Quick and stupid cooking/bacon question.

J&K10910

I don't know how to cook bacon, because I don't eat it.  I mean, I'm quite sure I could probably manage it, but I just don't.

So I'm making that loaded baked potato soup recipe Chirp told me to make, and H loves bacon.  We have some in the freezer.  He's really anti-bacon in the microwave, but I feel like it's a major pain to fry it on the stove to make 1 piece to crumble into his bowl of soup.  So will it really make a noticeable difference if I just throw the one piece into the microwave?

And?  If I can do that?  How long/anything I should know/do?

celticmyss

I just throw it on a cookie sheet and stick it in the oven. 350 should do it, I am not sure how long though because I just check it frequently. 

For your purposes though i don't think throwing it in the microwave will make much of a difference. 

ahhhitsshannyn

If he likes crispy bacon I cannot imagine it would come out good in the microwave. For just one piece of bacon I would just fry it up, it would probably take less than 5 minutes.

mica178

I like microwaved bacon because I like mine crispy (which is also the best way to make it if you are just crumbling the bacon over soup). 

ahhhitsshannyn

Oh okay, Mica just proved me wrong. I guess it does get crispy in the microwave.

Also. How do you not like bacon J?! This is confusing to me..

mica178

If you use a lot of paper towels to sop up the fat, I promise, the bacon will be crispy.

J&K10910

Hmmm, so a bunch of paper towels underneath it while it's microwaving, Mica?  For how long?  I've seriously never made bacon in my life.

And...it's gross to me, Shan.  I don't like the texture, or the taste, or really anything about it.

Celles

Microwave bacon always comes out chewy for me, too.  I'd just fry it in a small pan.  It only takes a few minutes and is easy clean-up, especially if you can convince your H that you made the bacon for him so he can do the dishes for you. 

Michellea86

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_quick-and-stupid-cookingbacon-question?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:182a8cf6-b63c-4096-a3c9-380fbb2eb289Post:0d354632-2150-4773-a0e6-99d74a3d33a9">Re: Quick and stupid cooking/bacon question.</a>:
[QUOTE]Hmmm, so a bunch of paper towels underneath it while it's microwaving, Mica?  For how long?  I've seriously never made bacon in my life. <strong>And...it's gross to me, Shan.  I don't like the texture, or the taste, or really anything about it.</strong>
Posted by J&K10910[/QUOTE]

This. I don't eat/like bacon either. Everyone around me thinks I'm crazy...I wouldn't know how to cook it either...

mica178

The bacon does shrink in the microwave, I'll concede that, Rachers.  But it still turns out crispy for me, every time, and I've used a million different microwaves over the years.  (Okay, maybe not a million.)

The timing depends on how much you are cooking and how strong is your microwave.  I usually start with about a minute per slice, up to 4 minutes, then after that, I check on the bacon and add more time if it's not crispy.  You can't undo burnt bacon, so better to undercook at first.

LP11509

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_quick-and-stupid-cookingbacon-question?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:182a8cf6-b63c-4096-a3c9-380fbb2eb289Post:ebbf708f-5d90-46d3-a028-5df86ea71102">Re: Quick and stupid cooking/bacon question.</a>:
[QUOTE]Microwave bacon always comes out chewy for me, too.  I'd just fry it in a small pan.  It only takes a few minutes and is easy clean-up, especially if you can convince your H that you made the bacon for him so he can do the dishes for you.  ;)
Posted by Celles[/QUOTE]

<div>Agreed.  Just be careful because the grease can pop up and burn you. But I think pan fried bacon tastes much better than microwaved or baked bacon. </div>

Celles

Another reason I'd fry it is because then you can just cut the frozen bacon into pieces and stir fry it in its own grease (no need for oil with bacon!), instead of waiting until it's cooked and messy before chopping it up. 

^ How I make bacon for breakfast quesadillas.

J&K10910

But is the texture REALLY going to matter when it's being crumbled into soup?  That's sort of what I meant to ask, I guess.

Thanks for the info Mica.  Frankly, I think H should be happy I'm cooking bacon at all

cheeseandrice

If you're quick on time, the microwave is ok. Like Mica said, though, use lots of paper towels (like 5 under and 2-3 on top of the bacon.) Make sure it's not touching either.

BUT it always turns out better in the oven. Lie it flat on a cookie sheet (with edges!) and pop it in the cool oven. Turn to 425* and it'll be done in about 15 minutes. It works better if you let the bacon heat with the oven.

cheeseandrice

Oh, no, the texture will be fine nuked and crumbled in the soup.

OR you could oven bake it and just do like 4-5 slices. It can stay in the fridge, cooked, for at least a few days (Assuming you'll have leftover soup, too.)

J&K10910

You people REALLY want me to not the use the microwave, huh?  Except Mica.

cheeseandrice

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_quick-and-stupid-cookingbacon-question?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:182a8cf6-b63c-4096-a3c9-380fbb2eb289Post:a775ab3c-368f-437d-883a-96f28a85dd63">Re: Quick and stupid cooking/bacon question.</a>:
[QUOTE]You people REALLY want me to not the use the microwave, huh?  Except Mica.
Posted by J&K10910[/QUOTE]

I TOLD YOU HOW TO DO IT IN THE MICROWAVE!

J&K10910

YES.  But THEN you said it's BETTER in the oven.  TWICE.

TWICE.  Even after you said it would FINE for soup in the micro. 

J&K10910

Maybe I should add to my OP:  CN: I would like you to validate my use of the microwave to cook bacon for soup and tell me how to do it.

Nebb

Just save yourself the trouble, cook it all in the pan and then donate the bacon you dont need to needy bacon lovers.

like me.

annakb8

Don't worry J, Rachael Ray has you covered:

LATE NIGHT BACON

You're going to have to wait a few hours if this is going to work though.

P.S. Please read the comments. 

KateJ10

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_quick-and-stupid-cookingbacon-question?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:17Discussion:182a8cf6-b63c-4096-a3c9-380fbb2eb289Post:782d0e52-1081-435f-b179-46b8d2149f07">Re: Quick and stupid cooking/bacon question.</a>:
[QUOTE]Don't worry J, Rachael Ray has you covered: LATE NIGHT BACON You're going to have to wait a few hours if this is going to work though. P.S. Please read the comments. 
Posted by annakb8[/QUOTE]

LOL

Those comments are awesome. And the recipe...

LDYGTR13

I'm really sad that there are people who don't like bacon. 

And I used to make all of my bacon in the microwave (paper towel method!), but H doesn't like it that way, so I now make it in the oven. But microwave bacon is just fine. 

LDYGTR13

Anna, I'm so glad you posted RR's Late Night Bacon recipe. She enlightened a generation with that one.

dubird

You can get him some bacon salt.  Yes, it's a real thing, I have a bottle of it.  Surprisingly enough, it's Kosher, which means FI can have some too, a fact we both found awesome and hilarious!

Starqueg

And now I really miss bacon.

J&K10910

Wow, Rachel Ray's recipe is really quite revolutionary!

SO...I ended up putting it in the oven.  When H put the bacon in the freezer, he kept it all together in a lump, so the only way to detach a few pieces was to thaw it all.  Obviously then I had to COOK it all, so I figured it made the most sense to do it in the oven.

Except now my house smells like awful.