Potato, Bacon and Cheese Pastry
Whether hosting brunch or treating your family to something special, this potato, bacon, and cheese pastry will be a crowd-pleaser at any meal. Thinly sliced potatoes, onions, bacon and cheese all encased in a buttery and flaky puff pastry.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 frozen puff pastry sheet
- 4 slices bacon cut into small pieces
- 1 onion sliced thin
- 1 pound (2-3 small potatoes), peeled and sliced very thin
- 1 teaspoon each chives, parsley, minced
- 4 oz grated cheese (cheddar, colby jack, Jarlsberg)
- salt, ground black pepper to taste
- dry herbs and spices to taste
- 1 egg (for egg wash)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Thaw the puff pastry, but make sure it stays cold and cover it so that it doesn't dry out.
- Prep all the ingredients. Cut the bacon, slice the onion, peel and slice the potatoes and grate the cheese. Beat the egg with 1 Tablespoon of water slightly in a small bowl and set it aside.
- In a skillet, cook the bacon on medium heat until it's crisp and golden. Scoop out the bacon and place it on a plate lined with a paper towel to soak up all the extra grease. (You can also cook the bacon in the oven.)
- Meanwhile, drain all the excess bacon grease from the skillet, leaving behind only ½ Tablespoon. Add the onions to the skillet, season them with salt and ground black pepper and cook until tender and slightly golden. Be careful when adding the salt, because the bacon grease will be salty.
- Cool the bacon and onions slightly.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, place the potatoes and season them with ¼ teaspoon of salt and ground black pepper. Add the parsley and chives and mix to combine. As the potatoes are resting while the rest of the ingredients are cooling, the salt will draw out the moisture out of the potatoes. When you will fill the pastry with the potatoes, make sure to leave behind as much of the liquid as possible.
- Roll out the thawed puff pastry to approximately 12x12 inches. It doesn't have to be exact.
- Layer the potatoes on half of the puff pastry, leaving a 1- 1 ½ inch border. Place the onions on top of the potatoes, followed with the bacon and then the grated cheese.
- Brush the edges of the puff pastry with the egg wash. Fold the second half of the puff pastry over the filling ingredients.
- Pinch the edges of the pastry sheets together and then use a fork to seal the edges even more. Cut some slits on the top of the pastry. Brush the top of the pastry with the egg wash.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until golden brown and puffy.
Notes
- Flavor variations: Feel free to swap bacon for ham or sausage, or leave out the meat entirely and add mushrooms or veggies like bell peppers for a vegetarian version.
- Remove excess moisture from potatoes: Don’t skip this step! When seasoning the potatoes, the salt will draw out moisture. Drain all the excess liquid, or your pastry may turn out soggy. You can even use a paper towel to blot out any remaining moisture before assembling.
- Make a double batch: Perfect for hosting or feeding a large family. Frozen puff pastry typically comes with two sheets per box, which works perfectly for this recipe.
- Use an extra-large rimmed baking sheet: This way, both pastries fit comfortably and can bake at the same time.
