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Crispy roasted potatoes, topped with melting cheese and plenty of crisp bacon are a great side dish (or main dish!) for any meal. These really are the best ever Cheesy Potatoes! I’ve served them with eggs for breakfast and with herb roasted chicken for dinner.
However you serve these potatoes, there is never a bite leftover.
The secret to this potato recipe is an extra long roasting time and a good drizzling of bacon grease. The smoky bacon flavor is in every bite and the extra minutes in the oven leave the edges of each potato nice and crisp with a fluffy center.
The recipe is really quite simple, it just requires a little extra time in the oven. Luckily, there is very little actual work involved, making this my kind of recipe! I’ve served these potatoes on their own as a main dish for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Yes, we really do love these Cheesy Potatoes THAT much and make them often.
These potatoes are amazing as a side dish for Oven Baked Crispy Chicken. Start the potatoes first, then prep the chicken. Add the chicken to the oven on a separate rack.
Then just carry on with the potato recipe as the chicken cooks on its own. With a salad or some simple steamed vegetables on the side, it’s a feast.
Love this recipe? Check out The Weekday Lunches & Breakfasts Cookbook for more fantastic recipes to simplify your meal times! Available in stores and online now.
Looking for more recipes to satisfy your cravings for cheese and bacon?
These Cheesy Bacon Stuffed Mushrooms would make an excellent addition to our Easter dinner with the Balsamic Dijon Glazed Ham and this made from scratch Green Bean Casserole. (I made that casserole three times last year because we loved it so much!)
Potato Recipes
I simply can’t have enough potato recipes. We’ve been making these Cheesy Potatoes for a while now, but we also make these Rosemary Roasted Potatoes and the Roasted Fingerling Potatoes regularly.
Side note: if you haven’t tried fingerling potatoes yet, put them on your grocery list now. Nothing beats that crisp skin and fluffy interior in a bite-size potato.
I have a weakness for Jojo Potatoes and I can hardly wait to make this Copykat recipe at home. These Asiago Potato Stacks by A Family Feast need to happen soon as well.
If you’re looking for a potato based main dish, these BBQ Chicken Stuffed Potatoes are a hit every time we serve them. And these Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs with Potatoes and Green Beans are a family favorite.
Cheesy Potato Recipe
- COOK THE BACON: Spread the bacon strips out across a large rimmed baking sheet pan and place on the middle rack of a COLD oven. Set the temperature to 400 degrees. Set a timer for 16 minutes and check the bacon. Remove it from the oven when it is as crisp or crunchy as you like.
- COOK THE POTATOES: While the bacon is cooking, peel and chop the potatoes. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. There should be 2-3 tablespoons of bacon grease left on the sheet pan. (If there is more than that, drain off a bit.)
- Put the potatoes on the pan and toss with tongs to thoroughly coat them in the bacon grease. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread the potatoes out in a single layer and bake for 20 minutes, stir well with a spatula and bake an additional 20 minutes. Stir again, making sure that none of the potatoes are sticking to the tray. Bake another 15 minutes.
- Chop the bacon into small pieces. Remove the potatoes from the oven, stir again and sprinkle generously with shredded cheese and chopped bacon. Return the tray to the oven and bake an additional 2-3 minutes, until the cheese has melted. Top with sliced green onions just before serving.
Crispy Cheese and Bacon Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound bacon
- 3 extra large russet potatoes peeled and chopped into 1/2″-3/4″ pieces, about 6 cups worth
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar or Mexican blend shredded cheeses
- 3 green onions sliced thin
Instructions
- COOK THE BACON: Spread the bacon strips out across a large rimmed baking sheet pan and place on the middle rack of a COLD oven. Set the temperature to 400 degrees. Set a timer for 16 minutes and check the bacon. Remove it from the oven when it is as crisp or crunchy as you like. I remove ours at 18 minutes and it’s a great balance of chewy crunch. If you like your bacon crispy enough to crumble, you will probably want to cook it another minute past that.
- COOK THE POTATOES: While the bacon is cooking, peel and chop the potatoes. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel lined plate to drain. There should be 2-3 tablespoons of bacon grease left on the sheet pan. (If there is more than that, drain off a bit.) Put the potatoes on the pan and toss with tongs to thoroughly coat them in the bacon grease. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread the potatoes out in a single layer and bake for 20 minutes, stir well and bake an additional 20 minutes. Stir again, making sure that none of the potatoes are sticking to the tray. Bake another 15 minutes.
- Chop the bacon into small pieces. Remove the potatoes from the oven, stir again and sprinkle generously with shredded cheese and chopped bacon. Return the tray to the oven and bake an additional 2-3 minutes, until the cheese has melted. Top with sliced green onions just before serving. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
{originally published 11/3/14 – notes and photos updated 4/13/21}
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Great recipe! Thanks for sharing
This looks just PERFECT. The combination is great. Thanx for sharing this recipe with us. Happy cooking. Andrew
Not a big cheese eater, is there a cheese that is not as cheesey that can be used without ruining the taste?
I made this and it is amazing!! So easy and so good.
Mix this with scrambled eggs and make breakfast burritos…yummy! Love this recipe!
Making them right now will see how they turn out@ they look good!
A mixing of cheese and bacon is really awesome. Thank you very much for taking your time writing this, I have saved and will surely try your recipe!
add some chopped fine jalapenos to this …………….. YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMmm
What temperature do you roast the potatoes? Is it 400 degrees just like with the bacon?
Yes. Everything roasts at 400 degrees.
I halved the recipe (2 med russets + 1/2 the suggested other ingredients). Instead of baking bacon, I cut the bacon into strips, fried in a pan, and transferred the drippings to the pan of cut potatoes. I otherwise completed the instructions as directed. These were the most delicious cheesy oven potatoes I've ever had the pleasure of eating. The potatoes were prefect – crunchy but still tender on the inside. Thank you for the recipe, I will be making this again!
IT's so yummy, thank you for a great recipe!
I do something similar but no cheese, but adding onion… I fry bacon in a frying pan (old school) and meanwhile I dice a generous amount of sweet onion (ie Texas sweets of Vidalia) and the red (new) potatoes (skin on). (Almost as much onion as potato.) When the bacon is done, I drain it on a paper towel and cook the onions and potatoes in the bacon grease on fairly low heat so the onion and potatoes all get done and the onions are caramelized. I add the crumbled bacon and add pepper, and salt if need be (usually the bacon and bacon grease have enough salt, but sometimes a bit more is necessary). I don't add cheese, but that sounds AWESOME. And I DO eat this as a meal, sadly. But I am one happy camper when I do take the time and effort to make it.
made this it was horrible no taste the potatoes over cooked. followed all the directions. next time i'll add more seasoning and less cook time
This recipe looks very delicious and easy to follow too. I will try this recipe soon. Thank for share !
Made these and they are delicious!! Definitely will make again!
It's a nice recipe. I hope I can make it successfully in first time. Thanks very much!
One question: why do you use kosher salt if you include bacon?
The salt isn't used on the bacon. It's used to season the potatoes while they are roasting. Feel free to reduce the amount, if it's too much for you. For my family, the amounts listed are perfect.
Really love them baked potatoes 😮
Can you make it with frozen potatoes?? It would be a lot faster.
I am the weirdo that does not like bacon, but these were absolutely AMAZING! some of the best breakfast potatoes ever.
Will make again, and since i am a bacon novice, it was so lovely to make them in the oven while enjoying my morning coffee.