Everyone serves mashed potatoes on special occasions, like Thanksgiving. You just can’t beat mashed potatoes, right? There’s a reason they’re a classic! Well, yes, you can beat mashed potatoes if you’re whipping up Scalloped Bacon Potatoes instead! Scalloped Bacon Potatoes ensures the potatoes are buttery and tender, in a beautifully seasoned cream sauce, and topped with plenty of crispy bacon and melty, smoky cheese. Even loaded mashed potatoes can’t compete with the indulgence or the class of this dish. Traditions are wonderful, but they just can’t match this taste!
Ingredients
For the spiced cream:
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped or 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped or 1 teaspoon dried chives
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
For the potatoes:
- 2 pounds Russet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/8-inch slices
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- 2 1/2 cups Gruyere cheese, grated
- 6-8 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked and chopped
- 1 tablespoon butter, cut into 8 cubes
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Step 2 –Grease a 9×13-inch casserole dish.
Step 3 –Add the heavy cream, the onion, the bay leaves, the garlic, the parsley, the chives, the thyme, the cayenne pepper, the nutmeg, the salt, and the pepper into a saucepan.
Step 4 –Bring the cream mixture to a gentle simmer and simmer until thickened and the flavors have melded together, about 5-10 minutes.
Step 5 –Place the potatoes in a large bowl.
Step 6 –Spoon just enough of the herbed cream mixture to cover the bottom of the prepared casserole dish.
Step 7 –Pour the remaining cream mixture over the potatoes, tossing to coat.
Step 8 –Using a slotted spoon, layer the bottom of the casserole dish with 1/3 of the potato slice mixture, leaving the majority of the cream in the bowl.
Step 9 –Season the potato layer with the salt and the pepper.
Step 10 –On top of the potato layer in the casserole dish, layer 1 cup of the cheese, 1/2 of the bacon, and 1/3 of the cream in the bowl.
Step 11 –Repeat the layers, starting with the potatoes and ending with the cream.
Step 12 –Top the casserole with the remaining potato slices.
Step 13 –Pour the remaining cream over the potatoes.
Step 14 –Dot the potatoes with the butter.
Step 15 –Cover the casserole dish with foil and bake for 1 hour.
Step 16 –Remove the foil and sprinkle the casserole with the remaining cheese.
Step 17 –Bake uncovered until the potatoes are tender in the center and the cheese is bubbly, about 10 minutes.
Step 18 –Turn on the broiler and broil until golden brown on top, about 2-3 minutes.
Step 19 –Serve hot.