Bacon Scalloped Potatoes

Bacon scalloped potatoes have all the charm of traditional scalloped potatoes but with an extra boost in flavor from smoky, savory bacon.

Prep Time20

Cook Time1 15

Total Time1 35

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Bacon Scalloped Potatoes Recipe

Servings:

Calories: 534kcal

Ingredients

½ pound thick sliced bacon, cut into small diced pieces (½ cup when cooked)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1½ cups whole milk
1 teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
4 cups Yukon gold potatoes, cut into ⅛ to ¼-inch thick slices (about 2 pounds)
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup Monterey jack cheese, shredded
1 tablespoon chopped chives, optional garnish

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray an 8x8 (1.5-quart) baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
In a medium skillet, add the diced thick-cut bacon. Cook on medium heat for 8 to 9 minutes or just until the bacon crumbles are slightly crisped. You do not want to overcook your bacon crumbles. Transfer the bacon crumbles to a paper towel-lined plate and remove the bacon grease from the pan. You can pour the hot bacon grease into a heat-safe bowl to cool it before discarding it.
Add the unsalted butter to the skillet that you used to cook the bacon and allow it to melt over medium heat. Once melted, whisk in the all-purpose flour until the melted butter has absorbed all the flour.
Slowly pour the whole milk into the skillet while whisking constantly. Be sure that you whisk out all the lumps of flour so that you get a smooth sauce.
To the sauce, whisk in the salt, onion powder, black pepper, and garlic powder. Allow the sauce to bubble and thicken for 2 to 3 minutes. Be sure to whisk often to prevent the sauce from clumping and burning. Remove from the heat.
To the bottom of the prepared baking dish, layer half the sliced potatoes. Be sure to fan them out and not pack them too tightly to allow the sauce to get between the slices when baked.
Pour half the sauce over the potatoes and spread it out as evenly as possible. Try to push some of the sauce between the potatoes.
Layer ½ cup of the sharp cheddar cheese and ½ cup of the Monterey jack cheese, and ¼ cup of the reserved bacon crumbles evenly over the sauce.
Repeat with a final layer of sliced potatoes and sauce. Tightly cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes. You may want to put your baking dish onto a rimmed baking sheet for easy transport to and from the oven. This will also protect your oven if any of the sauce bubbles out, as this is a very full dish.
After the first 40 minutes of baking, remove the foil and top the potatoes with the remaining shredded cheddar and Monterey jack cheese. Return to the oven to bake for another 30 minutes.
After your bacon scalloped potatoes have been baking for an hour, you can check them for doneness. They should be fork tender. If they are done, then you can top the melted cheese with the remaining ¼ cup bacon crumbles and place your dish back into the oven for an additional 5 minutes to finish crisping the bacon and allowing the cheese to get lightly golden and bubbly.
Allow the bacon scalloped potatoes to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving to allow the sauce to thicken up slightly.

Notes

When cooking your bacon crumbles, use thick sliced bacon that is pre-chopped before cooking in the skillet. You do not want to cook them to the crispy stage. The bacon crumbles still need to be soft as they will continue to cook and crisp in the oven.
While your bacon crumbles are cooking, you can slice your potatoes. Be sure you use a sharp knife to get nice thin slices.
Make sure the potatoes are VERY thinly sliced, or you may have to increase the bake time to make sure they are soft and tender.
Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to keep a close eye on your potatoes as the suggested baking time approaches.

Nutrition