Designs by Birgit: Bacon, Potato, and Cheddar Skillet

My friend Danni posted this tantalizing video on her Facebook timeline the other night. Since it was evident that bacon was involved, I took the time to watch it - and then show it to my husband - and then text it to my friends/family - and then share it on my wall. You get the idea.

Last night, my husband and I decided to give it a try and OH MAN was it worth it!

Some of you have been chomping on the bit, waiting for the details - because I posted a tempting photo last night (ahem, Emily and Lisa) - and so, with no further adieu, here is the blog you've anticipated with mouth watering impatience.

Bacon Skillet

Ingredients:

Potatoes - thinly sliced. We used Yukon Gold, because that's what we had in the pantry.
Bacon - we used a pound or more. You'll need enough to completely cover your skillet.
Onion - this was something we added to the recipe, so take it or leave it, according to your taste preferences. Ours we cut into 'petal' sized pieces.
Cheddar cheese - we buy the blocks and grate our own, you can use shredded if you prefer.
Lawry's Seasoned salt - don't use too much, the bacon and cheese are already salty
Pepper to taste
Garlic powder - a light dusting on one of the layers will do. This was something we added to the original recipe as well. We love garlic!

Bacon Skillet Essentials:

Skillet of your choice - this depends on how many people you want to serve.
Olive oil
Parchment paper
Scissors
Cookie sheet

Building your Bacon Skillet:

Grab your favorite skillet in the size you'd like to make. We went with a 10" cast iron skillet while the original video showed the chef using a 12" stainless.

Pour a small amount of olive oil into the bottom of the skillet and spread. This will hold your parchment paper in place.

Take a piece of parchment paper, slightly larger than your skillet, and fold in half. Then fold it in half again, in the other direction. You'll now have a square. Continue to fold from the center point, until you have a small cone shape. Lay down in skillet (pointed end at the center), pressing into the edge, and cut off excess. When you open it up, you should have a circle of parchment paper. Lay in skillet and press along perimeter, until it makes a molded interior surface. This will help tremendously when it's time to remove and serve.

Now bring on the bacon!

Starting from the center, build a carpet of bacon on the inside of your skillet. Be sure to alternate lengths so that not too much of the bacon overlaps in the middle - we don't want a clump of bacon in the middle. Continue around the skillet until every surface is covered and you have bacon hanging far over the edges - you'll see why in a minute.

Spuds are next!

Beginning at the outer edge, lay potato slices in a tart-like pattern - one layer. Sprinkle lightly with Lawry's, pepper, and garlic powder.

Next, add some of your onion petals (optional).

Then sprinkle with a generous cover of shredded cheddar cheese.

Continue to add layers until the skillet is mounded up - decreasing the circumference of the layers, to build a pyramid of sorts. Remember that potatoes will shrink when they cook.

When you've reached the desired height of goodness, fold the bacon over your potatoes until all you can see is bacon. Yum!

Top with something heavy, like a our Lodge bacon press. Place skillet on a large cookie sheet - there will be spillage as the bacon cooks. Now the whole scrumptious thing goes into a pre-heated 350 degree oven. Bake for 2 1/2 hours.

TIP: I removed our skillet/cookie sheet after an hour or so, and poured out the drippings. Between the bacon grease and the liquid from the potatoes, there was probably about a cup or so.

A glorious aroma of Bacon Skillet goodness will be wafting through your house by now - tempting you to speed up the process. Believe me, you'll want to bacon to thoroughly cook for this to turn out just right!

After 2 1/2 hours have passed, remove from oven, take off the press (you might need to nudge the bacon a bit with a spatula, to keep it from sticking), and pour off the excess liquid. Then simply remove your meal, using the edges of the parchment paper, and place on a large serving plate. I was sure happy with how easy the parchment paper made this.

Then I simply lifted, first one side and then the other, to remove the parchment paper.

Let rest for 10 minutes and then slice and serve. I used a meat cleaver, which served to both cut and serve (cake style).

Servings: Following this recipe using a 10" skillet should net about 8 servings - I'll not comment on nutrition facts, but hey, it's bacon!

Let me know what you think, if you try this. Share your photos at Designs by Birgit!