This creamy potato bake with bacon brings back so many memories for me. Growing up, we had potato bake nearly every Sunday, usually served alongside fried rice and steak or sausages. We absolutely loved it, and it’s still one of those comforting family dishes I enjoy making today for my own family, who love it just as much.
Over the years, I’ve made one addition to the potato bake I grew up with. After trying a version made with French onion soup mix and loving the extra flavour it added, I tried it in my own recipe and never looked back. With cream, bacon and plenty of tasty cheese, there’s so much flavour in this potato bake.
This recipe makes a generous baking dish, which is perfect for feeding a crowd, taking along to a barbecue or serving as a side for a family dinner.And don’t worry if you have leftovers. This potato bake reheats beautifully, and I think it tastes even better the next day.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Family favourite – This potato bake has been a favourite in my family for years, and it’s now a dish I love making for my own family too.
Creamy, cheesy and full of flavour: Layers of tender potato, bacon, onion, cream, French onion soup mix and plenty of tasty cheese. So good together.
Makes plenty: This recipe fills a large baking dish, so there’s plenty to go around for family dinners, barbecues and gatherings.
Great leftovers – It reheats beautifully, and I think the flavours are even better the next day.
Ingredients
You only need a handful of simple ingredients to make this creamy potato bake with bacon. Here’s a little more about what I use and why..
Potatoes: I use around 1 kg of large potatoes. Try to slice them evenly so they cook at the same rate throughout the dish.
Bacon: Diced bacon adds plenty of savoury flavour and cooks right in the potato bake, so there’s no need to cook it separately first.
Onion: One diced brown onion is layered through the potatoes with the bacon.
Thickened cream: This is what gives the potato bake its lovely creamy texture.
French onion soup mix: This is the addition that changed my original potato bake recipe! It adds loads of flavour to the cream and is now something I always include.
Tasty cheese: I use 3 cups of shredded tasty cheese. I prefer buying a block and grating it myself rather than using pre-shredded cheese.
Sweet paprika: Adds a little extra flavour and colour.
Oil: You only need a small amount to grease the baking dish before assembling the potato bake.
Equipment & Tools
Large baking dish: I use a large rectangular baking dish, approximately 9 x 13 inches (23 x 33 cm). It gives you plenty of room for all the layers.
Potato slicer or mandoline: This makes it much easier to get the potato slices thin and even, which helps them cook evenly. You can also use a sharp knife if you don’t have one.
Cheese grater: I prefer to grate a block of tasty cheese myself. I like the flavour and texture better, and buying it by the block can work out cheaper too.
Aluminium foil: You’ll need foil to loosely cover the baking dish for the first part of cooking, so the potatoes have time to become tender without the cheese becoming too brown.
How to Make Creamy Potato Bake with Bacon
This potato bake is easy to put together, then the oven does most of the work. Try to slice the potatoes thinly and as evenly as possible so they cook at the same rate.
Step 1: Prepare the potatoes. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease a large 23 x 33 cm (9 x 13-inch) baking dish with the oil. Peel the potatoes, then slice them thinly and evenly using a potato slicer, mandoline or sharp knife.
Step 2: Prepare the remaining ingredients. Dice the bacon and onion. In a bowl, combine the thickened cream with the French onion soup mix and stir until well combined.
Step 3: Layer the potato bake. Sprinkle some of the diced bacon and onion over the potatoes, then spoon over some of the cream and French onion soup mixture, making sure it is spread across the layer. Repeat with the remaining potatoes, bacon, onion and cream mixture to make approximately three layers.
Step 4: Add the cheese and paprika. Sprinkle the shredded tasty cheese evenly over the top of the potato bake, then sprinkle with the sweet paprika.
Step 5: Bake until tender and golden. Loosely cover the baking dish with foil and bake at 180°C (350°F) for approximately 55 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for around 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife and the cheese is golden on top. If the cheese begins to brown too quickly, loosely cover the dish with foil again.
Tips for the Best Potato Bake
Slice the potatoes evenly: Thin, evenly sized slices help the potatoes cook at the same rate. A potato slicer or mandoline makes this much easier. If you’re using a mandoline, always use the hand guard.
