“This whole office smells like a Cracker Barrel” my co-worker said after I brought in some of this maple bacon for us this morning. It’s one of the simplest things to make and yet it is so sinfully good.
Harris Teeter had a sale on Smithfield Bacon (buy 2, get 3 free) so I found myself with 5 packages of bacon without much arm twisting. For this recipe from Ina Garten, I used the package marked “Butcher’s Cut.”
Heat your oven to 400F. If you have a metal rack that fits securely inside a cooking sheet, you can use that. I do not. Instead, I took one sheet of aluminum foil and laid it on the bottom of the cookie sheet, wrapping the extra over the edges. I then took a second sheet of aluminum foil (longer than the first) and pinched little accordion folds every inch or so to make a grooved pattern and laid that on top of the cookie sheet. This will help the grease to drip away from the bacon and get trapped in the foil folds.(see pic)
Secondly, lay the pieces of bacon across the foil – if not all of it fits, put the rest in sideways. Cook in the oven for 15 minutes.
Remove bacon from the oven – it should be starting to brown. Be Careful! The grease is very hot and bubbling and can burn you! Using a kitchen brush, brush 2-3 tablespoons of your favorite syrup across the bacon. (I used Trader Joe’s agave maple syrup) Return the cookie sheet to the oven and cook for 5-8 more minutes (I did it for 8 because the bacon was thicker and needed a little more cooking time).
Remove the cookie sheet from the oven. Place 2-3 paper towels on a plate or platter. Use tongs to transfer the bacon from the cookie sheet on to the paper towels to cool. (The paper towels will absorb additional grease – feel free to also turn the bacon to make sure it gets both sides).
Serve warm. Store any additional bacon in a airtight container or storage bag. Crumbled maple bacon is a great addition to salads, omelets, grits, or my own personal favorite – butter pecan ice cream!
Joey’s Ruling: Love it! Will definitely be doing it again. May or may not share with coworkers!