Menu planning can be a challenge…You have to consider the mood you’re trying to create, the formality, and of course, the tastes and preferences of your guests. A lot to think about, right?
Well, I embrace this challenge! Planning the perfect menu is one of my favorite things to do, and I spend an inordinate amount of time in a day doing just that! My roommate recently went to a dinner party at her boyfriend’s parents’ house. The host was serving a coconut crusted salmon and asked my roommate to bring a side that would complement the salmon. Since a majority of my daydreaming time is spent menu planning and coming up with spins to classic recipes, she asked me to help her come up with some ideas.
A quick brainstorming session led us to a scrumptious solution — these beautiful bacon and rosemary scalloped potatoes. I had been wanting to experiment with scalloped potatoes for a while, so this was the perfect excuse!
These potatoes are perfectly cheesy and delicious, and the thyme brings a beautiful freshness to the dish. I cannot wait to incorporate these into future dinner parties. They also would be perfect during the holiday season for your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.
They are incredibly easy to make with a short prep time of 20 minutes. The majority of this time is spent slicing the potatoes either by hand or with a mandoline, and then once assembled the oven takes over! Grab yourself a glass of wine or finish prepping the rest of your dinner party meal, but these babies are taken care of!
- 2 pounds yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch thick slices
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 cup of yellow onion, diced
- 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream
- 3 pieces of cooked bacon, crumbled
- 3 sprigs of fresh thyme, divided
- 1 tsp of nutmeg
- 3/4 cup of grated Parmesan, divided
- 3/4 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and lightly oil or spray a 9-inch pie plate with a non-stick spray.
- Peel and slice (or use a mandoline) the yukon gold potatoes into ⅛ inch thick slices.
- Combine all slices in a large bowl and sprinkle with kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste.
- In a small saucepan saute the minced garlic and yellow onion.
- While sauteing, combine the heavy cream, 1 sprig of thyme and nutmeg in a medium saucepan and heat on low-medium for about 5 minutes until fully heated all the way through.
- Once heated, add the sauted garlic, onion, and bacon to your cream mixture.
- Add a layer of potatoes overlapping each other to cover the bottom of the pie plate. Pour 1/4 of the cream mixture on top of the potatoes, ensuring each potato is covered.
- Sprinkle 1/4 cup of Parmesan and 1/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese on top of the potatoes.
- Add a second layer of potatoes, and once again pour 1/3 of the cream mixture on top and sprinkle 1/4 cup of Parmesan and 1/4 cup of shredded cheese on top of the potatoes.Repeat one more time, so there are 3 layers of potatoes.
- Bake in the oven for 45 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
- Garnish with remaining 2 sprigs of thyme. Serve immediately and enjoy!
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