Check the potatoes for tenderness: Cooking time can vary depending on the thickness of your potato slices. Before taking the potato bake out of the oven, pierce the potatoes with a knife to make sure they are completely tender.
Keep an eye on the cheese: Once the foil comes off, the cheese will start to brown. If it’s golden before the potatoes are completely tender, loosely cover the dish with foil again and keep cooking.
Grate your own cheese: I like to buy tasty cheese by the block and grate it myself. I prefer the flavour and texture, and it can be more economical than buying pre-shredded cheese.
Don’t worry about perfect layers: I usually end up with around three layers, but it doesn’t have to be exact. It depends on the size of your potatoes and baking dish. Just spread everything fairly evenly as you go.
What to Serve With Potato Bake
Potato bake is a delicious side dish for family dinners, barbecues and gatherings. Growing up, we nearly always had it with fried rice and steak or sausages for our Sunday dinner, and that combination still brings back so many memories for me.
It’s also great with grilled or barbecued meats, sausages or other simple family favourites. This recipe makes a big 9 x 13-inch dish too, so there’s plenty to go around when you’ve got a few people to feed.
Potato Bake FAQs
How do I know when potato bake is cooked?
The potato bake is ready when the potatoes are completely tender. Insert a knife into the centre of the dish. It should slide easily through the layers of potato without much resistance. If the cheese is already golden but the potatoes need more time, loosely cover the dish with foil and keep baking until tender.
Why are my potatoes still hard in potato bake?
If your potatoes are still hard, they may have been sliced a little too thickly or unevenly. Thin, evenly sized slices cook much more evenly. If they’re still firm, loosely cover the dish with foil and keep baking until they’re tender.
Storage & Reheating
How to Store Potato Bake
Let any leftover potato bake cool, then transfer it to an airtight container or cover the baking dish well and pop it in the fridge. Store it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
How to Reheat Potato Bake
Reheat individual portions in the microwave until piping hot throughout. For a larger amount, cover the potato bake with foil and reheat in the oven until heated through. Covering it helps prevent the cheese from becoming too brown while the centre heats.
More Recipes You May Like
If you try this creamy potato bake with bacon, I’d love to hear what you think! Please leave a star rating and comment below. I love hearing when you’ve made one of my recipes.
PrintCreamy Potato Bake with Bacon
This creamy potato bake with bacon is made with layers of tender potato, bacon and onion, topped with plenty of tasty cheese. French onion soup mix adds loads of flavour to the creamy sauce, making it a delicious side dish for family dinners, barbecues and gatherings.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 Servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Australian
Ingredients
- 8–10 large potatoes (approximately 1kg)
- 1 large onion, diced
- 300 g diced bacon
- 300 ml thickened cream
- 1 packet of french onion soup mix
- 3 cups shredded tasty cheese
- 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
- 1 tablespoon oil, for greasing
Instructions
- Prepare the potatoes: Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease a large 23 x 33 cm (9 x 13-inch) baking dish with the oil. Peel the potatoes, then slice them thinly and as evenly as possible using a potato slicer, mandoline or sharp knife
- Prepare the cream mixture: Combine the thickened cream and French onion soup mix in a bowl and stir until well combined.
- Layer the potato bake: Arrange a layer of sliced potatoes over the bottom of the baking dish. Sprinkle over some of the diced bacon and onion, then spoon over some of the cream mixture. Repeat the layers with the remaining potatoes, bacon, onion and cream mixture, making approximately three layers.
- Add the cheese and paprika: Sprinkle the shredded tasty cheese evenly over the top, then sprinkle with the sweet paprika.
- Bake: Loosely cover the baking dish with foil and bake for approximately 55 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for around 30 minutes more, or until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife and the cheese is golden. If the cheese begins to brown too quickly, loosely cover the dish with foil again.
Notes
Slice the potatoes thinly and as evenly as possible so they cook at the same rate. Cooking time may vary slightly depending on the thickness of the potato slices.
Check the potatoes for tenderness before removing the dish from the oven. A knife should slide easily through the potato layers.
If the cheese becomes golden before the potatoes are completely tender, loosely cover the baking dish with foil again and continue cooking until the potatoes are soft.