Recipe: Bacon and Cheddar Potatoes

Mmmmm.... Bacon and Cheddar Cheese Potatoes .... sliced potatoes a creamy cheddar cheese sauce... bits of bacon..... so perfect!

I’m cooking for one for the next couple of weeks… Warren is away on a business trip…so I’ve been thinking of recipes I can cut back on and easily make for one or two (leftovers are always welcome in this house… it means a night I can relax).

I decided to make these potatoes and see how well it cuts back… and it worked extremely well. The recipe as written will serve 2 generous portions or 3 average size servings.

TIPS

You will have a little leftover cheese sauce… but it stores well in the fridge and is delicious over a vegetable… or eggs… or boil a little macaroni and have baked macaroni and cheese for one.

To adjust the recipe for 4 servings… use 3-4 potatoes, 3 slices of bacon, 1/3 of a cup chopped green onion … keep the sauce ingredients the same… just use all the sauce.






Recipe: Bacon and Cheddar Potatoes

All you need:

2 medium size russet potatoes, peeled and sliced fairly thin
2 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped
¼ cup chopped green onion
2 tablespoons margarine
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup skim milk
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Salt
Pepper
Cayenne pepper (to sprinkle on the top)

All you need to do:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Cook the bacon and drain on paper towels. Set aside.

Peel, rinse and slice 2 russet potatoes.

In a medium sauce pan melt the margarine over medium heat.
Add the flour and mix.

Add about ½ the milk and using a whisk, whisk the mixture until all lumps disappear.

Add the remaining milk.

Stir until sauce begins to thicken.

Add the shredded cheddar cheese, stirring until fully incorporated.

Remove from heat.

Note: You will be using only about 2/3 of the sauce… otherwise it will be likely to run over the side during baking.

In a medium size Au Gratin dish ladle a small amount of cheese sauce to lightly cover the bottom of the dish.

Layer the potatoes in a single layer on the bottom.

Sprinkle salt and pepper over them.

Sprinkle 1/3 of the bacon over the potatoes.

Sprinkle 1/3 of the green onion over the potatoes.

Ladle sauce over the potatoes to cover.

Repeat by layering the potatoes, sprinkling salt, pepper, bacon and green onions.

Ladle sauce enough to cover.

Layer a final layer of potatoes… turning them over as you layer them so the top has some sauce on it.

Sprinkle bacon and green onion.

Sprinkle lightly with cayenne pepper.

Cover a small baking sheet with foil.

Place the au gratin dish on the baking sheet.

Cover the baking sheet with foil to cover the potatoes.

Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes.

Remove the top foil and bake an additional 10 minutes or until lightly brown and bubbly.