Warming, comforting and packed with flavour, this cheesy bacon and onion potato bake is the perfect side dish for any occasion. Made with layers of potatoes, onions and bacon, smothered in cream and topped with tasty melted cheese, this dish is sure to become a family favourite.
There's not much that can top a creamy potato bake in the flavour department! I've been making this potato and onion potato bake for years, and it always gets rave reviews.
It's great for serving at a barbeque and is equally at home served alongside a roast. The cream soaks into the potatoes, turning them soft and luscious, while the cheese crisps on top to form a crunchy layer of cheesy potato goodness that combines perfectly with the softness of the creamy potato underneath.
For similar ways of preparing potatoes, you might like to try this dish of potatoes Romanoff, which is made with grated potatoes, or these boulangere potatoes, which are baked in chicken stock.
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Why you'll love this recipe
I'm sure you'll love this recipe as much as we do.
- This cheesy bacon and onion potato bake is super simple to make. Simply slice the potatoes and onions, fry some bacon pieces until crispy, and layer everything in a casserole dish. Pour over some cream, sprinkle it with grated cheese, cover it with tin foil and pop it in the oven for 90 minutes. Remove the tin foil for the last 15 to 20 minutes to allow the cheese to turn golden, and you've got a super side dish that takes hardly any prep at all.
- While it does take a fair amount of time to bake, you can save on energy costs by baking the potato bake in the oven alongside your roast.
- Leftovers taste amazing when fried up for breakfast and topped with a fried egg and perhaps an extra rasher of bacon or a helping of baked beans.
- This potato bake is also a great dish to make when you're pressed for time because you just assemble the dish and let the oven do all the work!
Recipe highlights
Prep time - 15 minutes
Cook time - 90 minutes
Yield - 4 servings
Scalability - Increase the ingredients to suit your family's appetite.
Ingredients
Apart from salt and pepper for seasoning, you only need five ingredients.
- Potatoes - I like to use Maris Piper potatoes for this dish. You want a potato that will absorb the cream but still retain a bit of texture. Steer clear of potatoes that are too floury or you will end up with mash. They should be peeled and sliced to approximately one-eighths of an inch thickness (or about half a centimeter). There is no need to par-boil the potatoes first.
- Onion - I prefer using white onions for this dish; however, if you only have red onions, they will be perfectly acceptable. They should be peeled and thinly sliced.
- Bacon - the bacon should be chopped into small pieces and fried in a separate pan until crispy.
- Cream - preferably double or heavy cream. You can substitute it with single cream or even full-fat milk. Do be aware that if you use milk, the dish may boil over while it is in the oven, so place it on a baking tray to catch any spills.
- Grated cheese - I used cheddar, but you could use any cheese that grates easily and will melt in the oven.
- Salt and pepper - (not pictured) - this is to your own taste, but I like to season each of the layers lightly with salt and pepper when I'm assembling the dish.
- Cooking oil - (not pictured) - this is optional, but if your bacon is on the lean side, you may like to add a splash of sunflower or other neutral-flavoured oil to the pan before you fry it.
**You can get the exact ingredient quantities for making this cheesy bacon and onion potato bake on the printable recipe card at the end of this post.**
Instructions
Step 1: Stir the bacon on moderate heat for 5 to 7 minutes until it turns crispy.
Step 2: While the bacon is cooking, peel the potatoes and onions and slice them thinly. You can use a mandolin for this, or simply use a sharp knife.
Step 3: Place a layer of potatoes on the bottom of your baking dish and spinkle over half of the onion and bacon. Season lightly with salt and black pepper and pour over one-third of the cream.
Step 4: Repeat with another layer of potatoes, onions, bacon, seasoning and cream. Top with a final layer of potatoes, season them lightly and pour over the remaining cream. Sprinkle grated cheese on top.
Step 5: Cover the dish with a lid and bake in a preheated oven (170C/350F) for 70 minutes.
Step 6: Remove the tinfoil and return the dish to the oven for another 15 to 20 minutes to allow the cheese to turn golden.
Serve hot as a side dish with your favourite roast meat.
Tips for a successful outcome
Here are my top tips to ensure your cheesy potato bake always turns out perfectly:
- Don't skip the step of crisping the bacon. This step serves 2 purposes. Firstly it gets rid of a lot of the bacon fat so the potatoes don't become too oily; and secondly it makes sure the bacon is crispy. The bacon won't turn crispy when it's covered with potatoes, onions and cream.
- When slicing the potatoes and onions, try to get them all to the same thickness so that they cook at the same time. One-eighths of an inch is the perfect thickness. If you slice them too thinly, they'll cook away to mush; and if they are too thick, there's a danger that they won't cook through in the allotted time.
- You should aim to make three layers of potatoes. Two of them should be sprinkled with the onions and bacon, and the third potato layer should be covered in grated cheese.
- It's important to cover the dish with a layer of tin foil (or a lid) for the initial cooking time as this keeps the steam in the dish and helps the potatoes to cook. Remove the lid (or tin foil) only for the final 15 to 20 minutes
- The potatoes will be cooked when you can slide a knife easily into them with no resistance.
Serving suggestions
I normally serve this potato bake as a side dish with a roast instead of the usual roast potatoes. It also goes really well with this easy oven-baked gammon and a selection of salads.
That said, it makes a great addition to a barbeque instead of the traditional potato salad that normally gets served.
Leftovers can be fried up with extra bacon and topped with a fried egg for breakfast.
