Bacon Lovers Day - Lemony Thyme

It’s Bacon Lovers Day!

I am unashamed of my love for bacon. It has and always will be a treat for my taste buds and the epitome of comfort food.

That’s before it’s oven roasted then slathered in Praline & Maple or drizzled with Sriracha Honey or submerged in Peach Bourbon Glaze or brushed with Rosemary & Black Pepper Honey. Candied Bacon is a meat-lover, sweets-lover dream come true!

Recipe Note: this post is a lot more about Candied Bacon inspiration than a precise recipe. Bacon Lovers Unite. Whoot!

There seems to be some debate about using thick cut or thin sliced bacon when building a Bacon Bar. I can assure you that our thick cut bacon was near perfect – crispyish but not chewy.

We cooked the bacon in the oven at 400 degrees F on rack-lined baking sheets for 20 minutes, then turned the bacon strips over and baked for another 10-15 minutes. Honestly, it was all about the appearance – if the bacon looks nicely browned and ‘crispy’ it’s likely ready for toppings.

Praline & Maple with Sea Salt was my personal favorite. Aka dessert material. Simply simmer chopped praline’s (or plain pecans) in maple syrup until slightly thickened. Finish with a pinch of flaky sea salt.

Sriracha Honey & Soy! Okay, we all agree that sweet and spicy go so nicely, especially with Bacon. Nick’s glaze was a standout – a warm sweet heat. He simmered 1/4 cup honey, with 2 Tbl. soy sauce (or coconut aminos), 1 Tbl Sriracha sauce, and 1 Tbl. fresh lime juice until a nice thick glaze formed.

You may remember a couple of week’s ago when we had the crazy idea of making Bacon Wrapped Bourbon Glazed Grilled Peaches – according to our site stats you like that combination, so here it is again – Candied Bacon style.

A late entry into the Candied Bacon / Bacon Bar buffet was the Rosemary Honey & Black Pepper. Super subtle flavors build by simmering honey with sprigs of fresh rosemary, finished with freshly cracked black pepper.

After about 30 minutes in the oven we liberally coated, slathered, bathed, or drizzled the toppings over the bacon and returned them to the oven for an additional 5 minutes. Once removed from the oven we let the Candied Bacon cool to room temperature before serving.

Making Candied Bacon was fun! We’re talking three sheet pans of Wright’s thick cut hickory bacon cooking in the oven. The aromas alone guaranteed no one was losing interest in this Bacon Lovers Party. The results were gorgeously flavor infused bacon strips worthy of presenting at any brunch, reception or bff snack party.