Although my palate has expanded incredibly over the years, there are times when I resort back to my roots as a steak and potato woman. There is just something incredibly delicious about grilled ribeye and a good potato side. And listen, I’m not particular… I love a good potato salad, a baked potato is obvs a delish side, and mashed? yes please! I also love having a baked sweet potato with a little butter, a little brown sugar, and a sprinkling of salt.
This recipe takes potatoes to a whole new level as a side dish! It’s awesome with a steak, and just as delicious with a Sunday roast. And super easy to make! I have a food processor with a grater attachment, so I just popped the potatoes in through that and had grated potatoes within a minute. A mandolin would also work! And, obvs, last resort, grating on a cheese grater, which will also obviously take a bit longer!
Now, as for grating the potatoes, I recommend waiting to do that while the onions and bacon cook. I’ve found that grated potatoes like to turn a weird purple color when they sit in the air, even for 5 to 10 minutes! If the change in color doesn’t bother you, then prep everything at the same time… otherwise, throw the bacon and onions on the stove and then grate the potatoes!
I sprayed down my muffin pan with a good douse of nonstick spray before loading it up with the potatoes. And I really piled it up! I find that Gruyere is the type of cheese that just does not want to full out melt, so once it’s baked, you’ll still see cubes of the cheese. Don’t worry about this! Each bite you take, the Gruyere melds and blends perfectly and doesn’t seem like some weird chunky bite of cheese!
If you prefer a different type of cheese, a lot of other types would work beautifully! Gouda, manchego, Emmental, comté, and even Asiago would all be delicious cheese alternatives! Aim for a harder, pungent cheese. But, I do recommend trying the Gruyere and fontina. I find fontina a little more subtle in flavor and Gruyere stronger, which allows them to compliment each other rather than compete.
And, that’s it! Super easy potato side that shakes things up a bit from traditional mashed or baked potatoes!
Enjoy!
Nids de Pommes de Terre – French Potato Nests
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6 to 12 servings 1x
- Category: sides, french
Ingredients
2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and grated
8 oz. thick cut bacon, sliced
1 onion, finely diced
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 TBs flour
1/2 cup milk
⅛ – ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
¼ tsp nutmeg
salt and pepper
8 oz fontina, cubed
8 oz Gruyere, cubed
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°F.
In a large saucepan, cook the bacon over medium heat, stirring often, until golden brown. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels to drain off excess fat.
Drain off the fat in the saucepan until there is only about 1 tablespoon left. Add the onions and lightly season with salt. Cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes, or until the onions turn translucent and soften. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant ~ about 30 seconds. Sprinkle the flour over the top and mix to thoroughly saturate. Slowly add in the milk, stirring constantly, until combined. Return the bacon to the pan. Add the cayenne and nutmeg and stir to combine. Season as desired with salt and pepper.
Add the grated potatoes and cubed cheese and stir to thoroughly combine. Remove from the heat.
Lightly season an 12 cup muffin pan with nonstick spray. Scoop the potato mixture into each cup, filling until it mounds above the rim. Bake for 25 minutes, or until browned on top. Use a knife or fork to loosen each nest from the muffin cup. Serve immediately.
Enjoy!
Keywords: potato nests, nids de pommes de terre, hash browns, baked hash browns, cheesy hash browns, cheesy potato nests, side dishes for steak, good barbecue side dishes
