Loaded Scalloped Potatoes

Cheese. Bacon. And Savory, Ranch flavor?!

I surely have your full attention now! These potatoes are creamy and thinly sliced and loaded with bacon, cheese, and green onions! Dry ranch seasoning gives the potatoes a mild, yet savory punch of flavor, too!

The Story

This recipe was created on a whim for a friend’s backyard barbecue party over the weekend. Per usual, I began the day thinking I would have plenty of time to make a trip to the grocery store, plan, and make a side dish to take to the party. WRONG. The next thing I knew, I was bathing my dog. Then, I was painting my dining room. I know this sounds wild, but these items had been on my to-do list for quite some time.

Side Note: I am actually beginning a huge painting project around my house. The kitchen is next – mostly because I am looking forward to that area the least! I prefer to get the hard part out of the way first, then have the project go a little more “down-hill” after that.

After painting and cleaning up, I realized there was very little time for a grocery trip, let alone cooking the dish itself. Because I felt I was in a pinch, I spent a few minutes eyeing my pantry and refrigerator to see what I had on hand. Based off of ingredients I had at home and what I knew essentially everyone, including children, would like, this recipe star was born!

The Recipe Details

Most people seem to love ranch-flavored anything these days, and especially when it involves potatoes. Am I right? FYI – this dish didn’t last very long at the party!

I chose red potatoes for this dish, but you can use whichever you prefer. Yukon gold potatoes are delicious, as well. I thinly sliced them using my chef knife, but a perhaps safer tool for you is a mandoline slicer, especially when making this for a crowd.

To begin, I greased a 9 x 13 aluminum dish, and layered the thin-sliced red potatoes with skins. I chose aluminum because I wanted easy disposal at the barbecue. Besides, no lady wants to be tracking down her favorite casserole dish after leaving it at someone’s house. I have been there, but I have evolved. 🙂

Next, I gave the potatoes a good dusting of dry ranch seasoning, and then poured over a mixture of cream of celery soup and milk. The next step is adding a healthy sprinkle of bacon pieces across the top and covering the dish with aluminum foil. The foil will help cook the potatoes faster and meld all of the flavors together. I keep pre-cooked real bacon pieces in the house because they are good additions of flavor for salads and other simple dishes. It is busy-approved and exceptionally great to use when bacon is needed, but not the main ingredient.

After about 30-40 minutes in the oven, the potatoes should be tested with a fork to determine if they are tender and done cooking. If tender, evenly add chopped green onion and cheddar cheese. At this point, you will place dish uncovered and back into the oven for 5 more minutes to let the cheese melt.

As with many of my dishes, this one is served best with family and friends! However, one bite of this and you may want to keep it all for yourself. ENJOY!