Easy Cheesy Potato Casserole
User Reviews
5
Easy Cheesy Potato Casserole
Description
This casserole begins with peeling and slicing russet potatoes, then boiling them until just tender to hold their shape. Bacon is fried until crisp, with some fat reserved to sauté thinly sliced onions alongside minced garlic until caramelized. In a greased baking dish, potatoes are layered, seasoned with salt, pepper, and seasoned salt, then topped with onions, crumbled bacon, and shredded cheese. Melted butter and chicken broth add moisture.
Baking the layered casserole at 400 degrees allows flavors to meld and cheese to melt, creating a warm, rich side dish with varying textures from tender potatoes to crunchy bacon and browned onions. This casserole works well to accompany several main dishes.
For best flavor and texture, do not overboil potatoes as they will finish cooking in the oven. Shredding cheese fresh enhances taste. Potatoes can be sliced thinly or coarsely diced depending on preference.
Ingredients
- 5 medium russet potato peeled and sliced into chunks or rounds
- salt
- 10 lices Bacon chopped, divided
- 4 medium onion thinly-sliced
- 1-2 tablespoons garlic minced, addmore or less to taste, fresh
- black pepper
- seasoned salt
- 2 cups cheese divided, add more or less to taste, shredded
- 3 tablespoons butter melted, unsalted
- ½ cup chicken broth
- cooking spray or butter, for greasing
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare the baking dish with cooking spray or butter. Set aside.
- Pull out all of the ingredients.
- Wash and peel potatoes, then slice or chop.
- Next, boil potatoes in salted water, until they start to become tender; usually not more than 10 minutes. Do not overcook them or they will become mushy! Depending on the size, timing is difficult to predict. When cooked, drain.
- In the meantime, using a large skillet, fry the bacon pieces until crisp over medium heat. Use as much or as little bacon as you want. Drain on paper towel, crumble and set aside.
- Keep a few tablespoons of the bacon fat in the skillet and add sliced onions. Stir onions, over medium heat, until onions become very tender and start to brown.
- Add garlic, combine with onions and remove from heat.
- Cover the bottom of the pan with potato slices or chunks. Sprinkle with seasoned salt and pepper.
- Scatter onions all over top of potatoes, then the bacon.
- Add cheese. Then repeat the process.
- More potatoes.
- Onions.
- Bacon.
- More cheese.
- Totally cover the top with remaining potatoes. Try to cover up any holes with potato.
- Drizzle with melted butter, remaining bacon and some seasoned salt and pepper to taste.
- Pour chicken broth over top of casserole and cover with cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
- Uncover and bake until cheese has completely melted and the top is golden brown; about another 15 minutes.
- Allow to rest for at least 5 minutes before serving, if not 10. Serve with sour cream if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Boil potatoes until a fork can easily pierce but they remain firm enough to avoid turning mushy during baking.
- Sauté onions in reserved bacon grease to infuse the dish with smoky flavor.
- Shred cheese by hand instead of using pre-shredded cheese for better melting and taste.
- Adjust potato slicing style to preference: thin slices for scalloped texture or diced chunks for a heartier casserole.
- Consider complementary side dishes suggested in linked resources for pairing with this casserole.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 350 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 350kcal | 18% |
| Carbohydrates | 40g | 13% |
| Protein | 13g | 26% |
| Fat | 16g | 25% |
| Saturated Fat | 9g | 45% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 5g | 25% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 47mg | 16% |
| Sodium | 322mg | 13% |
| Potassium | 886mg | 19% |
| Fiber | 4g | 16% |
| Sugar | 5g | 10% |
| Vitamin A | 431IU | 9% |
| Vitamin C | 16mg | 18% |
| Calcium | 233mg | 23% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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