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This potato bake flavoured with crispy bacon and melty brie cheese cooked in cream is an indulgent, delectable side dish you will make over and over again.
A while ago I was browsing through one of my French cookbooks when a dish of soft, creamy potatoes drenched in oozy cheese caught my eye. Tartiflette. What a beautiful word. I am no stranger to tartiflette and have made a version of it for years but as it is very hard to find good Reblochon cheese in South Africa, I usually substitute with brie or camembert to give me a similar creaminess. But because I couldn’t find reblochon before I made this dish, I didn’t feel it right to call it Tartiflette because it’s technically not a tartiflette unless it contains a heft amount of soft, nutty reblochon.
Let’s be honest though, there are few combinations as glorious as bacon and brie cheese (as is demonstrated by this awesome bacon & brie grilled cheese) and when you combine it with garlic, potatoes and cream, you are bound to have a winner on your hands. This recipe is beyond easy to knock together and after an hour in a hot oven, you have simple perfection. This makes a fabulous meal on its own with a zest green salad to cut the richness of the potatoes but also makes a great side dish to grilled/roasted meats.
Easy bacon and brie potato bake
Ingredients
- 250 g streaky bacon chopped
- 2 kgs approximately 8 large potatoes, thinly sliced
- 250 g brie cheese sliced
- 4 garlic cloves sliced
- 500 ml cream
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme leaves removed
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 200°c.
- Place a large, oven-proof frying pan over high heat then fry the bacon until crisp and golden. Remove from the pan, leaving the rendered fat behind.
- Layer the potatoes, brie cheese (reserve a few slices for the topping), bacon and garlic in the pan, seasoning the layers as you go.
- Season the cream with salt and pepper then pour over the potatoes.
- Cover the potatoes with foil/a lid and place in the oven.
- Allow to bake for 45 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.
- Top with the remaining brie cheese then place back in the oven and allow to bake until golden brown on top.
- Remove from the oven and serve.
More potato recipes you will love:
Hasselback potatoes with Sriracha butter
Cheesy jalapeño popper potato skins
This is in the oven right now, but I have a question… how big a pan did you use? The reason is ask is that I sliced the potatoes 1/8 inch thick and used a 10 inch cast iron skillet. The garlic, bacon and thyme were the perfect amount, but I have about 2/3 of the potatoes left over!
I used a 32cm Le Creuset buffet casserole. It’s quite a deep pan so that might be why you have potatoes left over?
This is so pretty and I bet it tastes amazing!! It’s like fancy-ish comfort food – my favorite! 🙂
Thanks so much Natasha! 🙂
Wow Alida! What an impressive dish! Sounds so rich and creamy!
Thanks Mary Ann! That it is. Pure comfort food.
I love brie any way I can get it and would eat it three meals a day. This is such a creative dish Alida! Love it.
Thank you Karen! I myself am a Brie addict!
Oh my! It is only breakfasttime, but I could indulge in this beauty right now! So stunning and delicious!
It’s all-day comfort food. Just add an egg. 😉
You are so right about bacon and brie being a match made in heaven. I always hated brie growing up because of the smell, (and my dad, a french immigrant, would always try and get me to take a bite), and one I finally did, it changed my life! I saw this and got so excited! Definitely saving this one and trying it this week. 🙂 Thanks so much for the post.
Ariel, Brie is such an absolute treat for me and I am always trying to get those who don’t like it converted. I hope you enjoy this recipe and please let me know what you thought of it!
Can’t imagine anything I’d rather indulge in right now than this potato bake actually! I am just salivating here over the thought of all that warm cheesy and bacon deliciousness.
This is so stunning! Love those gorgeously browned edges! Awesome job!
Thanks so much!