Hearty Bacon

​I am appearing on #WFMZTV Saturday, February 9thas the Saturday Sunrise chef. The theme of the show will be Valentine’s Day. (Bet ya didn’t see that coming right?) Anyway, the first segment will be on breakfast treats and the second on dinner and dessert. ( Shocker right?) Well, I thought it would be fun to make hearty bacon. Get it? Heart-shaped bacon so I’m calling it “Hearty Bacon.” Cute right? It’s easy and fun to do. Best of all, the bacon is cooked in the oven so the mess is minimal. Best-best if all, it can be made ahead! Serve it with eggs and heart-shaped toast for breakfast (or sshhhh, dinner) pack it as a lunch or offer it as a snack with honey mustard (for your honey) to dip it in. Here is what to do:

Hearty Bacon
1 package bacon (low sodium if you like)
toothpicks
Preheat the oven to 375°. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with aluminum foil and parchment paper.
Twist a strip of bacon until it cannot be twisted anymore. Bring the two ends together to meet in the middle. Make a small slit, 1 inch from the tip, into one piece. Thread the other tip through the slit and pull through for 1 inch.

Set the bacon on the prepared tray, shape into a heart, pinch the bottom. Pierce the bottom with a toothpick. Repeat with all remaining bacon, spacing 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake until crisp, about 20-25 minutes, rotating halfway through. (Thicker bacon may take longer.) Remove toothpick before serving. Store cooled bacon in the refrigerator.