Bacon Cups

Makes  16 bite-size cups

Prep   10  mins
Cook   20  mins

Total Time:   30 mins

 Gluten Free       Egg Free

 Lactose Free   

These little treasures have so many possibilities!  And who doesn’t love bacon?!?  Using these bacon cups as a base you can create numerous appetizers or creative side dishes to go along with most any meal, potluck or gathering.   One of my favorite variations are Heavenly Bacon Bites.”

 

• 1 LB Bacon
  
  **You will also need a mini muffin pan, a baking sheet slightly larger than the muffin pan.  Aluminum foil is also nice to have on hand.

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400.
   
   
2. Place mini-muffin pan upside down on baking sheet.  It is important that the mini-muffin pan sits in the baking sheet and does not hang over.  You are going to have a lot of hot grease shortly that needs to be contained!
   
   
3. If you like (recommended), cover upside down mini muffin pan with foil, forming the foil to the pan.  (I was out of foil when I made this last, that is why it is not in the picture.  It does make clean up easier and you don’t have to worry about the cleanliness as much of the bottom of your pan.)
   
   
4. Cut bacon strips in half.  (I simply use my kitchen shears to cut through the package and the bacon, giving me a pound of bacon cut in half.)
   
   
5. Lay a half strip of bacon over the top of one of the overturned muffin cups.  Wrap a second half piece of bacon around the sides being sure to pull it tight enough that the ends overlap.  The bacon will shrink slightly.  You don’t want too much overlap as the bacon will not cook evenly, but best not to have holes in your cups.
   
   
6. When you have covered each of the overturned cups, place baking sheet with overturned mini muffin pan in preheated oven for approximately 20 minutes.  Do not take out of oven until bacon is crisp and brown.  Keep a careful eye on the oven during this time in case grease becomes an issue.  It is recommended that you use oven mitts that cover your whole hands when removing from the oven to be fully protected from the hot grease.
   
   
7. Once bacon cups are done cooking, remove carefully from oven.  Let cool for 5 minutes.
   
   
8. Spread out paper towels.  Remove bacon cups with tongs and place on paper towels to finish cooling.  Dispose of bacon grease carefully.
   
   
9. Fill bacon cups with your choice of filling.  Ideas include a spoonful of salad,  a spoonful of baked beans, mashed potatoes, melted cheese…. the list goes on.  Use your imagination and let us know what creations you put together.

Chef Notes:

Bacon cups will store for up to 3 days, though they are best the day they are cooked.  If you will not be using them immediately, be sure to store them with paper towels between the layers.

See our Heavenly Bacon Bites recipe for an avocado, tomato, cilantro, and bleu cheese stuffing to scoop into the bacon cups and serve as an appetizer.

 

*This recipe is Paleo-friendly.

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 Gluten Free       Egg Free      Lactose Free    Vegetarian          *Dairy Free