Make Ahead Bacon Meal Prep Food

MAKE AHEAD CRISPY BACON

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Line cookie sheets with heavy duty aluminum foil. Be sure to wrap it tightly around all 4 sides of the cookie sheet.
• Place strips of bacon on the cookie sheets.
• Bake the bacon in oven for 20-25 minutes, or until you reach your desired level of crispness.
• Be sure to rotate pans in the oven at about 10-15 minute mark. This makes sure all of the bacon reaches even cooking levels.
• Once bacon has finished baking in the oven. Allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes.
• Remove bacon from cookie sheets, and place on paper towel lined plate to drain.
• Once bacon has finished draining you can place in freezer bags to go into the refrigerator.
• If you want to freeze the cooked bacon. Place some freezer paper or parchment paper on a cookie sheet, and then add a layer of bacon on top. Add another piece of freezer or parchment paper on top of the bacon, and then add another layer of bacon on top of that.
• Repeat this process for 3-4 layers.
• Allow bacon to freeze for 2- 3 hours.
• Remove bacon from freezer, and place into freezer bags. I like to separate the bacon out into portions that I will be using during the week.
• To reheat frozen bacon: Allow to thaw overnight in the fridge, and then heat on a paper towel lined plate in the microwave in 20 second intervals. Heat until you reach your desired level of heat and crispiness. If you forget to thaw, place the frozen bacon on a paper towel lined plate and heat in the microwave in 30 second intervals.

MAKE-AHEAD SPINACH AND MUSHROOM BREAKFAST SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray or grease with butter.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted and beginning to brown; about 5 minutes. Add the spinach, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook until spinach just begins to wilt, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat and set aside to cool.
• Whisk the eggs, milk, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper together in a large bowl. Gently whisk in the cooled mushroom mixture, then pour the egg mixture into the prepared pan. Bake until puffed and set, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.
• Place the English muffins cut-side up on a baking sheet and brush with some butter if using. Bake until slightly toasty, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Once the eggs are cool enough to handle, use a large round biscuit cutter (about 3 3/4 inches in diameter) or the rim of a juice glass to cut out 6 rounds of egg. (For ways to use the leftover egg scraps, see Cook's Note.) Using an offset spatula or a butter knife, remove each egg round from the pan and place on bottom half of an English muffin. Top each with a slice of Swiss cheese and the other muffin half. Wrap each sandwich individually with aluminum foil, put in a resealable plastic bag and freeze up to 1 month or refrigerate for up to 1 week.
• To reheat, unwrap a sandwich and place on a paper towel on a microwave-safe dish. Microwave 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, until the cheese is melted and eggs are warmed through. Alternatively, thaw a foil-wrapped frozen sandwich overnight in the refrigerator, then bake in a 425-degree F oven until warmed through and the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes.