There are very few dinners that feel as comforting, crowd-pleasing and downright reliable as a potato and bacon bake. Creamy layers of thinly sliced potato, crispy bacon and melted cheese come together to create the ultimate side dish (or sneaky main meal) that works just as well for weeknight dinners as it does for entertaining.
If you love classic comfort food, this recipe sits beautifully alongside my oven baked Chicken, Rice and Bacon and One Pot Mac and Cheese - simple, family-friendly recipes that always get rave reviews!
This potato and bacon bake is everything a great potato bake should be: rich without being heavy, full of flavour, and easy enough for busy families. Unlike some versions that turn watery or take forever to cook, this recipe uses the right potato variety, a simple cream base, and a layered method that guarantees soft potatoes and a golden, cheesy top every single time.
It's a brilliant make-ahead dish for BBQs, Christmas lunch, Sunday roasts or even a cosy midweek dinner when served with a simple green salad. If you're feeding a crowd, this bake pairs perfectly with Honey Mustard Chicken or Slow Cooked Roast Beef.
Why You're Going To Love This Recipe
- Creamy, cheesy perfection with tender potatoes that melt in your mouth
- Simple ingredients you can grab from any supermarket
- Make-ahead friendly - perfect for entertaining
- Family-approved comfort food (even picky eaters love it)
- Easy to customise with different cheeses or add-ins
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Potato And Bacon Bake Ingredients
You only need a handful of budget-friendly ingredients to make this delicious creamy bacon and potato bake!
Note: Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the ingredients quantities and full detailed method.
- Potatoes - Use a good all-rounder baking potato like Sebago, Desiree, Pontiac or Dutch Cream. These soften beautifully without turning floury or falling apart.
- Cream - Full-fat thickened cream (or heavy cream) gives the richest result and helps the bake set properly.
- Bacon - Pre-cooking the bacon adds flavour and prevents excess grease in the bake.
- Cheese - A mix of cheddar and mozzarella gives the best balance of flavour and melt.
- Garlic - Minced garlic adds flavour without overpowering the dish.
Variations
- Extra Cheesy - Add parmesan between the layers for extra depth of flavour.
- Loaded Potato Bake - Stir through sliced spring onions or caramelised onions.
- Veggie Version - Replace bacon with sautéed mushrooms or roasted cauliflower.
How To Make Potato And Bacon Bake
This comforting bake takes just 15 minutes to prep, then pop in the oven until bubbling and golden!
Note: Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the ingredients quantities and full detailed method.
- Preheat your oven to 180°C fan-forced and grease a 2-litre baking dish. Cook bacon in a frying pan until golden and crispy. Drain on a paper towel.
- Whisk cream, melted butter, garlic, salt and pepper until combined.
- Peel potatoes and slice very thinly (around 3mm thick). Layer one-third of the potatoes into the baking dish.
- Spoon over one-third of the cream, and crispy bacon.
- Repeat with another layer of the potatoes, cream, bacon and grated cheese. For the final layer, add the potatoes, cream and bacon, but not the remaining one-third grated cheese.
- Cover tightly with foil and bake about 1hr 15mins, or until the potatoes are soft. Remove the foil and sprinkle with the remaining cheeses then bake another 15mins until the top is bubbly and golden.
Recipe Tips
- Slice potatoes evenly so they cook at the same rate.
- Choose a potato variety that's best for baking.
- Avoid low-fat cream if possible - it won't thicken as well.
- Cover tightly with foil to trap steam and soften the potatoes.
- Test the potatoes with a knife before adding cheese - they should be completely tender.
- Let it rest before serving so the layers set properly.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freezing: Freeze for up to 1 month. Defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- Reheating: Best reheated in the oven, but individual portions can be microwaved.
Potato And Bacon Bake FAQ's
Yes! Assemble the bake, cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before baking.
This usually happens if the potatoes are sliced too thick or low-fat cream is used.
No - slicing them thinly and baking covered ensures they cook perfectly.
Cheddar for flavour and mozzarella for melt is the ideal combination.
Absolutely. Freeze once cooked, then defrost in the fridge and reheat in the oven at a medium temperature until heated through. You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave.
More Comforting Potato Dishes
From creamy bakes to cheesy classics, these comforting potato dishes are the kind of recipes you'll come back to again and again.
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Potato And Bacon Bake
Ingredients
- 300 g bacon pieces
- 360 ml (1½ cups) thickened cream heavy cream
- 30 g (2 tbs) butter melted
- 2 teaspoon minced garlic
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 kg potatoes approx 6 large
- 275 g (2½ cups) grated cheddar and mozzarella cheeses
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius (fan-forced). Grease a 2 litre / 8 cup capacity baking dish and set aside.
- Place the bacon pieces into a frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook until crispy. Set aside on a plate lined with a paper towel to drain any excess oil.
- Place the cream, melted butter, minced garlic and salt and pepper into a small bowl or jug. Whisk until combined. If using a Thermomix: Mix for 10 seconds, Speed 8.
- Peel the potatoes and then slice into very thin slices (approx 3mm thick).
- Spread ⅓ of the sliced potatoes into the base of the baking dish. Pour over ⅓ of the cream mixture and sprinkle with ⅓ of the crispy bacon and ⅓ of the grated cheese.
- Repeat with another layer of the potatoes, cream, bacon and grated cheese.
- For the last layer, add the potatoes, cream and bacon (but not the remaining grated cheese).
- Cover tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Check that the potatoes are soft (if not, cover with foil and continue cooking until soft).
- Remove the foil and sprinkle over the remaining grated cheeses.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until golden.
- Allow the potato bake to stand for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
- Slice potatoes evenly so they cook at the same rate.
- Choose a potato variety that's best for baking.
- Avoid low-fat cream if possible - it won't thicken as well.
- Cover tightly with foil to trap steam and soften the potatoes.
- Test the potatoes with a knife before adding cheese - they should be completely tender.
- Let it rest before serving so the layers set properly.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freezing: Freeze for up to 1 month. Defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- Reheating: Best reheated in the oven, but individual portions can be microwaved.
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