier clean up? Sign. Me. Up.

The solution? Roasting bacon at a high temperature in the oven. The bacon is crispy and delicious without the hassle. The clean up is easier and this method frees me up to do other tasks in the kitchen. When I fry bacon in a pan, I watch it and turn it to ensure it cooks evenly. With the oven roasted method, the bacon is elevated on a rack and there is no need to turn the bacon. The air that circulates around the bacon allows it to cook evenly and crisp. I love putting a tray of bacon in the oven and forgetting about until the timer goes off.

Clean up is easy, but I recommend waiting until the grease at the bottom of the pan cools.

Wrap half sheet pan in foil for easy clean up. Find half sheet pan here.

Place wire cooling rack on top of foil covered half sheet pan. Find wire cooling rack here.

Layer bacon in single layer on top of wire rack. It’s okay if they touch. The bacon will shrink as it cooks. Use caution when taking hot pan out of the oven. Hot grease will accumulate at the bottom of the pan.

Transfer cooked bacon to paper towel lined plate.

Enjoy!

-xo