Potatoes…yum.
Bacon…yes, please.
Cheese… hell yeah.
These cheesy potato nests are a yummy riff on a French Reblochon Tartiflette – a rich gratin dish from the Savoie region of France. The dish is made with sliced potatoes, onions, lardons, a big glug of white wine, and then topped with an entire wheel of Reblochon cheese before it is baked in the oven.
The name “Reblochon” comes from way back in history when farmers would get taxed on the amount of milk their herds would produce. They would wait until the tax collectors had counted their yield, then go back and milk their cows again. The second milking was much richer and creamier and made cheese which was equally as rich and creamy. True raw Reblochon from France isn’t available in the United States, but there are US creameries making washed-rind cow’s milk cheese in a very similar style.
Sawtooth from Cascadia Creamery was tasting particularly amazing when this batch of potato nests were made, but any soft washed-rind cheese would work in this recipe – Oma, Taleggio, Mont. St. Francis, Muenster, or Raclette. The pungentness of the cheese does reduce a bit in the recipe, so don’t worry too much if the wedge you picked up is a real stinker. Using the entire wedge (rind included!!) adds a funkiness that makes these potatoes addicting.
Traditionally, a Reblochon Tartiflette would use a white wine from the Savoie region. Essay Chenin Blanc is a great (non-French) option to use in this recipe and to drink alongside. No matter what you get, use something you would enjoy drinking also. The recipe only calls for less than a glass, so get something you like to drink.
These cheesy bacon potato nests are a great side to serve at brunch, at a spring holiday meal or just alongside a light green salad. Let them cool a bit in the pan before you start to remove them, so they have a better chance of holding together on a plate.
Cheesy Bacon Potato Nests
Makes 12 muffin-sized nests
- 1 small onion
- 7 oz slab bacon
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 ½ oz. dry white wine
- 1 pound waxy potatoes (ex. Red Bliss, Fingerlings or New Potatoes)
- 9 oz. washed rind cheese (.6 pound wedge)
- Salt and black pepper
- Pan spray
Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a standard muffin tin with pan spray.
Peel and dice the onion into small pieces. Slice the bacon in lardons. Add onions, bacon and bay leaf into a skillet over medium heat and cook until the bacon is beginning to crisp and the onions are tender, 8-10 minutes.
Pour in the wine and cook until almost all the liquid is evaporated, around 3-5 additional minutes.
Using the julienne blade on a mandoline (or carefully by hand,) slice the potatoes into matchsticks. Stir into the onion, bacon and wine mixture and remove from heat.
Cut the cheese into bite-sized pieces and gently stir into the potato mixture. Evenly portion into the muffin tins and place in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until bubbly and golden brown.
Let cool slightly in the pan and serve warm.
