1 Prepare the bacon: Line a baking sheet with foil, then top with a wire baking rack (cookie cooling rack). Lay the bacon strips on the wire rack perpendicular to the wires, making sure the bacon pieces don’t overlap.

2 Bake the bacon and scrub the potatoes: Place the bacon in a cold oven and set the temperature to 375°F. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Check the bacon around the 18-minute mark. Some types of bacon cook faster than others. (See How to Make Bacon in the Oven for full details.)

While the bacon bakes, scrub potatoes well and then stab each potato about 10 times with a fork to prevent the possibility of a potato exploding in the oven. (It can happen!)

Remove the bacon from the oven; transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.

3 Bake the potatoes: Increase the heat to 400˚F. Place potatoes on a baking sheet, drizzle well with olive oil, and sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake potatoes for about an hour until the skins are shriveled slightly and the potatoes are very tender. (See How to Bake a Potato for more details.)

Bring Sauce Back To Life
STORING AND REHEATING
The lo mein noodles will keep well in the fridge for three to four days. They reheat really well in the microwave, actually. I recommend adding a splash of water or a dash of soy sauce to bring the sauce back to life. You can also reheat these noodles on low heat in a skillet on the stove.

Even with this separation, I think you will detect a hint of three-year-old side eye in the above photo. Skeptical is an understatement, but the kids did like the noodles and loved having a little soy sauce to dip things in. Even the vegetables were tried in the tiniest of portions. It wasn’t their best dinner experience, but we made it through, and they got to try some new flavors!

CAN YOU MAKE VEGGIE LO MEIN AHEAD OF TIME?
This dish is 100 percent best served right out of the skillet on day one, but it does store relatively well and reheats well—so you can make the whole dish ahead and reheat it for dinnertime or to eat for lunch over a couple of days.