Pre-cooked packaged bacon

[Redcatcher70]

I think this has been kicked around before, but let's try again for S & G....
I know nothing takes the place of real skillet fried bacon. But to keep down on the mess, I have been using the pre-cooked package stuff for several years, and tried all brands. We have found the Hormel Black Label to be the #1 all round for flavor, texture and best cooking in the microwave. Anyone else have or use pre-cooked bacon? As a side note, we don't do a lot of bacon, some weeks none at all, at the most, eight pieces in a week....

[RickLight]

We've used the bacon crumbles at home and on the road. They don't need refrigeration until opened. Great for some flavor in eggs or salads.

[magnusfide]

Oh! The humanity!!!! :E

Tis far, far better to have fried and frozen, than to pay and never have fried at all! :R

[Redcatcher70]

OP here, lots of different answers, I know quality bacon cooked in a skillet is preferred, but the mess is what I am trying to avoid. Saving the grease is something I avoid, whether cooking stovetop, oven, air fryer or other methods is not in our interest. Disposing of grease frowned upon by the refuse collectors. We only eat bacon maybe once a week, link sausage less then that, so that is why I buy pre-cooked and packaged, for convenience sake. No Costco, Aldi or Sam's near us. A box of fifteen slices may last us a month. Thirty to thirty five seconds and it is done, no grease no mess. Like I said, the Hormel Black Label brand, TO US, agrees wilt our taste buds.

[Gooma]

Never had it. I'm too cheap to pay someone else to fry my bacon.

[Tvov]

We sometimes use pre-cooked bacon to mix in with other ingredients when cooking. Just makes things a little easier at a campground.

Semi-related, pre-cooked sausage... We found that Johnsonville pre-cooked sausage is by far the best that we have found. Tastes good even if just microwaved.

[NamMedevac_70]

I heat it in stove top oven until very cripsy. Use both sams and Costco. Blot off the excess grease. Very very good. I like thin and crispy and no grease smell or residue in my kitchen. Yup

[time2roll]

Microwave? I still put my Costco precooked bacon in the skillet. Seems undercooked in the package to me anyway. And the last year or so seems like the quality has dropped... less meaty. Better cooked and better looking on top to see in the window with the other layers chopped badly and more greasy.

[azwildcat]

A while back we got some from Aldies that was pretty good. However the same stuff recently has not been very good. Maybe they changed suppliers or its just the luck of the draw.

[BB_TX]

I just use regular thin sliced bacon (usually Oscar Mayer center cut) in the microwave on a plate with 3 layers of paper towel under the bacon and one layer on top to catch splatter. Comes out nice and crisp and no dripping grease. That makes it healthy, right? Takes a few times to get the timing right. I usually set the timer for slightly less than I think it needs and check it at the end and add 30 second increments as necessary. And it cooks differently depending on lean/fat mix. After a few tries you find what mix works best.

[bukhrn]

I tried the pre-cooked stuff once, it wasn't the worst stuff I've ever eaten, but as you said it doesn't compare to mine as I learned to make my own smoked bacon.
My son used to buy the pre cooked stuff quite often, but I don't remember a brand.

[LMHS]

I like to buy large packages of bacon and sausage. I find it is easier to cook it all up at the same time and freeze it for later. This is how I cook bacon and sausage in large batches in the oven. The bacon grease is used mostly for those dishes that call for "cook in the bacon grease". I use the cooked bacon in fried egg sandwiches, bacon cheeseburgers, in recipes and for snacking.

BACON & SAUSAGE PATTIES (Oven)
Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment paper to make cleaning the pan easier. Cut bacon pieces in half crosswise with kitchen shears. The half strips fit nicely on a cheese burger and other sandwiches. Shape your bulk breakfast sausage into patties. Lay the meat in a single layer onto the lined pan(s). Put the pans of meat into the cold oven and turn the oven on to 350F. This will allow more of the fat to cook out. Bake the bacon for about 20 to 25 minutes. With thick sliced bacon, you may need to flip pieces over about halfway thru cooking. Flip the sausage patties over halfway thru cooking. When the meat is done, remove from the pan and drain on paper towels. I prefer to wrap the bacon in foil packages (4 "halves" to a package) then I store the bacon packages in a gallon zip-lock freezer bag that has been labeled and dated. The sausage patties tend to go into a labeled and dated zip-lock freezer bag (4 patties per bag).

Let the grease in the pan cool a bit and strain it into 4 oz canning jars and let cool. Once cool, cover with a lid and label/date before storing in the refrigerator or freezer for use in cooking later.

Folded Snacking Bacon
Makes a chewy bacon that is good for low carb snacking as it fits into a ziplock baggie better.

Take regular thick strips of bacon and fold them horizontally into thirds like an envelope. Place the folded bacon on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet and bake it at 400°F for 40 minutes, flipping them at the halfway mark. The folded bacon can be arranged closely on the pan, so you can easily fit upwards of two pounds of bacon on one half sheet pan.

Let the grease in the pan cool a bit and strain it into 4 oz canning jars and let cool. Once cool, cover with a lid and label/date before storing in the refrigerator or freezer for use in cooking later.

[TexasShadow]

I like a couple pieces of bacon on toast for breakfast, but not every day. I precook my own bacon and freeze it because I like the thick cut. I also like to keep the fatty end off the bacon slab to use with green beans or frijoles.

[opnspaces]

When the kids were younger I went through a phase of pre-cooked bacon from Costco on camping trips. But eventually the kids complained that it didn't taste anywhere near as good as fresh cooked bacon so I stopped.

Nowadays the kids are not at home and I would say I eat maybe a total of 4 strips of bacon a year when I splurge on a bacon cheeseburger somewhere.