UNITED STATES OF BACON to Premiere 12/30 on Destination America

Related: UNITED STATES OF BACON, Destination America

Have no fear, bacon is here! With Americans gobbling up more than 1.7 billion pounds of bacon each year, Destination America brings bacon buffs what they crave with an all-new series, UNITED STATES OF BACON. Each episode features our hog-wild host, Chef Todd Fisher, as he road trips to cities across America in search of the most mouth-watering, stomach-growl-inducing, sensory-overloading bacon creations kitchens have to offer. While more than half of all U.S. homes (53%) keep bacon in their fridge at all times, no longer are the sizzling strips being relegated to the sidelines as a simple breakfast side dish. As Chef Todd discovers, bacon has become a beloved fixture of American cuisine for any meal of day and the "secret sauce" for recipes of all kinds, popping up on menus as the crown jewel of traditional dishes and in avant-garde pairings with ice cream, jam, and cocktails. The 12-episode first season of UNITED STATES OF BACON premieres Sunday, December 30 at 10 & 10:30 PM E/P. If only television screens were scratch and sniff!

"From thick cut and juicy to thin and crispy, this series covers every form of bacon under the sun," said Marc Etkind, SVP of Content Strategy for Destination America. "It's no wonder bacon is in high demand - just watching UNITED STATES OF BACON induces hunger pangs of epic proportions - but whether or not Americans feel the effects of an 'aporkalypse' bacon shortage, it certainly won't be in short supply on Destination America."

After the break-out bacon special in summer 2012's three-part series UNITED STATES OF FOOD earned phenomenal ratings for the network, Chef Todd continued his road trip across America in search of bacon dishes that have diners squealing with delight. In the premiere episode at 10 PM E/P, he visits Milwaukee, a city built on meat. His first stop is to homegrown hangout AJ Bombers for the Barrie Burger, an outrageous chunky peanut butter bacon cheeseburger that's as savory as it is sweet. Then Todd swings by Saloon on Calhoun, a local bar with a bacon love so deep that they host a daily bacon happy hour featuring bacon-wrapped pork "wings" made from juicy tenderloin. In Kenosha, Todd visits Frank's Diner, the oldest continuously operating railcar restaurant in America, for a monstrous and meaty Garbage Platter exploding with eggs, hash browns, veggies, five different cheeses, and five kinds of meat. His final stop is the Comet Café, a small venue whose bacon-wrapped meatloaf sandwich and bacon cheddar apple pie have patrons begging for more.

Then at 10:30 PM, he continues his journey to Chicago, home to one of the country's biggest bacon festivals. His first stop is Gino's, where he feasts his eyes on a mammoth deep-dish pizza overflowing with meat and, of course, tons of bacon. Next, Todd chomps down on a massive triple-decker BLT at the 140-year-old Green Door Tavern. Finally, he pulls up to Morrie O'Malley's, a favorite pre-game stop among White Sox fans, for a classic Chicago dog. But up his sleeve, Todd's got the makings of an innovative new bacon dish: the B-L-Turtle Burger. Other episodes have Todd making pit stops in Des Moines, Seattle, the Bay Area, Atlanta, Detroit, Los Angeles, and Portland, OR.

Viewers can also curb their bacon cravings by visiting BaconFreak.com, which has partnered with Destination America to provide even more UNITED STATES OF BACON content. The site will treat viewers to special bacon product offers like a limited-edition Destination America gift package of BaconFreak merchandise, co-branded UNITED STATES OF BACON holiday cards, and prize giveaways promoted across their social media handles, including Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. The site will also feature a curated shopping list and exclusive recipes from Chef Todd inspired by BaconFreak products.

UNITED STATES OF BACON is produced for Destination America by Sharp Entertainment. For Sharp, Matt Sharp is executive producer. For Destination America, Fay Yu and Ron Simon are executive producers, Sara Kozak is SVP of production, Marc Etkind is SVP of content strategy, and Henry Schleiff is president and general manager.

With more than 25 years' experience as a chef, restaurateur, and food columnist, Chef Todd Fisher is notorious for big flavors, exciting experiences, and dynamic entertainment. A fifth-generation Californian, Chef Todd began his craft at age 15 with a job at a local Chinese restaurant. Finding his talent quickly, he sought positions in a wide variety of kitchens to learn as much as he could about different cuisines and their associated technique. Chef Todd has worked for and owned some of central California's best restaurants. When not teaching cooking classes or catering intimate parties at his very own food education and entertainment venue, The Kitchen, Chef Todd can be found dazzling the crowd at prestigious food and wine festivals or doting on his wife and five children.

Destination America is the only network to celebrate the people, places, and stories of the United States. The inclusive network targeting Adults 25-54 is available in nearly 59.5 million homes, emblazoning television screens with the grit and tenacity, honesty and work ethic, humor and adventurousness that characterize our nation. Destination America features travel, food, adventure, home, and natural history, with original series like BBQ Pitmasters, United States of Bacon, A Haunting, Cheating Vegas, and Buying Alaska. For more information, please visit DestinationAmerica.com, facebook.com/DestinationAmerica, or twitter.com/DestAmerica. Destination America is part of Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the world's #1 nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.8 billion cumulative subscribers in 209 countries and territories.