To keep bacon warm for a brunch store the bacon in a warm oven at 200 F on a rack above a baking sheet that is lined with foil or place the bacon in a slow cooker or chafing dish.
To keep the bacon warm for a brunch in a slow cooker set your slow cooker to warm and place the cooked bacon inside and it will keep the bacon warm.
A chafing dish can also keep the bacon warm and buffet style for a brunch.
The oven should be set at the lowest temperature of around 200 F and then you can place the cooked bacon on a rack above a baking sheet that is lined with some foil.
And also leave the oven door slightly open to prevent moisture buildup.
Avoid covering the bacon with a lid or airtight container as it will trap moisture and make the bacon soggy.
If using a slow cooker you can place the lid on but leave it slightly open to allow moisture to escape.
To cook fully cooked bacon you only need to heat it back up as it's already cooked.
You can cook the fully cooked bacon in the microwave for a minute or two or place it in the oven for 2 to 5 minutes at 400 F.
You can also pan fry the fully cooked bacon for a few minutes or so on each side until it's heated up enough.
Fully cooked bacon can also be eaten cold as it's already cooked and only need heated up if desired.
To cook partially bacon you can place it in the oven at 400 F for 8 minutes to 10 minutes or until the bacon is cooked to your desired crispiness.
You can also pan fry it for a few minutes each side and then store it for later use or cook the bacon in the microwave for a few minutes.
I prefer cooking the bacon partially in the oven and then finish cooking it in the oven or a toaster oven when ready to eat or serve.
Once the bacon is cooked you should remove the bacon and place it on a plate that is lined with paper towels to absorb any excess grease.
Then allow the bacon to cool and store it in an airtight container or wrap it in plastic wrap tightly and store the partially cooked bacon in the refrigerator and it will last for 3 to 4 days.
To make crispy flat bacon place the bacon on a baking sheet and bake the bacon at 350 F to 375 F until done or until it reaches 145 F or becomes crispy.
It often takes 10 to 20 minutes to bake the bacon to crispy and flat.
Baking the bacon on parchment paper on a baking sheet also helps it become more crispy and makes for easy cleanup as well.
Bacon should be cooked to an internal temperature of 145 F or 63 C and then allowed to rest for 3 minutes.
Once the bacon has reached an internal temperature of 145 F which also includes other pork meat it's safe to eat.
You should bake the bacon at 400 F for 15 to 20 minutes.
Bacon will pop in the oven when the fat begins to render and turn into steam.
You can minimize the bacon popping in the oven and minimize splattering of the bacon greases and fats by using a baking sheet with a rack or by lining it with some parchment paper or foil.
As the bacon cooks the fat in the bacon melts and then turns into steam, which then causes small bubbles to pop and splatter.
When baking bacon you should avoid overcrowding the bacon and ensure the bacon strips are not overlapping each other as this can cause uneven cooking of the bacon and more splattering.
Lining the baking sheet with some parchment paper or foil also contains the grease from the bacon and helps make cleanup easier.
And using a baking sheet that has a rack allows the fat to drain away from the bacon so that it reduces the chances of bacon splattering.
Bacon can also splatter when cooking in a pan as well so you have to be careful to not get burnt by the splattering grease when pan frying bacon.
The ideal temperature for cooking bacon in the oven is 400 F which results in even cooking of the bacon and helps keep the bacon crispy without the mess of cooking on the stove.