BEDMINSTER, NJ. — Applegate Farms LLC, a subsidiary of Hormel Foods, is expanding its bacon lineup with a new shelf-stable innovation, Applegate Naturals Fully Cooked Sunday Bacon.

“Our classic Sunday Bacon is perfect for long, lazy Sunday mornings, and now our Fully Cooked Sunday Bacon is the ideal solution for the other six days of the week,” said Joseph O’Connor, president of Applegate. “Our goal as a company is to serve up everything our consumers are hungry for, and we heard their desire for a fully cooked option that saves on time, waste and clean-up. Our hope is that with this latest addition, our fans can find a solution for every bacon craving, no matter what or when it is, from Applegate.”

Sourced from humanely raised pork, Applegate’s bacon is minimally processed with no artificial ingredients. The new offering features the same quality and taste as traditional Applegate bacon but is shelf-stable prior to being opened as well as fully cooked so consumers can enjoy it within minutes. The Fully Cooked Sunday Bacon removes the mess and cook time of pan-fried bacon and instead can be ready after three minutes in the microwave.

The new bacon offering is currently available at Sprouts, Whole Foods and Amazon at a suggested price of $7.99.

To mark the new product launch, Applegate is giving away “Bacon Brunch Boxes” to 50 lucky bacon fanatics. The giveaway includes three packs of the new Fully Cooked Sunday Bacon, bacon recipe cards and other bacon-themed gear, such as an Applegate slate board and crossword puzzle. To enter to win, fans can visit www.applegate.com to fill out the sweepstakes form and share their favorite bacon hack in 140 characters or less.