If you would rather not dirty up a pan or your stove to cook the bacon you could easily cook the bacon in your Crock-Pot Express instead. Simply chop your raw bacon into bite sized pieces. And use the SAUTE/BROWN feature to cook the bacon right in the non-stick insert. Once your bacon is cooked and crispy, remove the cooked bacon with a slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Pour off and discard (or save) the bacon grease from the insert and proceed to cook the soup following the directions.