How to Make Bacon in the Oven

Ingredients

• 12 strips bacon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, optional

Directions

1. If you have a baking rack that can go in the oven, set it into a sheet pan. For simpler cleanup, you can line the sheet pan with foil first.
2. Arrange the bacon on the rack in a single layer, making sure the strips are not touching or overlapping. Add a sprinkle of black pepper if you want it.
3. Put the bacon into a cold oven, then turn the heat to 375 degrees F. Cook for 15-20 minutes total.
4. If you are baking more than one pan, switch the sheet pans between the upper and lower racks midway through the cooking time. If you skipped the rack, turn the bacon strips over at the halfway point instead.
5. Begin taking a look at the bacon around 18 minutes, since the fat content can make some strips cook more quickly than others. It is ready when the color is deep tan. The strips will firm up as they cool, so they do not need to be fully crisp the second they leave the oven.
6. Transfer the cooked bacon to a few paper towels so it can drain and cool. If you want, carefully pour the rendered bacon grease out of the pan and save it for another use.
7. Store leftover bacon in the fridge for a few days, and warm it back up in a skillet over low heat. For a larger batch, you can freeze it; separate the strips individually or layer them between pieces of parchment paper so they do not freeze together.