Thursday 23 February 2012

Potato Garlic Bacon Bake...

This is an easy-to-do midweek dinner, very creamy and filling. No crust, just layers of flaky, smoky potatoes (thanks to the bacon!) and a creamy sauce. You could add a layer of grated cheese, but I think its pretty rich the way it is. Peas and parsley would also be good, and of course carrots! (Serenity is a BIG carrot lover, he recommends adding carrots to EVERYTHING!!



Potato Garlic Bacon Bake.
Ingredients: Potatoes (depending on how many you're cooking for!)
Cream (again, you need just enough to cover the potatoes, but not make it too watery!)
Onion
Garlic (as MUCH of it as you like - we LOVE garlic!)
Bacon bits (this is a VERY handy addition to your pantry, quick and adds so much to any dish)
(Get a friend who's coming down from somewhere to get you a bag and store it in the fridge! 
Failing this, you'll need to dice up bacon really small and fry it - 
a little fat is good, but if the bacon is too fatty, you'll need to trim it!)
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil / Butter

Method: - Thinly slice the potatoes (i scrubbed them and left the skin on) and lightly cook.
DO NOT OVERCOOK the potatoes. They need to be cooked but still firm.
- Fry the onions in butter / olive oil. Saute the garlic. Caramelize and keep aside.
- Lightly saute the bacon bits to heat through and release flavour (or fry them if you're using raw bacon)
- Mix in the sauteed onions. Add the cream and cook - take care not to make it too watery (my sauce was, but it still tasted great!)
- Layer the potatoes in a baking dish. Pour the onion - cream mixture to cover the potato slices.
- Bake in a 200 C pre-heated oven for around 45 minutes till the top is golden brown. 

Notes: I have not used any thickening agent, so the sauce is a bit runny.
If you're feeling guilty about the cream sauce, you could make a sauce with a lesser percentage of cream, thin it out with milk and then thicken it with flour... like a white sauce roux. Chives would also be a great addition! 
Bon Appetit from Fifi ! 

No comments: