Everything is Better with Bacon

We’ve compiled a few recipes that are sure to please the entire family using our own pork bacon that is available in our farm store. Read on for recipe ideas and some simple tips and tricks for getting your bacon just right!

Perfectly Cooked Bacon

Stovetop Method

Some people prefer to cook their bacon on the stovetop. The thing to remember is that bacon needs to be cooked low and slow. Start with a cold pan. Bacon should be laid out into a cold pan. Bacon cooks best slowly over low heat, so turn your burner on low. Soon the bacon will begin to release some of its fat. When it starts to buckle and curl, use a pair of tongs to loosen the strips and turn each slice to cook the other side. Keep flipping and turning the bacon so that it browns evenly.

If the bacon is very fatty and your pan is filling up with grease, you can remove some by carefully suctioning it off with a bulb baster and squeezing it into a glass or metal container. Some people just spoon off the excess with a metal spoon. You can also pour off some of the grease but be very careful when you do this as spilled grease can cause a grease fire. In any case, be sure that you pour it into a sturdy glass, metal, or ceramic container.

Cook until the bacon is done. When is the bacon done? That depends. Some people like their bacon extra crispy and others like it a little loose and flappy. It’s important to know that your bacon will continue to cook some when you pull it from the pan and will stiffen up a little upon cooling. In general, you will want to see even browning and make sure that the meat part has lost some of its raw redness.

Make sure to let the cooked bacon drain. Using the tongs, remove the pieces from the pan and onto your paper towels to drain. If you have more bacon to cook, you can simply drain the excess grease and add more bacon as you remove pieces. If the pan has developed a browned crust on the bottom, let the pan cool down and wipe it clean before continuing on.

Oven Method

Cooking bacon in the oven creates perfectly crispy, delicious bacon. It’s also super easy, creates less mess than cooking it on the stovetop, and allows you to multitask in the kitchen. If you’ve never baked bacon, give it a try!

• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit.
• Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Lay the bacon slices on the baking sheet.
• Cook the bacon for 10 to 20 minutes or until it’s as crispy as you’d like.
• Remove the bacon from the oven and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.

Benefits of Cooking Bacon in the Oven

• First, you can cook for a crowd (and sometimes that crowd is just your immediate family). This is key for the holidays or when lots of people descend on your house. It’s also HUGE for helping you keep your sanity in the kitchen with the masses.
• Second, cooking bacon in the oven is way cleaner than cooking bacon on the stove. When you cook bacon in the oven you don’t get any splatters because the bacon just sizzles until it’s perfectly crispy (or done to your liking).
• Lastly, cooking bacon in the oven allows you to multitask in the kitchen. Because once you toss that sheet pan of glorious bacon in the oven, you’re free for about 15 minutes to whip up some eggs or make a batch of pancakes or waffles.

No matter which way you prefer to cook your bacon, make sure to always stop by our farm store to pick up some of our fresh pork bacon. Available to be ordered online so it’s ready for pick-up when you arrive.

Recipes Using Bacon

Simple Bacon and Eggs

In our opinion, the best breakfast consists of 2 perfectly fried eggs, crispy bacon, and some toast. There are many variations on how to cook the eggs for the perfect breakfast, but whatever you do, make sure to pair it with some crispy bacon!

Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

Two perfect foods come together in this bacon-wrapped asparagus recipe done in the oven.

• Asparagus – Look for smooth, firm, and brightly colored fresh asparagus spears. Medium to thick spears work best for bacon-wrapped asparagus, as they are less prone to overcooking by the time the bacon is done.
• Bacon – Center cut bacon works the best for appearance, but any bacon will work. Avoid thick cut bacon, which will take too long to get crispy, causing the asparagus to be limp and soggy.
• Olive Oil – We use extra virgin olive oil for flavor, but use your favorite cooking oil. You just need enough for the seasonings to stick.
• Seasonings – Garlic salt and black pepper. If you don’t have garlic salt, you can easily substitute garlic powder and salt separately.

VARIATION: Want to add extra flavor?

Try these extra options to enhance this asparagus and bacon appetizer:

• A sprinkle of brown sugar (conventional or a sugar-free brown sugar substitute) before baking. (You’ll need to skip or reduce the broiling time, so sugar does not burn.)
• Parmesan cheese (before or after baking)
• A drizzle of balsamic glaze or honey (I use sugar-free honey) for finishing

1. Prep. Trim woody ends of asparagus. Cut bacon lengthwise into narrower strips.
2. Season. Drizzle the asparagus with olive oil. Season with garlic salt and black pepper.
3. Wrap. Wrap the bacon tightly around the asparagus stalk. Place seam side down on a cookie sheet with a wire rack.
4. Bake. Bake asparagus, (400 degrees for 15 – 20 min) flipping halfway through, until bacon is nearly crispy.
5. Broil. Until bacon is fully crisped.

Easy Garlic Bacon Pasta

This Easy Garlic Bacon Pasta recipe is going to be your go-to weeknight meal when you need dinner on the table in just 10 minutes.

With just 5 ingredients, this dish comes together in the time it takes to cook your pasta! With the optional extras of parsley and parmesan for garnish.

The key to this delicious dish is the bacon! As it cooks it releases all its gorgeous bacony fats. These are packed with flavour and this oil is used to cook off the garlic – making a very simple yet scrumptious sauce for your cooked spaghetti.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 lb dried spaghetti
• 10-12 strips thick-cut bacon
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 6 large garlic cloves
• chopped fresh parsley – garnish
• freshly grated Parmesan cheese – garnish

Instructions:

Cook the Pasta

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then add the salt and cook the pasta for 1 minute less than the packet suggests.
  
• Once the pasta is cooked reserve 2 ½ cups of the pasta cooking water and then drain the pasta.

While the Pasta is Cooking

• Chop the bacon into dice-sized pieces, add a tablespoon of the olive oil to a frying pan then cook the bacon over medium-high for 4-5 minutes until crispy.

While the bacon is cooking peel and thinly slice the garlic.

Once the bacon is crisp, remove it from the pan using a slotted spoon, leaving the oil and bacon grease behind. Reduce the heat under the pan and add the remaining olive oil and the sliced garlic. Stir constantly for 2 minutes and as soon as the garlic has softened but not yet colored, add ½ cup of the pasta cooking water and turn the heat back up.

Boil this mixture for a minute then add in the now drained pasta, keeping the frying pan on the heat. Add a further ½ cup of pasta water and toss and stir the pasta in the sauce until it is cooked to your liking. You might need to add more pasta water.

Once your garlic ‘sauce’ has coated the pasta, add the cooked bacon and any collected juices back into the pasta then season to taste. Depending on the saltiness of your bacon you might need salt, but it will definitely want some pepper. Serve garnished with fresh parsley and grated parmesan.

Bacon can be enjoyed at any time of the day, whether on the breakfast table paired with eggs, waffles or pancakes – or in a sandwich for lunch – or in a scrumptious pasta dish for dinner. Try out these recipes or come up with your own ideas to enhance your meals with the deliciousness of bacon!