Sir Francis Bacon, who some people think wrote all of Shakespeare’s plays, said that “Friendship doubles joys and cuts grief in half.” I think that’s true of bacon itself. It’s a fun food that (served in a wide variety of ways) does indeed double joy and cut grief in half. For many, it is an occasional indulgence, only eaten at restaurants!

Bacon has a unique smoky, salty, and sometimes sweet flavor all rolled into one strip. The high fat content makes it very crispy when you cook it.

It can be eaten on its own or crumbled up and used as a garnish on lots of different types of savory dishes.

You can cook bacon in the oven, in a fry pan or in the microwave. I recommend the microwave approach, because it’s quick and easy, and there’s virtually no clean up.

To cook bacon in the microwave you will need a microwave safe dish and three paper towels.

It will usually say on the back of the plate, in really small print, if you can use it in a microwave.

So here we go!

Lay 2 paper towels on the plate. Spread the bacon out in a single layer not overlapping on the dish.

Now lay another paper towel over the top.

Depending on your microwave, this amount of bacon should take about 4-6 minutes to get nice and crispy.

Using pot holders, very carefully remove the dish from the microwave.

Be careful! The dish itself will be very hot.

The paper towels will have absorbed all the bacon fat. With some tongs, put the bacon on a serving dish.

Now just throw away the paper towels.

It’s just that simple! Your bacon is nice and crispy and there is very little clean-up!

If you have uncooked bacon left over, the remaining package can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored for up to one week in the refrigerator. I like to divide the remaining bacon into two packets and wrap it in plastic.

Then you can freeze it. Be sure to date the package. It should be used within two months. Remember food doesn’t last forever in the freezer.

If, later on, you only want one serving of bacon you can take the packet out of the freezer and zap it in the microwave for about one minute. Then, remove it from its packaging and cook it as described above.

Bacon can be used as a topping to salads and baked potatoes, or as a perfect side dish to any breakfast or brunch menu.

Enjoy!

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