Chicken Bacon Potato Bake
Sometimes you just want a creamy, smoky, indulgent casserole! This Chicken Bacon Potato Bake was such an amazing way to use up some russet potatoes! The bacon brought some crunch and smoke; the creamy sauce was comforting and packed with garlicky flavor! The whole dish was just so cheesy and delicious! I feel like this is one that everybody loves! Classic flavors, and very easy to make! My boys loved it and there was plenty of leftovers to feed us again! It was a total winner!
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When did casseroles become so popular and why are they great for families?
Casseroles became very popular in the late 19th century and by the mid-20th century, they exploded in popularity! Families loved them because they were affordable, fed a ton, and brought feelings of emotional comfort! Casseroles are loved across the world, but especially in the United States! And in the Midwest, they’re extremely popular because of the cold climate! Running the oven for up to an hour can really warm the house! And you best believe we’re keeping that oven door open after the cook time for that “free heat!”
Casseroles and bakes are usually thick, cheesy, creamy, and packed with ingredients to please a crowd! They’re often times simple to make and even freezer friendly! I feel like there’s also this nostalgic vibe associated with them too, hence those feelings of emotional comfort! It brings those same feelings back, the same feelings from grandma’s kitchen!
Did you know?
Bacon is no modern invention! It dates all the way back to ancient China, around 1500 BCE! It’s really old! Back then, the early versions looked like salted and cured pork belly, since at this time salting and curing were essential preservation methods! And as pork spread throughout medieval European and Roman cuisines, each culture created their own curing methods – paving the way for the bacon we know and love today! Bacon can be showcased in everything from breakfast, to appetizers, to sides, to dinners, to deserts! It’s incredibly versatile!
What ingredients do I need to make this?
For the potatoes:
Russet Potatoes
Olive Oil
Salt
Black Pepper
Garlic Powder
Paprika
For the chicken:
Chicken Breast
Olive Oil
Paprika
Italian Seasoning
Salt
Black Pepper
For the creamy garlic sauce:
Garlic
Chicken Broth
Sour Cream
Butter
Parmesan Cheese
Flour
Salt
Black Pepper
For the chicken bacon potato bake:
Bacon
Shredded Mozzarella
Yellow Onion
Parsley
Cooking Spray
For serving:
Bacon
Parsley
Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
What equipment do I need to make it?
- Mixing Bowls
- Large Baking Sheet
- 9×13 Baking Pan
- Whisk
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Cutting Board
- Chef Knife
- Cheese Grater
- Large Skillet
- Tongs
- Slotted Spoon
How do I make it?
To get started on this recipe, we’ll first want to prep the potatoes and get those baking. They’ll need to roast for a while on their own, this way they’ll get nice and fork tender, which will make for a lovely base for this casserole!
To prep and roast the potatoes:
Preheat the oven to 425 F and get out a large baking sheet. Next, scrub the potatoes and chop them into bite sized pieces. Add them to a mixing bowl along with all of the other ingredients for the potatoes.
Use your hands to toss and coat with the spices. Add them to the baking sheet and roast for a bit, flipping halfway through! In the meantime, let’s fry the bacon and make the filling!
To make the filling:
In a large skillet fry bacon over medium heat until crispy! Move to a paper towel lined plate until cooled, then crumble it. Set the skillet aside to use again later. Next, cut the fat off of the chicken breast and cut it up into bite sized pieces. Add it to a mixing bowl along with all of the other ingredients for the chicken.
Use your hands to toss and coat the chicken. Next, in that same skillet with the bacon grease, turn heat to medium high and add the chicken chunks in a single layer. Allow the chicken to cook undisturbed for a minute or so. Flip and allow to cook another minute or two longer, until crispy and golden!
Use a slotted spoon to move the cooked chicken to a plate and cover with foil until ready to use! Set the skillet aside to use again later.
At this point, the potatoes should be done. Remove them from the oven and set aside. Lower the oven temp to 400 F and now let’s prep the rest of the ingredients and make the sauce!
To make the creamy garlic sauce:
Dice the onion and shred the parmesan cheese. Then mince the garlic and the parsley.
In the same skillet with the bacon grease and remaining chicken bits, melt butter for the sauce over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until translucent. Next, add the garlic and cook until fragrant.
Stir in the flour and cook for a minute or so to cook off the raw flour flavor. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and allow it to simmer for a few minutes. Remove from heat and allow it to cool for a few minutes. Then whisk in the sour cream, parmesan, salt and pepper.
