What kind of breakfast person are you? Sweet or Savory? I’m a mix of both. Sometimes I need a plate of stuffed French toast, and other times the mere sound of stuffed French toast makes me want to pass out. In those times, rare I’ll admit, I need salt. And lot’s of it. Mainly, I need what the single most crucial ingredient to all good things is: bacon.
True Fact: I only ate chicken and turkey for 7 years. Looking back, I don’t know what I was thinking. My 8 year old self was all about saving the animals and decided to spare cows, sheep, ducks, and pigs, but couldn’t let go of chickens and turkeys, which I explained as a “necessary source for protein” to anyone who fought me. Then one day my mom made a steak for the rest of my family that just called out to me. It literally wrapped its rich grasp around me, and was whispering in my ear. I asked for a bite, and then I was hooked.
When you remove something from your diet for so long, you usually need to introduce it back in kind of slowly. I started gradually, a few bites here, a few there, working up to the day that I’d be able to handle full portions. Before that day arrived, however, I found myself at a breakfast buffet the morning after my cousin’s wedding where I came face to face with a massive silver-warming tray of bacon, and I lost absolutely all control. I piled it on to my plate, heaping slice upon slice until I had a bacon mountain. Sitting down with my family, my parent’s eyed me warily, but I assured them I was ready. I hadn’t had the porky salty goodness in 7 years and I was about to make up for lost time. Three and a half bacon mountains later I realized I was not ready. Well that was a horrible plane ride back is all I’m going to say.
Lucky for all of us, but mostly me, I’m able to handle bacon now. Let me show you how I like it.
Brown Sugar Baked Bacon
About this recipe: It’s all in the title. This recipe captures that classic courtship of salty and sweet. The brown sugar caramelizes when it hits the heat, melting into a thick syrup that dances along the strip of bacon. The result is something astounding. If you think you have will power, I dare to you try taking one bite. Actually, I double dare you.
What you need:
Light brown sugar
Bacon
What to do:
1. Preheat your oven to 400°F.
2. Wrap a baking sheet in foil for easy cleanup.
3. Lay your bacon on the sheet and rub each slice with brown sugar on both sides.
Photo by Amanda Shulman
4. Bake until crispy, or desired doneness.
Photo by Amanda Shulman
5. Try and accomplish my dare.