Thinly sliced potatoes layered with a creamy sauce packed with garlic, cheese and bacon. Topped with cheese and baked until crispy, this is the is the perfect side dish!
Peel the potatoes, and thinly slice as evenly as possible. I use a mandolin, but a good sharp knife will do just fine.
Cook the bacon
Heat a skillet over medium high, and cook the bacon pieces until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Set aside.
Make the sauce
In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and cook the onion until softened.
Add garlic, and cook for a minute, be careful not to burn.
Sprinkle the flour into the butter/onion/garlic and mix (it will look like wet sand).
Cook the flour mixture until bubbling, then whisk in the milk and chicken stock.
Add salt, pepper and thyme.
Cook, whisking often, until thickened.
Assembly
Add ½ cup of sauce to the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish. Spread as evenly as you can.
Add the potato slices, overlapping a little, in a layer.
Drizzle the sauce over the top, then sprinkle cheddar and a little bacon.
Repeat layers until you run out of ingredients.
Bake
Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. Check potatoes are tender, and cook 10-15 minutes longer if necessary.
Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.
Devour.
Notes
If you notice your potatoes browning too quickly, just cover with foil and bake, then remove the foil during the last 30 minutes of cooking.What to do with leftovers Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat until it is piping hot! How to slice the potatoes I use a mandolin but a sharp kitchen knife will do fine. What kind of potatoes? I prefer Russet potatoes. I also love Yukon Gold potatoes. What kind of milk? Any kind of milk works, I like whole milk in this, but half and half, or 2% perform equally well.