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These over-the-top cheesy bacon potatoes turn plain slices into the ultimate comfort food everyone wants seconds of. Thin potato rounds, smothered in creamy sauce and layered with gooey cheese, savory bacon bits, and sweet browned onions, vanish every time I set this out—holiday, weekend, doesn't matter.
After a bunch of lackluster attempts—dry, bland, or just not right—my family finally gave this version their top marks and won't let me make any other kind. Lots of taste testing, plenty of tweaks, and now it's a constant favorite at our table.
Luscious Ingredients
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper: Kosher salt gives you the best hit of flavor and is super easy to sprinkle evenly.
- 8 ounces cheese: Blend sharp cheddar for taste with Gruyere for melty goodness. Freshly grated cheese is the way to go for smooth melting (skip that pre-shredded stuff).
- 12 ounces meat bacon: Go thick-cut if you want hearty chunks or grab center-cut for a lighter touch.
- 2 medium onions, thinly sliced: Vidalia or other sweet onions caramelize fast and add a little sweetness to balance things out.
- 3 pounds potatoes, thinly sliced: Yukon Golds are buttery and rich; russets come out fluffy. Always pick firm potatoes with no green spots.
Creamy Sauce Fixings
- 3 cups whole milk: You want the richness from whole milk—skim just won’t make your sauce as thick or satisfying.
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour: This is what thickens up your cream sauce without getting gluey if you stir it well.
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter: Real butter makes your sauce richer than any margarine out there.
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil: Use a good olive oil to make your onions extra tasty when they get fried up.
Super-Chill Method
- Chill Out First:
- Don’t skip buttering up your 9x13 pan and heating the oven to 350°F first. Grab your mandoline or a sharp knife and slice the potatoes nice and thin—shoot for about 1/8 inch. Even thickness means no crunchy surprises or mushy bites.
- Get The Onions Gold:
- Pour olive oil into your skillet, crank up to medium, and let it shimmer but not smoke. Drop in your sliced onions with salt and pepper—this helps them break down. Give them a lazy stir here and there for about 20 minutes till they’re golden, shrink down, and smell sweet. That deep flavor gives the whole dish a lift.
- Make Bacon Happen:
- Start your bacon while the onions do their thing. Fry strips in a pan until crispy, or use the oven at 400°F for 15-20 minutes on parchment (super simple cleanup). Lay the strips on paper towels to lose extra grease, crumble them up, and stash a small handful for that last cheesy topping if you want.
- Whip Up The Sauce:
- Melt your butter in a saucepan over medium (stop before it turns brown). Toss in all the flour and start whisking like crazy so it’s lump-free—this is your roux. Let it cook for 2 minutes till it smells a little nutty but not burnt. Now, slowly pour in all your milk while still whisking non-stop—don’t rush this so you skip the clumps. Keep it on the heat until it simmers and gets thick enough to coat the back of your spoon, about 2-3 minutes. Finish with salt and pepper.
- Layer Like A Boss:
- Time to layer! Start with half the potatoes, then half your onions, half the crispy bacon, and half your cheese right in the pan. Ladle in half the warm creamy sauce so it sneaks between those potato slices. Stack everything again with the rest of your ingredients—end with a fat layer of cheese so you get that golden bubbly crust.
- Get That Golden Top:
- Stretch foil snug over the whole pan to keep steam in. Bake one hour so everything cooks through, then pull the foil off and bake another 30 minutes till the top is browned and edges are bubbly. Poke it with a fork—if it slides right in, you’re golden.
- Let It Settle:
- Seriously—let it sit 10 minutes before you dig in. This lets the sauce thicken and makes it way easier to slice up. Plus, nobody burns their tongue from being impatient.
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The first time I put this together was for my father-in-law’s birthday dinner, and now he asks for it every time. Watching him take his first bite and actually close his eyes says it all. Honestly, the caramelized onions pull everything together—their sweetness cuts the richness of all that cheese and cream just right.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- → Can I prepare loaded scalloped potatoes ahead of time?
Yep! Put it all together up to a day before and pop it in the fridge with a lid. When you're ready to bake, just let it warm up a half hour on the counter, then bake as usual. If it's still cool, tack on another 10 or 15 minutes of baking time, covered.
- → What's the best way to slice potatoes evenly?
If you've got a mandoline, that's your best bet for super-thin, even slices—around 1/8 inch. They cook evenly that way and come out tender. If you don't have one, a sharp chef's knife works—just go slow and try to keep them all about the same thickness.
- → Can I make this dish vegetarian?
You sure can! Just skip the bacon. If you want, you can toss in extra onions or even sauté some mushrooms for a boost. A dash of smoked paprika can give that hint of smoky flavor you'd get from the bacon. The cheese sauce will totally carry the dish, no problem.
- → Why is my sauce lumpy and how can I fix it?
Lumps love to show up if you pour in the milk too fast while making the butter-flour base. Go slow and keep whisking when you add milk at first. If you end up with lumps anyway, serious whisking usually does the trick, or you can blend it smooth for a couple seconds. Pouring it through a fine strainer also helps smooth things out.
- → How do I know when the potatoes are fully cooked?
Once a fork pushes right through the potato layers, you're good. Poke the middle with a knife or fork; it should slide in easy. If it's still tough, just toss it back in for another five to ten minutes and check again. How thick you cut your potatoes can change how long it needs.
- → What sides pair well with loaded scalloped potatoes?
It's great next to fresh, lighter dishes like a green salad, steamed broccoli, or roasted asparagus. For meat, serve it with roast chicken, steak off the grill, or baked ham. It's also awesome on a holiday table with the classics.