Pro Tip: Adding the sour cream to the sauce after removing from heat and allowing it to slightly cool stops the risk of curdling due to the milk proteins in the sour cream!
To assemble the chicken bacon potato bake and serve:
Get out a 9×13 baking pan and lightly grease it with cooking spray. Next add the roasted potatoes in a single layer on the bottom of the pan, then scatter the chicken on top.
Sprinkle half of the crumbled bacon over everything, reserving some for garnish, then spoon the sauce on top. Next, add half of the parsley.
Top with mozzarella cheese and bake it!
When it’s done, broil on high for a few minutes until golden and melty! Top with the remaining parsley, bacon, and freshly cracked black pepper. Enjoy!
Tips:
- If you don’t have parsley, green onion would be a phenomenal substitute!
- It’s really important to shred your own cheese for the sauce! Otherwise, a pre-shredded or grated cheese can turn a sauce grainy!
- If you want this to be spicy, consider adding some crushed red pepper flakes to the filling!
- This chicken bacon potato bake will keep for up to 4 days if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months!
Have some more potatoes to use up? Check these recipes out!
Looking for more cozy bakes?
Chicken Bacon Potato Bake
Equipment
Ingredients
For the potatoes:
- 1 ½ lbs. Russet Potatoes cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 ¼ tbsp Olive Oil
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Black Pepper
- ½ tsp Paprika
- ¼ tsp Garlic Powder
For the chicken:
- 1 lb. Chicken Breast fat trimmed, cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 tsp Olive Oil
- ½ tsp Paprika
- ½ tsp Italian Seasoning
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Black Pepper
For the creamy garlic sauce:
- 4 Garlic Cloves minced
- 1 ¼ cups Chicken Broth
- ¾ cup Sour Cream
- ½ cup Parmesan Cheese freshly shredded
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 1 tbsp Flour
- ¼ tsp Salt
- ¼ tsp Black Pepper
For the chicken bacon potato bake:
- 4 slices Bacon
- 1 Yellow Onion diced
- 1 ½ cups Shredded Mozzarella
- 2 tbsp Parsley minced
- Cooking Spray
For serving:
- Bacon crumbled
- Parsley minced
- Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
Instructions
To prep and roast the potatoes:
- Preheat the oven to 425 ℉ and get out a large baking sheet.
- Add the potatoes to a mixing bowl along with all of the other ingredients for the potatoes.
- Use your hands to toss and coat with the spices.
- Add them to the baking sheet and roast for 25 minutes, flipping halfway through. In the meantime, let's fry the bacon and make the filling!
To make the filling:
- In a large skillet fry bacon over medium heat until crispy, 5-8 minutes.
- Move to a paper towel lined plate until cooled, then crumble it. Set the skillet aside to use again later.
- Add the chopped chicken to a mixing bowl along with all of the other ingredients for the chicken.
- Use your hands to toss and coat the chicken.
- In that same skillet with the bacon grease, turn heat to medium high and add the chicken chunks in a single layer, allowing them to cook undisturbed for 1 1/2 minutes.
- Flip and allow to cook 1 1/2 minutes longer, until crispy and golden!
- Use a slotted spoon to move the cooked chicken to a plate and cover with foil until ready to use. Move the skillet aside to use again later.
- At this point, the potatoes should be done. Remove them from the oven and set aside.
- Lower the oven temp to 400 ℉ and now let's make the sauce!
To make the creamy garlic sauce:
- In the same skillet with the bacon grease and leftover chicken bits, melt butter for the sauce over medium heat.
- Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until translucent.
- Next, add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute.
- Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute, to cook off the raw flour flavor.
- Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and allow it to simmer for 3-4 minutes, until thickened slightly.
- Remove from heat and allow it to cool for a few minutes. Then whisk in the sour cream, parmesan, salt and pepper.
To assemble the chicken bacon potato bake and serve:
- Get out a 9×13 baking pan and lightly grease it with cooking spray.
- Next add the roasted potatoes in a single layer on the bottom of the pan, then scatter the chicken on top.
- Sprinkle half of the crumbled bacon over everything, reserving some for garnish, then spoon the sauce on top.
- Next, add half of the parsley, top with mozzarella cheese and bake for 15 minutes.
- When it's done, broil on high for 2 minutes until golden and melty!
- Top with the remaining parsley, bacon, and freshly cracked black pepper. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Please be aware that nutritional values are approximate and intended as a helpful guide
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