Scalloped Potatoes with Bacon
Thinly sliced scalloped potatoes with bacon and caramelized onions are a rich and flavorful side dish you’ll want to serve with your next meal.
The Cooking Bride is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
A few weeks ago, The Husband, out of the blue, requested scalloped potatoes. Like me, he probably grew up eating the freeze-dried potatoes from a box and that’s what he was actually craving. Oh, no sir, we’re not serving potatoes from a box in this house. Thin slices of potatoes get an upgrade with the addition of bacon, lots of cheese and sweet caramelized onions.
Scalloped potatoes and potatoes au gratin, what’s the difference?
While most people use the terms scalloped potatoes and au gratin potatoes interchangeably, there is actually a difference between the two dishes. Au gratin is French for “with cheese.” Scalloped potatoes contain some sort of dairy other than cheese, like milk or cream. Don’t get hung up on the legalese of the matter. Call them whatever you like, either way they are delicious!
Ingredients and tools you will need
Scalloped potatoes are the perfect side dish for a special occasion or holiday table. To make this cheesy scalloped potatoes recipe, you will need:
- 6 slices thick-cut bacon coarsely chopped
- 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 ¼ teaspoons salt, divided
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, sliced to about 1/8-inch thick – I chose three pounds of Yukon gold potatoes over standard Russet potatoes because of their waxy texture, which allows them to hold up better during cooking.
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 4 ounces (about 1 cup) shredded Pepper Jack cheese
- Mandoline slicer, optional – While you could do this the old-fashioned way, by hand with a sharp knife, a mandolin slicer is a real time-saver here.
- 3 quart casserole dish – I used an oval casserole dish, but a 13 x 9-inch rectangular casserole dish will also work.
- Large skillet
How to make scalloped potatoes with bacon
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Grease the casserole dish.
- Add the chopped bacon to a hot skillet and fry until it’s crisp, about 10 minutes. Remove the bacon crumbles from the pan with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels to drain, but don’t dispose of that bacon grease just yet.
- Turn the burner temperature to medium heat. Add the onions to the bacon drippings along with ¼ teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions start to become soft and caramelized. This will take about 15 minutes. Transfer the onions to a large bowl, then return the saucepan to the hot burner.
- Pour one cup of beef broth into the saucepan. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up any bits of bacon or onion that have formed on the bottom of the pan. Add the dried thyme, ground black pepper, salt, and ground black pepper. Bring the broth to a simmer.
- Combine the crispy bacon, sliced raw potatoes, and onion in a large mixing bowl. Stir them together to combine. I arranged my potatoes like dominoes in the prepared baking dish. It makes an impressive presentation, but you can also just spread the potatoes out in an even layer.
- Carefully pour the hot broth over the top of the potatoes.
- Cube four tablespoons of butter and arrange them over the top of the dish.
- Bake in the preheated oven, uncovered, for 45-55 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender and the edges are golden brown.
- Spread one cup of shredded Pepper Jack cheese over the top of the scalloped potatoes.
- Return the potatoes to the oven and bake them until the cheese is melted, about five more minutes.
- Remove the cheesy potatoes from oven and allow them to sit for 15 minutes before serving.
Storage, freezing, and reheating instructions
Storage: Allow any leftover potatoes to cool completely. If you used a casserole dish that comes with a lid, you can store them in that. If not, transfer the potatoes to an airtight container or cover the casserole dish with plastic wrap. Store in the refrigerator and consume within four days.
Reheating: Scalloped potatoes with crumbled bacon can be reheated in the microwave for a few minutes. Likewise, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and reheat, covered, for 10 – 15 minutes until heated through.
Freezing: Once the potatoes have been fully baked, I do not recommend freezing. This will change the texture of the potatoes and they can become grainy and mushy. However, it is possible to freeze a partially baked casserole to save time later. Bake the scalloped potatoes for 30 minutes. Cool completely, then wrap well with aluminum foil. Freeze for up to two weeks. Thaw the potatoes in the refrigerator, bake for the remaining 20-25 minutes, top with cheese and bake for five minutes until the cheese is melted.
Frequently asked questions
The potatoes can be sliced up to 24 hours in advance. However, they will start to oxidize and take on a grey hue once the surface is exposed to air. It won’t hurt you to eat them, but it doesn’t look very appetizing. To prevent this, cover the sliced potatoes with cold water and store them in the fridge until you’re ready to use them. The caramelized onions can be prepared up to five days in advance and also stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Bacon can be cooked two days in advance.
Yes. You will still need to cook the bacon beforehand. Spray the inside of the slow cooker with cooking spray. Layer the potatoes, onions and bacon bits on the bottom. Reduce the beef broth to 1/2 a cup. Add the dried thyme, salt, and ground black pepper to the broth and pour the mixture over the top. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for six hours until the potatoes are tender. Sprinkle the cheese over the top, cover and cook for an additional 10 minutes until the cheese is melted.
Yes, any small waxy potato with a thin skin, such as red potatoes, fingerlings, new potatoes, and baby potatoes are the best potatoes to use for this cooking method.
Scalloped Potatoes with Bacon and Caramelized Onions
Ingredients
- 6 slices thick-cut bacon coarsely chopped
- 1 yellow onion thinly sliced
- 1 ¼ teaspoons salt divided
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes sliced to about 1/8-inch thick
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into cubes
- 4 ounces (about 1 cup) shredded Pepper Jack cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease a 13 x 9-inch casserole dish.
- Cook the bacon in a medium skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 10-13 minutes. Using a slotted spoon remove the bacon from the pan and onto paper towel. Reserve the bacon drippings in the skillet.
- Add the onions to the bacon drippings along with ¼ teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring frequently until the onions start to become soft and caramelized, about 20-30 minutes. Transfer the onions to a large bowl. Return the skillet to the hot burner.
- Pour the broth into the skillet. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up any bits that have formed on the bottom of the pan. Add the thyme, remaining salt, and pepper to the broth. Bring the broth to a simmer.
- Add the bacon and potatoes to the mixing bowl with the onions. Stir until the mixture is well-combined.
- Spread the potatoes into the casserole dish.
- Carefully pour the hot broth over the top.
- Dot the surface of the casserole with butter.
- Bake uncovered for 45-55 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender and the edges are golden brown.
- Sprinkle the cheese over the top of the casserole. Return it to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted, about five minutes.
- Remove the potatoes from the oven and allow them to sit for 15 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Do you have questions about this post? Leave a comment. Have you made this dish? Be sure to leave a rating and review!
Forrest, please let me know how it turns out!
Looks very YUMMY! I will attempt this, this weekend 🙂
My mom used to make us potatoes from a box but there really is no comparison to the real thing. Love this casserole! Total comfort food.