Minimal effort, maximum payoff — this is my kind of weeknight win. Take plain potatoes, give them a clever slice, tuck in bacon, and finish with garlicky butter. No fancy technique, but it comes out looking restaurant-level.
What you need (serves 4)
- 4 large, long potatoes
- 8 strips bacon
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp butter
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- Fresh herbs: parsley, dill, or cilantro
How to make it
Prep the potatoes. Scrub them really well and keep the skins on. Make crosswise slices every 7–8 mm (about 1/4–1/3 inch), stopping 1 cm (about 3/8 inch) from the bottom so each potato stays in one piece.
Add the bacon. Cut each bacon strip in half, or leave it whole if your potatoes are wide. Slip bacon into every cut.
Oil and roast. Brush the potatoes with olive oil and set them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 180–200 C (356–392 F) for about 40 minutes, until the centers are soft and the outsides are golden.
Make the garlic butter. While they roast, melt the butter in a pan, add the minced garlic, and warm it gently for 1–2 minutes to bloom the flavor.
Finish in the oven. About 5–10 minutes before the potatoes are done, spoon the garlic butter over the tops and slide the tray back in. When they come out, shower with chopped herbs.
Try these tweaks
Going vegetarian? Swap the bacon for cheese (hard or creamy both work) and tuck in a few vegetables like bell pepper or tomato. Serve with sour cream, a yogurt sauce, or a tomato sauce.
Want some heat? Stir a pinch of red pepper into the garlic butter. Prefer it aromatic? Dried rosemary or thyme fits right in.