Big Bite Taste Test: Bacon!
We taste-tested pounds of bacon from the grocery store to find these sizzling winners.
BEST ORIGINAL: Ozark Trails Hickory Smoked and Peppered Bacon
Tasters loved this hand-trimmed winner for its "campfire smokiness" and "deep pig flavor." Eating these hearty slabs, with their ideal meat-to-fat ratio, made one judge "feel like a lumberjack." Read the full review »
How we'd eat it: Crisscross strips atop a burger for extra crunch, or eat with fried eggs at breakfast.
Try it in:Basted Eggs and Smoky Lentil-Bacon Salad »
BEST THICK-CUT: Jimmy Dean Thick Slice Premium Bacon
You might need a fork and knife to eat this chewy, country-style bacon. Much thicker than regular bacon strips, these slices are substantially delicious. "It's salty, porky and fatty," raved one judge. Read the full review »
How we'd eat it: One taster said she'd like to "douse it in steak sauce and down it like a filet."
Try it in:Smokin' Chicken Burger »
BEST TURKEY: Oscar Mayer Turkey Bacon
With their reddish-purple hue, chewy texture and buttery flavor, these turkey strips are almost as tasty as the real thing-with half the fat. "It ain't bacon, but it does a good job of fakin'!" noted one judge. Read the full review »
How we'd eat it: Use it in a BLT or chopped into a Cobb salad for a
lightened-up lunch.
Try it in: Bacon-and-Egg Club Sandwiches »
BEST SWEET: Beeler's Uncured Apple-Cinnamon Bacon
This sugary, thick-cut bacon wooed judges with its "cinnamony-sweet" flavor. Each strip cooked up crisp around the edges, leaving the middle tender. One taster said, "It's Christmas, isn't it?" Read the full review »
How we'd eat it: Swap it in a savory breakfast dish, like an egg bake or bread, for a sweet surprise.
Try it in:Corn Bacon Muffins »
BEST ODDBALL: Mountain Products Smokehouse Country Sliced Chipotle Southwest Smoked Bacon
This pork is slab-smoked with apple and hickory wood chips, then rubbed with pepper and a spicy chipotle seasoning. One taster wanted it "hot out of the pan." (at mountainproductssmokehouse.com) Read the full review »
How we'd eat it: One judge couldn't wait to slice it into some gooey mac 'n' cheese.
Try it in: Horseradish Mac 'n' Cheddar with Bacon »
By Ashlea Halpern | Photography by Burcu Avsar, Rob Hagen, Plamen Petkov, Dan Roberts, Levi Brown, Tina Rupp
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