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Kelli Foster
Kelli FosterSenior Contributing Food Editor
Kelli is a Senior Contributing Food Editor for Kitchn. She's a graduate of the French Culinary Institute and author of the cookbooks, Plant-Based Buddha Bowls, The Probiotic Kitchen, Buddha Bowls, and Everyday Freekeh Meals. She lives in New Jersey.
updated Nov 30, 2023
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Ah, bacon; its crispy snap and smoky flavor have a special way of making everything it touches even better. It’s nearly perfect on its own, but it really shines when it’s added to another dish — everything from breakfast bakes and salads to side dishes and soups.
Let these 20 recipes show you there’s no shortage of ways to use bacon from breakfast to dinner. I’m talking breakfast polenta squares, bacon and cheddar biscuits, bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin, and the bacon-cheddar twice-baked potatoes you’re going to be dreaming of this fall.
First, let’s start with all the basics of cooking bacon. Whether you prefer the stovetop, oven, or microwave, there’s no wrong way to cook this beloved meat.
Bacon Recipes
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Cook Bacon in the Microwave
Bacon. In the microwave. It seems so wrong, and yet…and yet…also a little bit right. You guys, this really works, and it’s perfect for when you just want a few quick slices of bacon without the fuss of pulling out a pan.
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Make Your Own Sodium-Free Bacon
For people on a low-sodium or salt-free diet, this is bacon that looks, smells, and tastes like the real thing - and it only takes an hour.
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Ready to start your day off right? Look no further than this breakfast sandwich. It starts with good bacon — just enough to add flavor and crispness to the sandwich, as well as a thin film of fat on the pan, perfect for cooking the kale.
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Meet the polenta breakfast bake — a no-stir, practically hands-off way to make a hearty breakfast that will last you all week.
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These lentils are cooked in chicken broth for extra flavor, then tossed with cooked bacon, fresh herbs, and a mustard vinaigrette, and served warm — perfect for lunch or a simple side dish.
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Brown Sugar-Glazed Bacon
If you need a new party trick, or just a delicious way to jazz up breakfast, brown sugar-glazed bacon is it. Whether you are serving a casual brunch or just serving co*cktails, it is guaranteed to wow.
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BLT Salad with Bacon Vinaigrette
It’s hard to improve on a classic BLT, but this may do the trick. Think of this salad as a BLT in a bowl — fresh summer tomatoes with a bright vinaigrette, toasted croutons, and crispy bacon.
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Bacon Cheddar Jalapeño Poppers
Jalapeño poppers are definitely a decadent treat, but sometimes over-the-top comfort food is just what the doctor ordered. The bacon not only adds amazing flavor, but it also holds the cheese in place so it doesn’t ooze all over the pan. Leave it to bacon to save the day!
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Bacon-Wrapped Potato Bites with Spicy Sour Cream Dipping Sauce
These potato bites are easy, delicious, and perfect for munching while you watch the game. Think of them like bite-sized, deconstructed potato skins, but way better.
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Bacon and Cheddar Cheese Biscuits
Sometimes you just need a biscuit; one that’s warm from the oven and pillow-soft in the middle … and studded with smoky bits of bacon
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Bacon-Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Almonds
Bacon-wrapped dates will never be the prettiest dish on the table, but they more than make up for it with their flavor. When you bite into one, it’s salty at first, but then reveals an inner sweetness and — oh! — another salty crunch.
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Bacon-Brown Sugar Pork Tenderloin
This easy weeknight dinner is pretty much pork on pork, which I think we can all agree is never a bad thing.
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Just an hour will give you a saucy dish of shredded chicken in a smoky bacon sauce. It’s ultra-comforting and perfect served with pasta or gnocchi, or over cauliflower rice, baked potatoes, or roasted vegetables.
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Baked Chicken with Bacon
Each piece of chicken isn’t just wrapped with it’s own slice of bacon — the bacon infuses the whole dish, right down to the potatoes in the bottom of the casserole.
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This is a fun play on Cacio e Pepe, the peppery, cheesy, comforting pasta dish. Bite-sized pieces of bacon add a nice saltiness, and also cut the bitter bite of the radishes.
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Baked Beans with Pineapple and Bacon
Baked beans are a classic; this hearty, comforting recipe takes it one step further with extra pieces of smoky, thick bacon and tender, sweet pieces of pineapple.
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Roasted Cabbage with Bacon
Roasted cabbage wedges are one of the easiest, most delicious ways to eat a hunk of vegetables for dinner, and the bacon just helps it along.
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As we move into fall, this is the soup you want to have in your back pocket. A white bean and bacon bowl, powered up by ham hock and red pepper, with a little bit of everything that makes a soup good: creamy, brothy, chunky, and rich with savory white beans and ham.
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Bacon Cheddar Skillet Cornbread
Traditionally, skillet cornbread is cooked with lard, but this version turns things around by cooking up some bacon and then folding it into the cornbread. It makes the bottom of the cornbread extra crispy and delicious!
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Every single bite of this bacon jam is full of rich, savory, oh-so-sweet goodness. We’re pretty sure you’ll want to slather it on everything from breakfast sandwiches to cupcakes.
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This quick and simple stew draws even more rich flavor, thanks to the addition of bacon.
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Bacon-Cheddar Twice Baked Potatoes
Smoky, thick-cut bacon is perfect for this recipe. The thicker slices make for a bit of crisp and a bit of chew in every bite. And of course, the campfire flavor ends up permeating the entire potato.
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