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I am happy to be back with you from Carlsbad Cravings to share the most amazing Herbed Gruyere Scalloped Potatoes & Bacon Au Gratin of your life – perfect for company, Thanksgiving, Christmas or anytime you simply want cheesy, creamy, bacon, potato deliciousness overload.

According to my very honest critic, Patrick, these potatoes are not “good.”

The are not “so good,” “really good” or “way good.”

They are not “amazing.”

Rather, they are “INSANE!”

And in case you are wondering, when Patrick dubs a recipe, “Insane!” – its a very, very good thing.

I absolutely love scalloped potatoes but none of the recipes I have ever tried have lived up to my expectations – Until I created this one.

Thin layers of tender potatoes, bacon and onions drowned in cream that has been simmered with fresh herbs and then topped with bubbly golden Gruyere cheese.

The whole thing – it just gets me.

As you might have noticed, I usually don’t cook with heavy cream and I usually don’t cook with slightly more expensive cheeses, but when you are trying to perfect INSANE scalloped potatoes for special occasions, its a time to indulge.

So if you are tempted to substitute a different cheese for Gruyere – it just wont’ be the same. Because Gruyere cheese is sweet, slightly salty, creamy, nutty – in short, it belongs in these Herbed Gruyere Scalloped Potatoes & Bacon Au Gratin – thus the name. The Gruyere combined with the simmered herbs are what push these scalloped potatoes from “ordinary” to “insane.”

And what is even better – simmering takes no effort! You simply toss all of the herbs and spices in with the cream and let them simmer while you peel and slice your potatoes. Layer your cream, potatoes, onions, bacon and cheese a few times and then bake – and in 1 hour you have the most gourmet tasting, insane scalloped potatoes you have ever sunk your teeth into – in your entire life!

And remember “insane” is a very creamy, cheesy, bacony, good thing.

Herbed Gruyere Scalloped Potatoes & Bacon Au Gratin

Yield: 8

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Ingredients

• 2 pounds russet potatoes, about 4 medium potatoes
• 6-8 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped
• 2 1/2 cups grated Gruyere cheese, about 8 ounces
• 1 tablespoon butter, cut into 8 cubes
• Spiced Cream
• 3 cups heavy cream
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped (or 2 tsp dried)
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives, or tsp dried
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme, or ½ tsp. dried
• ¼ teaspoons cayenne pepper
• ¼ teaspoons ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoons pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Add the "Spiced Cream" ingredients to a saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer.
3. While the cream is simmering, grease a 9x13 casserole dish and peel and slice potatoes into 1/8 inch slices. Transfer potatoes to a large bowl then pour heavy cream on top, gently toss to coat. Spoon just enough cream into the casserole dish to barely cover the bottom.
4. Using a slotted spoon, layer the bottom of the casserole dish with 1/3 of the potato/onion slices. Lightly season with freshly cracked salt and pepper (in addition to salt and pepper listed in ingredients). Layer 1 cup of the cheese, 1/2 of the bacon then top with 1/3 of remaining cream. Repeat layers.
5. Top the casserole with remaining potato/onion slices and pour over remaining cream. Dot the potatoes with cubed butter.
6. Cover the casserole with aluminum foil and bake for one hour. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with remaining cheese then continue to bake, uncovered for an additional 10 minutes. Test the potatoes to make sure they are tender. Continue to cook if necessary (will depend on how thin you cut your potatoes). When potatoes are done, broil until golden brown.

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