Place oven rack in center of oven. Lay slices of bacon side-by-side in a single layer in a pan with a lip - jelly roll pan, roasting pan, cookie sheet. If you are cooking a lot of bacon, it's okay for the bacon slices to slightly over lap (see second above). For easier clean-up, you can line your pan with foil. Cook for approximately 15 to 20 minutes and then check your bacon. If cooking thin slices of bacon, check sooner, between 10 to 12 minutes. Cooking times will vary depending on the thickness of your bacon and how crispy you like it. If necessary and for even cooking, you may need to flip your bacon once with tongs - this depends on the thickness of the bacon.
Once bacon is golden brown and has reached desired crispness, remove with tongs and place on platter lined with paper towel.
Cleanup Allow grease to cool. Never pour bacon grease down the drain. Pour cooled grease in a heat-proof container and refrigerate to save for cooking later or discard in trash. If using foil, allow the grease to solidify and then gently fold and toss in trash.
*Some methods for cooking bacon in the oven say NOT to preheat the oven, others say to preheat the oven. Be sure to keep an eye on your bacon while cooking. Once it starts to brown, it can from crispy to burned fast. For a quicker clean-up, you can line your baking pan. If you are cooking thin slices of bacon, check your bacon sooner, between 10 to 12 minutes. You will most likely not need to flip the bacon.