Why do people say to line my cookie sheet with foil when cooking bacon in the oven? The reason given is usually to ease cleanup, but I just cooked a batch in an unlined cookie sheet, and cleanup was a breeze. I just transferred the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate, and poured the grease into an old soup can. It seems like it would be MORE of a hassle to clean a foil-lined sheet.
Yeah, if you clean the foil, but wouldn’t you just throw it out?
It seems like the potential is there for making a huge mess while trying to un-line the pan. Also, seems very easy to get some grease on the pan, so you’ll have to clean it ANYWAY. Cleanup of my unlined pan was a minute - 30 seconds of draining the grease, and 30 seconds of cleaning the pan in the sink.
You know, I agree with you. I’ve never cooked bacon in the oven, but what you say makes sense. I only use foil in the oven if the food has high “stickage” potential.
With a lined pan, you just let it cool and pick up the whole piece of foil and solidified oil and throw it away. You don’t need an old soup can, and you don’t need to clean the pan.
Wait a second - isn’t the whole point of using an old soup can to SAVE the bacon grease? 
(Haven’t made bacon in years. Sigh. Eating healthier sucks.)
I crumple the foil and re-spread it before putting it back in the pan. The crinkles mean that the bacon doesn’t stick to the bottom and crisps up better, in my opinion.
Concur from experience. I don’t save bacon grease because I don’t yet have the repertoire to make use of it. When I do, my habits will change. 
Just use it in place of butter or shortening in pretty much any savory recipe. Or heck, in a sweet recipe, as long as ‘bacony’ works with the final product
ABSOLUTELY!!!
And I eat bacon all the time, eating bacon IS healthy for me and my husband! (MY last cholesterol was 179, his 139 and neither of us on meds). See this post here as to why.
I always cook mine in a foil lined jelly roll pan (the cookie sheet with sides) on a cookie rack that fits just perfect. Stick the cookie rack in the dishwasher, let the remaining bacon grease harden (I pour what I can off to use in veggies) and toss the foil away. About once in 5 times do I have to wash the pan.
Liz
You’re not taking into account the percentage of people who would put bacon on a cookie sheet, pop it into the oven, and then forget about it while the bacon cooks itself to the consistency of a lava flow all over your cookie sheet. This is less than desirable, so the aluminum foil solution is offered for those people who aren’t going to pay attention to what they’re doing, and are used to ruining perfectly good bacon.
I use parchment paper. It’s a little more absorbent. When done I pour off the grease, save some if I need it, and toss the paper. It doesn’t take much to finish cleaning the sheet. To cook bacon faster and more evenly in the oven lay the strips on a coolling rack.
Also, if you have baked on charred stuff on a pan or utensil bacon grease will dissolve the stuff over time. Just smear some on the spots while cold and let it sit for a week a two.
You…you WASTER of Bacon!!
I just don’t know what to say.
I am so disappoint 
This is true. Roasting bacon requires very careful attention because it can go from perfect to disaster in a microsecond.
I didn’t say it was ME! I happen to be married to a woman who can burn water, and has, on multiple occasions. One of the many reaons why we’re separated.
Not really, no. You fold up the sides of the foil so that the grease doesn’t spill out.
Well, thanks everyone, but until I make some comical mistake due to using an unlined pan, I’m going to keep doing it this way.
The foil absorbs just enough grease to infuse it with flavor and viola! Extra bacon!
Just a guess, but does the foil reflect back the heat and cook it more thoroughly or something ?
I have no idea, but I’ve seen it stated in recipes to "line the tray with foil to ease cleanup.