Bacon, Cheese and Potato Pie
This will soon become a favourite comfort food! A great brunch idea, too!
Then the food network's "Chef at Home" showed this method, where the bacon actually forms a crust around and over the potato and cheese! Of course, I had to add a few of my own twists to that idea.
Ingredients
Tip:
If you don't have a non-stick frying pan with an oven safe handle, just wrap the handle tightly in a couple of layers of tin foil
- bacon, 1 lb good quality, thick sliced
- potatoes, 3 large sliced
- mushrooms, about 2 cups sliced
- onion, 1 small, finely chopped
- garlic, 2 cloves, minced
- sharp, extra old cheddar cheese, 1 lb grated (really, use whatever is your favourite - swiss would be especially good too!)
- asiago cheese, 1/3 lb, grated (optional -- I did the last layer with this; otherwise use more of whatever cheese you're using)
- fresh ground black pepper
- nutmeg
Cooking Method:
I used a very sharp, old white cheddar. Use orange cheddar for a more colorful dish than what these pictures show. Click on any of the photos to enlarge.
Assembling the Bacon Pie - Step 1: Start from the center of a 6 - 8 inch non-stick oven safe frying pan (see tip above), and lay the bacon slices in a wheel shape so that they drape over the lip of the pan. Overlap each piece in the center a bit and lay them as close together as possible. (I was running short of bacon - they should be closer together than how it looks here.)
Step 2: Layer the potato slices in a circle around the pan to completely cover the bacon, overlapping slightly. Sprinkle with a bit of the garlic and onion, then some of the mushroom slices, then completely cover with grated cheese. Sprinkle a bit of nutmeg over cheese.- Repeat layering of potatoes, garlic, onion, mushrooms and cheese to form a nice mound, ending with cheese.
Step 3: Pull up each slice of bacon over the pie, spreading each piece so they meet as closely as possible.
The tart completely wrapped in bacon: The bacon should be closer together, but as you can see from the finished pie below, the result is just fine. So don't worry, if like me, you run short of bacon.
Step 5: Place a small lid on the center of the pie, just to put pressure on it, not to cover it.- Put the frying pan on a baking sheet and bake at 325 degrees for 3 hours, removing the lid for the last hour.
Hold down the pie while pouring the grease out of the pan. Allow the pie to settle for 5 - 10 minutes, then flip it out upside down onto a plate.- Slice and Serve it up! Slice like you would any pie or tart and serve immediately.
This savoury bacon, cheese and potato pie makes a great brunch dish, or a side for a special occasion. Replace your scalloped potato recipe for special occasions and bring this bacon, cheese and potato pie to your next potluck dinner!
Use any leftover filling ingredients for Garlic Smashed Potatoes.
