You may not have leftover bacon in your house often, but when you do, how do you make sure you use every last strip? It’s never going to taste as good the second time as when you first cooked it, right? Wrong!

Cooked bacon maintains its flavor well when refrigerated and is easy to reheat. It usually stays fresh in the refrigerator for up to five days when stored properly. Leftover cooked bacon is perfect for those busy nights when you want to prepare dinner quickly without getting too dirty on too many dishes, and it’s also a tasty way to reduce waste.

Don’t throw a single strip of bacon again. Here are some delicious recipes for using leftover bacon, and tips for using bacon fat too!

If

you’re cooking bacon and still have a

few raw slices in the package, it’s a good idea to cook it all up and save leftover bacon for later while you still have the dishes out

.

You can store cooked bacon by putting it in an airtight container or bag after it has completely cooled and placing it in the refrigerator. If you don’t let it cool before storing, your bacon can get soaked. Try to drain as much fat as possible before storing it as well (but be sure to put it away).

Alternatively, you can freeze your bacon, which can keep it fresh for up to a month. To freeze, wrap cooked bacon tightly in a paper towel before placing it in a storage container. You can also consider crumbling your bacon before freezing it to make pieces of bacon.

<img src="https://www.colemannatural.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/bacon-on-plate.jpg" alt="bacon cooked on

a plate” />

How to reheat leftover cooked bacon

You can use leftover cooked bacon

reheated instead of freshly cooked bacon in almost any recipe. There are several ways to heat it.

Reheat the cooked bacon and restore some of its crispy by putting it in the oven or fryer at about 350 degrees Fahrenheit for five to 10 minutes. If your bacon is thinly sliced or shredded, a few minutes should be enough. You can also reheat leftover bacon in a pan on the stove (cast iron cookware is great for this) or in the microwave. To use the microwave method, cover a plate with a paper towel and place the bacon in a single layer on top. Then microwave for 30 seconds at a time until it heats up.

Now your leftover bacon is ready to use!

Delicious recipes to try with leftover bacon

Having

hand-cooked bacon in the fridge is a smart and time-saving trick, it will tell everyone you know to start putting away your leftover bacon! Here are some of our favorite bacon recipes.

This creamy and touching corn and bacon soup recipe calls for six to eight slices of bacon, but you can use whatever amount you have on hand and it will turn out to be great. This recipe is easy to prepare and perfect for picky eaters. A comforting option for cooler nights!

Bacon, caramelized onion and Rugelach goat cheese This delicious and fun recipe for

bacon, caramelized onion and Rugelach goat cheese

may seem fancy, but it couldn’t be easier to prepare. Just grab your leftover bacon and follow the recipe as written to surprise your family or guests with these half-moon miniature rolled cakes. Reheat the bacon before preparing it or use it directly from the fridge.

<img src="https://www.colemannatural.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/bacon-corn-chowder-on-stone.jpg" alt=

“bacon and corn salad” />Toasted bacon and corn salad This hearty and

hearty toasted bacon and corn

salad recipe

is prepared in less than 30 minutes. It is full of fresh produce balanced by the smoked addition of bacon.

Cheeseburger and bacon

tacos This gluten-free and keto cheeseburger and bacon taco recipe proves that bacon and cheeseburgers can’t do anything wrong. It’s easily customizable and just what you need for evening meals with the family. Keep pickle fries, tomato sauce, mustard and mayonnaise handy to serve!

Cabbages

Brussels and Bacon

Everyone’s favorite recipe for Brussels sprouts and bacon is as simple as it sounds. Bring it as a side dish to your next meeting to impress your friends or keep it on your weekly dinner rotation.

What to do with leftover

bacon fat

Whatever you do, don’t throw leftover bacon fat or flush it down the drain! Instead, set it aside to cool and put it in a jar with a lid. You’d be surprised how many ways there are to use it.

Saving bacon fat is easy. After cooking the bacon, let the fat cool a little in the pan. Then, strain it into a glass jar or other airtight container. Excess bacon fat should be kept refrigerated or frozen to prevent spoilage. When refrigerated, it can last up to 3 months.

The best home cooks will tell you that bacon fat is the secret to many delicious dishes. It can be used for cooking or to add flavor and depth.

For example, you can use it instead of cooking oil to sauté vegetables or fry meat. Or, you can use it instead of butter to add richness by preparing something creamy like mashed potatoes. In fact, many fats can be replaced with bacon fat in a 1:1 ratio, but replacing only half of the cooking fat you are using with bacon fat also gives great results, a little bit helps a lot!

Coleman Natural

Bacon is a strip above the rest Any

bacon

aficionado knows that all-natural bacon is only as good as it gets

.

All Coleman Natural bacon products are not cured, free of artificial ingredients and added nitrites or nitrates. All of our pork comes from American family farms that never use antibiotics or added hormones. Animals are raised without cages, the way nature intended.

Our wood-smoked bacon tastes delicious no matter how you use it. Next time you cook bacon, save yourself some time preparing more than you need. Your bacon dishes will always be a hit!