Updated
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
When you take an innocent potato and add serious levels of pepper jack cheese, bacon, and jalapenos, you end up with a crave-worthy side dish. Jacked Up Potatoes Au Gratin recipe just might be the best thing since...well...potatoes au gratin.
Let me repeat. Potatoes. Pepper jack cheese. Bacon. Jalapenos.My advice? Put on your fat pants.
Jacked Up Potatoes au Gratin Recipe
Sometimes I make a recipe where I just want to take pictures and eat it.
I wanna skip the words and blah de blah, but that would make me a terrible food blogger. But it is true! This recipe had me pacing back and forth in front of the oven." Is it done yet?"
My mouth was literally watering.
First of all, I am a SUCKER for cheesy potatoes. I want to hug the neck of the person that first decided to put cheese on top of taters. Genius-level idea, Mr. Castle Dweller.
But I am always looking for ways to take a classic recipe and make it different. Better. Amazing.
These are THAT good.
More Recipes Where You'll Have to Wear Your Fat Pants:
Cheesecake Brownies
Hungarian Stew
Cheesy Squash Casserole
Pimento Cheese BLT's
You get to decide how spicy you want your Jacked Up Potatoes au Gratin recipe.
Level 1: Use plain Monterrey Jack cheese, and leave out the peppers.
Level 2: Use Pepper Jack cheese, and leave out the peppers.
Level 3: Use Pepper Jack cheese, and use TAMED pickled jalapeno peppers.
Level 4: Use Pepper Jack cheese, and use HOT pickled jalapeno peppers.
We made Level 3. Perfect amount of kick, not too hot. But definitely not your mama's potatoes au gratin recipe.
Oh, and let's not forget the creamy homemade white sauce. So easy, rich and thick. Flour, butter, milk, heavy cream, sour cream, and a little S&P. You can do this.
Look at this. Just look at it. Those crispy browned cheesy edges. The ooey-gooey cheese on top of tender potatoes. The bacon. The onions. The peppers.
The tamed jalapenos are a nice tangy bite that cuts through the rich and creamy sauce and cheese.
I kept shoveling bite after bite into my mouth. My family loved them. Another keeper recipe.
If you take these to the family potluck, you will get repeat requests. Just warn them. This potatoes au gratin recipe is Jacked Up.
📖 Recipe
Jacked Up Potatoes Au Gratin
4.75 from 4 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Calories
Ingredients
- 4 medium russet potatoes very thinly sliced
- 1 small onion peeled and very thinly sliced
- 6 strips bacon cooked and chopped
- 2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup sour cream
- ⅓ cup tamed pickled jalapenos chopped
- 3 TB all purpose flour
- 3 TB butter
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 1.5 - 2 quart baking dish with butter flavored non stick spray.
In a medium sauce pan, heat the butter over medium heat until melted. Whisk in the flour. Cook and stir constantly until the mixture is smooth and bubbly, about 2 - 3 minutes. Gradually stir in the milk, whisking constantly. Add the heavy cream and sour cream at the same time, whisking. Stir in the salt and pepper.
Cook and whisk the white sauce until it bubbles. Reduce heat and stir until it thickens. Remove from heat.
Evenly layer half of the thinly sliced potatoes and onions in the bottom of the baking dish. (I suggest using a mandolin or the slicing side of your box grater to get a very thin slice.) Top with half of the chopped bacon and peppers. Sprinkle one third of the cheese.
Pour half of the white sauce over this layer. Repeat the layers (potatoes, onions, bacon, peppers, cheese, white sauce.)
Top with the remaining pepper jack cheese. (Use extra if desired.)
Cover and bake for 1 hour. Remove cover and bake for an additional 15 to 30 minutes until the potatoes are tender and cooked through. Watch the top carefully so it does not burn.
Let stand 15 minutes before serving.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
More Side Dishes
- Learn to Make Amazing Stuffed Portabello Mushrooms with Tomato + Pesto
- How to Make Skillet Fried Cabbage
- Cheesy Ranch Hashbrown Casserole
- How to Make Irish Colcannon with Bacon
SUBSCRIBE
for weekly recipes.
Reader Interactions
Comments
Grammasue
TERI: This looks AMAZING !! I cannot wait to try it. Oh!! I loved your comment about Mojitos, TN Football and cheese!Reply
Teri
They are very yummy. Hard to go wrong with lots of cheese, potatoes, and bacon. 🙂
Reply
Julie
I’ve made these twice & they were amazing!! I’m getting ready to make again & wondered if they could be made ahead of time & baked later? I was unable to find tamed pickled jalapeños, so I diced up fresh jalapeños instead. We loved them still.Reply
Teri
I think you could. Since the raw potatoes would be covered in the sauce and cheese, I'd say you could cover it tightly with wrap or foil, then bake later. You might have to add some to the cooking time to counter the cold temperature, but I don't think it would hurt a thing. Let me know if you try it. (Also, I've made it with fresh jalapenos, canned green chiles, and regular heat pickled jalapenos. Don't think you can go wrong. 🙂 I am happy you like the recipe, it is one of my favorites.
Reply