Variations
There are not too many ways in which you can vary this dish, however here are a few different ways I've made it in the past.
- Leave out the bacon - this dish tastes just as good when made with only potatoes and onions, without the addition of bacon.
- If you enjoy the taste of garlic with potatoes, season the layers with garlic salt instead of table salt.
- Add a finely sliced red pepper either with or instead of the onions.
- Combine the grated cheese with breadcrumbs or a handful of crushed potato crisps for a crunchier topping.
Equipment
These are the main items of equipment you will need to make this potato bake:
- A sharp knife and a chopping board for cutting up the vegetables. If you have a mandolin you could use that instead to save time.
- A frying pan for frying the bacon.
- A baking dish large enough to hold the ingredients. I used a 9" x 7" x 2" dish. The dish should be deep enough to prevent any overflow - especially if you have substituted the cream for milk.
Storage
Leftovers can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Reheat them in the microwave or place them in a covered dish into the oven at 200C/400F for 10 minutes until piping hot. Do cover the dish in the oven or the potatoes may dry out as they are reheating.
If you would like to make the potato bake ahead of time, you can prepare and bake the dish up until it's time to remove the foil. Remove it from the oven and allow to cool. Refrigerate the dish (still covered in foil) for up to three days. When you are ready to eat it, reheat in the oven (without the foil) at 180C / 360F for about 30 minutes, or until golden and well heated through. If you allow it to come to room temperature before reheating, it will take slightly less time.
I wouldn't recommend freezing the cheesy bacon and onion potato bake because of all the dairy products it contains. The cream would be inclined to split when frozen and thawed.
FAQ
Not really, although it is similar. Potatoes Dauphiniose is traditionally made with sliced potatoes, cream and garlic but without the onions and bacon.
Save for later
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Related recipes
You can find lots of other potato recipes on my vegetable recipes page. Here are a few of them that you might enjoy:
📋The recipe
Cheesy bacon and onion potato bake
(Click the stars to rate this recipe)
Equipment
- Sharp Knife
- Chopping Board
- Frying Pan
- Baking dish approximately 9" x 7" x 2"
Ingredients
- 1¼ pounds / 600 grams potatoes peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 small onion peeled and thinly sliced
- 4 ounces / 113 grams bacon diced
- ¾ cup / 180 ml double or heavy cream
- ½ cup / 50 grams cheddar cheese grated
- 1 tablespoon sunflower oil optional
- Salt to taste
- Ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Stir the bacon on moderate heat for 5 to 7 minutes until it turns crispy. Use a tablespoon of sunflower oil if the bacon doesn't have much fat.4 ounces / 113 grams bacon, 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
- While the bacon is cooking, peel the potatoes and onions and slice them thinly. You can use a mandolin for this, or simply use a sharp knife.1¼ pounds / 600 grams potatoes, 1 small onion
- Place a layer of potatoes on the bottom of your baking dish and spinkle over half of the onion and bacon. Season lightly with salt and black pepper and pour over one-third of the cream.¾ cup / 180 ml double or heavy cream, Salt, Ground black pepper
- Repeat with another layer of potatoes, onions, bacon, seasoning and cream. Top with a final layer of potatoes, season them lightly and pour over the remaining cream. Sprinkle grated cheese on top.½ cup / 50 grams cheddar cheese
- Cover the dish with tin foil (or a lid) and bake in a preheated oven (170C/350F) for 70 minutes.
- Remove the tinfoil and return the dish to the oven for another 15 to 20 minutes to allow the cheese to turn golden.
- Serve hot as a side dish with your favourite roast meat.
Notes
- Don't skip the step of crisping the bacon. This step serves 2 purposes. Firstly it gets rid of a lot of the bacon fat so the potatoes don't become too oily; and secondly it makes sure the bacon is crispy. The bacon won't turn crispy when it's covered with potatoes, onions and cream.
- When slicing the potatoes and onions, try to get them all to the same thickness so that they cook at the same time. One-eighths of an inch is the perfect thickness. If you slice them too thinly, they'll cook away to mush; and if they are too thick, there's a danger that they won't cook through in the allotted time.
- You should aim to make three layers of potatoes. Two of them should be sprinkled with the onions and bacon, and the third potato layer should be covered in grated cheese.
- It's important to cover the dish with a layer of tin foil (or a lid) for the initial cooking time as this keeps the steam in the dish and helps the potatoes to cook. Remove the lid (or tin foil) only for the final 15 to 20 minutes
- The potatoes will be cooked when you can slide a knife easily into them with no resistance.
- Leftovers can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Reheat them in the microwave or place them in a covered dish into the oven at 200C/400F for 10 minutes until piping hot. Do cover the dish in the oven or the potatoes may dry out as they are reheating.
- If you would like to make the potato bake ahead of time, you can prepare and bake the dish up until it's time to remove the foil. Remove it from the oven and allow to cool. Refrigerate the dish (still covered in foil) for up to three days. When you are ready to eat it, reheat in the oven (without the foil) at 180C / 360F for about 30 minutes, or until golden and well heated through. If you allow it to come to room temperature before reheating, it will take slightly less time.
- I wouldn't recommend freezing the cheesy bacon and onion potato bake because of all the dairy products it contains. The cream would be inclined to split when frozen and thawed.
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.
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Shirley Remy
This is a really tasty and 'easy to make' recipe and any leftovers reheat perfectly in the oven. Another winner, VJ ! Thank you.
VJ
Thanks for taking the time to comment Shirley. Glad you enjoyed it!