Sheridan and Allen.

Sure, you could fry it on top of the stove. But wouldn’t you rather have it (almost) make itself? Nothing revolutionary here. Just instructional. Thanks to Rachel Ray for bringing this idea into my life a few years ago. It’s adapted it for my oven and my preferences.

Line a rimmed cookie sheet with tinfoil. (This just makes it easier to clean up later.) Place a wire rack over the tinfoil and lay the bacon out on top of the rack. Try not to overlap the pieces, because that will prevent the bacon from cooking evenly.

Put the bacon in the oven. Turn the oven to 400 degrees (that’s right! no preheating!) and set the time to 20 minutes if it’s regular bacon and 24 minutes if it’s thick cut. Check it when it’s time, and then leave it in if you want it crispier. The top of the bacon will have collected a bit of grease, but you can remove it by blotting with a paper towel, should you wish.

Two of my favorite words.

Making this was a weekend goal of mine. Achievement unlocked. Here’s the original recipe. I made a couple of adjustments.

The first step is cooking the bacon. You can do this in a frying pan, or you can bake it in the oven. (That’s my preference.)

Ingredients: 

• 1 1/2 pounds cooked, chopped bacon.
• 3 tbsp butter
• 4 large yellow onions, diced
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 tsp fresh thyme, divided
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tbsp brown sugar (optional)
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Melt butter over medium heat and add the diced onions and salt. Cook until translucent, about 10 minutes. Stir in sugar, red wine vinegar, 1 1/2 tsp of the thyme, and the peppers. Then add the bacon. Stir in the water and then continue to cook over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes. The jam will thicken and become dark brown in color. Remove from heat and taste. If you’d like a sweeter taste, like I did, add a tbsp or so of brown sugar. Add the balsamic vinegar and the olive oil, and taste again. Adjust accordingly.

Store in the refrigerator. Great on burgers and as part of a cheese plate.

This recipe made about 4 cups of jam.