Making Good Use of Bacon Fat

Bacon-Flavored Croutons

Our grandmothers were so right, and why did we ever doubt them? Using bacon fat to saute and season is a thrifty and delicious kitchen practice.  

Next time you cook up some bacon, (if you don’t already do this), save the fat in a glass jar fitted with a lid, and store it away in your refrigerator. It will keep for at least a month in the fridge, and you can use it to saute veggies like cabbage and brussels sprouts, pop corn, fry chicken, eggs, and canned beans, or coat potatoes before baking them.

One of my all-time favorite uses for bacon fat is to make bacon-flavored croutons. You can store these tasty, crunchy nuggets in a covered container and use them throughout the week to dress up soups and tossed green salads. All you need is some crusty bread (any leftover from a baguette or Italian loaf works fine) and a little of that liquid gold, or as the rest of the world calls it —- bacon fat. 

Here’s the Bacon Nation recipe … 

Homemade Bacon-Flavored Croutons

2 cups 1/2-inch bread cubes from good-quality white sandwich bread

3 tablespoons bacon fat

Pinch of salt

1.) Position the oven rack in the center and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

2.) Combine the bread cubes and the bacon fat in a medium-size bowl and toss well to coat the cubes. Spread the cubes in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until golden, 15 to 20 minutes, turning them twice with a large spoon. 

3.) After removing from the oven, spread out on the baking sheet and let cool, uncovered, at room temperature. If desired, the croutons can be stored in a covered container at room temperature for up to 24 hours. 

Happy cooking with bacon!