Roasted Garlic, Bacon & Chive Au Gratin Potatoes
There is nothing more comforting than a steaming casserole dish layered with potatoes, cheese, cream, bacon, and butter. It’s downright heavenly, if you ask me.
These Roasted Garlic, Bacon & Chive Au Gratin Potatoes are perfect when you’re feeding a crowd, and I can promise you this: they’re a definite crowd pleaser! These cheese-y, bacon-loaded potatoes didn’t last long at all.
Wanna know a secret: Squirrel was responsible for most of the damage done to this casserole. He somehow managed to take down half the casserole on his own.
Impressive, right? I think I love him even more now that I know he has mad eating skills. Usually I’m the one out eating him. Little but fierce, yo!
But, seriously, these au gratin potatoes are delicious. Roasted garlic makes everything better, so I infused the heavy cream with an entire head of roasted garlic. Also, heavy cream… Lots of it! I’m not going to lie, this recipe is so far from healthy. It’s okay, because we’re living on the edge here at One Sweet Mess. It’s all about balance.
Eat a salad for lunch and enjoy an extra helping of these Roasted Garlic, Bacon & Chive Au Gratin Potatoes for dinner. <--- #Winning I used thinly sliced Idaho® Yukon Gold potatoes in this recipe. And, can I just tell you how dreamy it is to finally own a mandolin–so, very dreamy! I’m still not quite sure why it took me so long to purchase one. If you don’t have a mandolin, you can, of course, thinly slice your potatoes using a knife, but just know that owning one is a life saver and game changer. Just the other day, I used it to cut matchstick carrots for a salad. Matchstick. Carrots. Sure, I never really had a use for a matchstick carrot before owning my mandolin, but now that I don’t have to risk cutting off a finger every time I want matchstick carrots, I put them in everything.
I digress.
Once you have your potatoes sliced, all you have to do is layer everything in a casserole dish and bake until bubbly and golden brown. I will fight someone for the top layer of crispy golden brown potatoes and cheese. Fight to the death.
Make these if you want to make your family happy this Easter/Passover.
Roasted Garlic, Bacon & Chive Au Gratin Potatoes
Layers of thinly sliced potatoes, roasted garlic-infused cream, bacon, chives, and parmesan cheese get baked until bubbly and golden brown. This delicious casserole is a definite crowd pleaser.
Ingredients:
- 6 large Idaho® Yukon Gold potatoes, very finely sliced
- 1 head garlic
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 pound thick-sliced bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
- 2 and ¼ cups heavy cream
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup freshly chopped chives
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter 9-inch-by-13-inch casserole dish.
- Slice a thin layer off the head of garlic to expose the cloves inside. Place garlic in an aluminum foil pouch. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Close the pouch and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the cloves are soft and tender. Allow the garlic to cool long enough to handle and squeeze out the cloves; set aside.
- Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the bacon to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is crispy. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate; set aside.
- Add the butter, heavy cream, and roasted garlic to a saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat until the butter is melted. Whisk the mixture to combine all of the ingredients and break up the roasted garlic cloves.
- Place a layer of the potato slices in the bottom of the prepared casserole dish. Pour a thin layer of the cream mixture over the top. Sprinkle with kosher salt and black pepper. Top with approximately 2 teaspoons chopped chives, 2 tablespoons sliced scallions, 3 tablespoons crispy bacon, and 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese. Repeat until all of the potatoes are used up. Top final layer with remaining cream, chives, scallions, bacon, and Parmesan cheese.
- Bake at 350 degrees F. uncovered for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked through and the top is crispy and golden brown. Serve immediately.
Disclosure: This recipe was developed for the lovely folks at Idaho® Potato. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting my recipes and site while I work with brands I adore.