Roasted Potatoes with Parsley, Parmesan and Bacon

The potato is one of those foods that is pretty versatile.  You have baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, hash browns, potato hash; you can make them into chips or fries, or make potato salad.  The list is quite long.  And unlike some foods such as fish, potatoes are a safe bet when you're hosting since pretty much everyone will eat them.

I've made several of the aforementioned dishes and have always had pretty good results.  It's always great when you can throw a few potatoes in the oven and let them bake while you fix the rest of your meal.  I mean, can I get a shout out for baked sweet potatoes topped with brown sugar, cinnamon and butter?!  

But when about when you want to add a little more of a different flavor to potatoes?  This recipe adds parmesan cheese, bacon and parsley to roasted yukon gold potatoes to create a flavor combination that is second to none in my humble opinion.  The bacon and cheese add a wonderful richness while the parsley brightens it just a bit to keep it from getting too heavy.  

I used baby yukon gold potatoes since they would cook faster, but the regular sized ones will produce the same result.  And the original recipe called for the removing of the potato skins, but I liked the rustic look and decided to leave them.

These potatoes are just as delicious as they look and they have most definitely earned a spot on my list of go-to recipes for when I'm hosting a get together.  After all, I'm pretty sure no one would complain about anything that has bacon and cheese :)

Roasted Potatoes with Parsley, Parmesan and Bacon adapted from My Adventures in the Country
Printable Version
3 1/2 lbs Yukon gold potatoes
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 lb bacon
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 C parmesan cheese, freshly grated
fresh parsley
salt
pepper

Boil potatoes until fork tender.  Drain potatoes and rinse with cold water.  Set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Heat 1 Tbsp oil over medium-high heat in large skillet.  Cut bacon into half inch pieces and place in skillet.  Cook until bacon is golden, but not yet crispy.  (It will crisp up in the oven.)  Remove bacon pieces from pan and set aside.  Reserve bacon drippings.

Once potatoes are cool enough to touch, quarter them.  You may have to cut them into smaller pieces depending on how large they are.

Brush remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil and bacon drippings on bottom of large baking pan.  Place potatoes cut-side down on pan and season with salt and pepper.

Bake 35-40 minutes, turning potatoes halfway through to ensure even browning.

Remove pan from oven and sprinkle potatoes with garlic, parmesan and bacon.  Reduce oven temp to 375.  Bake additional 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted, bacon is crispy and potatoes are evenly browned.

Remove potatoes from oven and sprinkle with fresh parsley.  Serve immediately.