Cheesy Bacon Potato Bites

I try to keep potatoes on hand for a variety of family recipes.  It is fun to try out some new recipes with the potatoes too.  The Cheesy Bacon Potato Bites is one we tried a few months ago and our family liked it so much we have added several variations to this recipe.  If we need to use up some potatoes or a simple side dish this is a good one for family meals.

Part of this recipe is with regular dairy cheese and the another part using soy cheese (dairy free cheese).  If you have someone in your family that has a dairy allergy you could use this recipe to do the whole pan dairy free or part of it like we did for our family (depending on the intensity of the dairy reaction).  It is a simple recipe that you can alter to suit your family.

Cheesy Baked Potatoes:

• 4 Potatoes (we used red potatoes this time)
• 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 tablespoon Garlic Salt (we like Lawry’s)
• 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
• 1 cup Shredded Cheese (we used Colby Jack and the orange cheese the right of the picture is actually Soy Cheese)
• 1/4 cup of Bacon Bits

1.  Rinse the potatoes.

2.  Slice the potatoes into 1/2 inch slices.

3.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

4.  Spray the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish.

5.  Place the potatoes in a single layer in your 9×13 dish.  Brush each potato with olive oil.

6.  Sprinkle the tops of the potatoes with garlic salt and black pepper.  Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.

7.  Pull the potatoes out of the oven.  Add the cheese and bacon to the tops of the potatoes.  Bake for an additional 5 minutes.

Potatoes sliced, oiled, seasoned, and ready to go into the oven

 Potatoes after being baked for 25 minutes.  Time to add the toppings – cheese & bacon!

 Cheese has been added and already melting because the potatoes are so hot!  Next comes a layer of bacon, five more minutes in the oven, and it’s ready!  As you can see from the picture you could make this a “dairy free” recipe if you use dairy free cheese such as soy.