The humble baked potato is arguably the simplest, heartiest and most homely thing you can do with an oven. It can be as simple, or as complex as you want, and it terms of flavors and ingredients, you are limited only by what you can dream up. The classic combination of sour cream, chives, and of course, bacon, all make for a comfort food which is second to none. The only problem with a baked potato, however, is that it’s only one!
Introducing The One Pot Chef, an Australian bloke whose channel focusses on balancing deliciousness with simplicity.
As the title suggests, our Aussie chef specialises in recipes that can all be made as complexity-free as possible. Simplicity is the name of the game, and this man is the referee.
The One Pot Chef gives us an upsized version of the baked potato for the whole family.
Why just prepare one baked potato, when you can create a whole dish? The One Pot Chef’s dish upgrades the dressed baked potato into a casserole for the ultimate comfort. In the wake of a pandemic, that’s great news!
“I think the one thing we need right now is a bit of comfort food.”
His casserole is cheesy, creamy and extra delicious with some tasty bacon throughout the dish.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- 4.5 lbs (2 kg) of potatoes, scrubbed and washed
- olive oil
- 20 oz (600ml) of sour cream
- salt and pepper
- 4 cups of grated cheese
- 6 slices of streaky bacon
Before we begin, preheat your oven to 425° F (220° C), so that it’s ready for your dish when it’s time to bake.
First up, let’s cook our bacon!
Chop your bacon into smallish bits and throw them into a pan over medium heat. Slowly fry the bacon, just enough to put some color into it. The bacon will continue to cook when you bake it, so don’t stress about completely cooking the bacon through. When the bacon’s done, lay it on a paper towel to drain off excess grease.
Note: If you’re meat free, you can substitute the bacon for mushrooms, peppers or caramelised onions.
Prep your potatoes!
Lay your potatoes on a try lined with grease-proof paper. You should be able to fit about six medium sized potatoes evenly on the tray. Using a fork, puncture the skins of your potatoes. This will help them to avoid splitting, and will allow some of your oil and seasoning to infuse the potato.
It’s oil season(ing) boys!
Once your potatoes are all good and punctured, rub some olive oil into the skin. Next, season each side of your potatoes with salt and pepper to your taste. Now your potatoes are ready for the oven. Bake the tray of potatoes for 40-45 mins, or until the taters are cooked all the way through.
Deconstruct the potatoes.
When you pull your potatoes out, they should have beautiful, crispy skin and be well-cooked right through. Cut the now-baked potatoes into smaller chunks. Be careful though, they will be piping hot!
Prepare the dish part of the…dish…
Grease up an oven safe dish with spray-on grease, butter, or olive oil. Create a flat layer made of half of your chopped potatoes. Next, spread approximately 10 ounces (300ml) of sour cream over the surface. Top that with half of your bacon, and a reasonable handful of grated cheese.
Rinse and repeat.
Now that you’ve got your first layer, repeat the steps so that you have another layer of potatoes, sour cream, bacon and cheese. If you’re going to save the tater for later by preparing this meal ahead of time for a pot-luck or backyard BBQ, you can cover this dish and leave it in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Just make sure to let it get to room temperature for about 3o minutes before baking.
When it’s time to bake, preheat your oven to 360° F (180° C). Bake the dish for approximately 30-35 minutes, or until the cheese on top is “Lovely and melted and gooey and gorgeous.”
The One Pot Chef reminds us that when it comes to baked potatoes, you are limited only by your imagination.
“Like any good baked potato, you can use whatever toppings you like. You can mix and match and come up with your own variations.”
Watch the full video below to see The One Pot Chef make his stellar recipe!
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