Potato and Bacon Gratin

The main reason I started doing this blog was to try and get better organised to reduce food waste and get on top of the house and the family. I was either planning meals which did not fit into the days schedule or would be inappropriate for the weather or something I dreamt up on the way home from the school run. This resulted in a lot of food being thrown away at the end of the week and too many take-outs. I wanted to change that and take back control of my finances but even with all the positive changes I have made, I find that no matter how well I plan meals each week I always need a floater meal.

Floater meals are evening dinner plans which can be dropped or easily frozen when your day, as Meryle Streep sings in Mary Poppins, turns turtle. Everything ends up on its head.

If there is no wiggle room in my cooking planning then days when everything turns turtle leave me feeling like a failure. I have usually had to deal with stresses either to do with family, friends or home which will have been difficult but then on top of it all I have feel I’m not even getting the basics right. I know this is all to do with Mother guilt, which we should dump in a bag and throw out with the trash and I don’t feel I am alone in this, but can honestly say planning one meal a week that can easily be dropped or moved helps. It is a nod to myself to say you know someday pizza is enough. Hell my kids love it when it is impromptu take-out night. So although this was planned for Thursday this week it ended up being dropped but we enjoyed it for lunch another day instead.

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• 375g bacon
• 1 x Onion
• 2 x Cloves of garlic
• 1 tbsp Thyme
• Salt and Papper
• 1kg Potatoes
• 300ml single or regular cream
• 50g Gruyère or Cheddar cheese, grated (optional)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6. 
2. Using a frying pan on a medium heat fry the diced bacon for about 5 minutes. I find the bacon usually cooks in its own fat so tend to drop the olive oil but if you prefer you can cook the bacon in a little olive oil. Stir in the onion, garlic and thyme, season with salt and pepper and cook for a further 6-8 minutes or until the onion has turned soft and golden.
3. Meanwhile, arrange half of the potato slices in a gratin or ovenproof dish, season with salt and pepper, then spread over the cooked bacon and onion. Arrange the remaining potatoes over the top and season. Pour over the cream. 
4. Add the grated cheese in a layer on top (this is optional), then cover the dish with aluminium foil and place in the oven. 
5. Bake for 45 minutes, then remove the foil and return to the oven for a further 30-35 minutes, or until the potato is lightly browned and crispy on top.