Potato Bacon Tart (aka Heart Attack in a Pan)

A few years ago, I made Chef Michael Smith’s recipe for Potato Bacon Cheddar Tart as a side dish for a family dinner; it was an immediate hit.  I have made it for every Thanksgiving and Christmas since.

It’s very rich.  It makes certain family members swoon.

It is very easy to make, especially if you have a food processor.  If you don’t have a food processor you may find it takes you all day to slice potatoes.

You will notice that Chef Michael Smith uses fresh, highquality (ie expensive) ingredients.  I like to use ingredients from the regular grocery store and inexpensive cheese. (I am a Kraft girl!)

Ingredients:

2 packs of Reduced Salt bacon  (You may find the cheese adds A LOT of salt, we tend to buy reduced salt anyways.  Also, I find I use about a pack and a half, depends on the size of your dish.)

5 to 6 large potatoes (Leave them unpeeled.)

¾’s of a 500g package of Kraft Old Cheddar (Old has so much more flavour)

1 large onion

Garlic Powder

Paprika

A NON stick baking dish (9x13x3)

Cookie sheet underneath

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 350F.

Shred Cheddar in food processor – Will yield about 6 cups

Scrub potatoes really well.

Slice potatoes in food processor.

Chop onion (Use the food processor!  I love using the food processor!)

Layer your bacon around the baking dish in a pin wheel pattern.  You need to make sure there is enough hanging over the edges to fold up over the potatoes.

Thus begins the layering process, I find I tend to get 3 layers total, so gage your ingredients, separate into 1/3s.

Lightly sprinkle with paprika and garlic powder.

Layer a thin layer of potatoes, they can overlap.

Sprinkle with onion.

I used red onion, you can use white.  Red were on sale!

Apply 2 cups of cheese.

Repeat 2 more times.

When you are done the layering process, gently press down on the top layer, you want the ingredients to be packed together.

Start to pull up the bacon one slice at a time, pull the ends to the centre of the dish.  It’s best to go in either clockwise or counter clockwise order, don’t pull up pieces at random.

Bake for 3 hours.  (I place it on the cookie sheet, depending on the height of your baking dish.)

You may want to cook with the lid on for the first hour or so and then remove the lid to allow the bacon crisp up.  If you find if it looks like the bacon is getting too crispy, you will want to put the lid back on.

At the two hour mark I like to drain some of the grease off into.  Use the lid to hold the tart in place.  (I strongly recommend doing this over the sink and getting someone with big hands as I have a hard time holding onto a big baking dish, USE OVEN MITS!)

Potatoes should be fork tender.

When done, take a serving plate and place the plate upside down on top of the tart.  Using two hands FLIP the baking dish upside down while holding the serving dish.  You are putting the tart upside down on the plate.  You will find your pinwheel pattern is neater on this side.

This is after it has been flipped.  The bottom has become the top.

Cut and serve!

I forgot to get a picture of the tart by itself. 
This is a piece of tart surrounded by the rest of our delicious Thanksgiving meal!

I hope your arteries didn’t get clogged by reading this, but trust me: you’re taste buds will love it!