Thanksgiving #2 - A Potato Alternative

As mentioned here with last week's recipe, the Brave Astronaut clan will be on the road for Thanksgiving - making a short (and hopefully quick) trip to Wilmington, DE to share Thanksgiving with Mrs. BA's family. LBA is off from school on Wednesday and Friday and SoBA is off on Friday. I am taking Wednesday off and Mrs. BA is going to spend the night on Thursday with her sister and come home with the boys on Friday. I'm going to work. There is some part of me that may be interested in some of the Black Friday deals - but my background in retail may keep me away from the stores - no matter how good the deal.

There has been little discussion about the menu for Thursday, although I am certain there will be turkey. I posted my vegetable choice last Monday and I am a big fan of the mashed (Mrs. BA believes they are really, whipped) potatoes. Although this recipe certainly has merit and could make a good alternative.

(I will say that I was not overly impressed with the recipes that I stumbled across leading up to the All-American Holiday. Perhaps the Christmas lineup will be better.)

The remaining question is how many desserts will there be? And will I be able to drive home by myself and still reach the steering wheel?

Roasted Potatoes with Bacon, Cheese, and Parsley
Gourmet | November 2007
by Gina Marie Miraglia Eriquez

You've encountered a million potato-bacon-cheese combos in your lifetime, but in retrospect they all seem to be rehearsals for this one, a classic of Miraglia Eriquez's Calabrian grandmother Mary Pacella, who immigrated to Brooklyn in 1934. Crispness abounds, from the bacon to the slight crust on the roasted potatoes, yielding to creamy, very potatoey interiors.

Yield: Makes 8 (side dish) servings
Active Time: 30 min
Total Time: 1 1/2 hr

Ingredients

• 3 pounds medium Yukon Gold potatoes (about 3 inches in diameter)
• 6 ounces bacon (about 6 slices), halved lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
  

Preparation
Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in lowest position.

Generously cover potatoes with cold water in a 4-quart pot and add 1 tablespoon salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer, partially covered, until potatoes are just tender when pierced with a small sharp knife, about 12 minutes. Drain. Cool potatoes to warm, then peel and cut in half crosswise.

Cook bacon in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring, until cooked through but still flexible. Drain on paper towels, reserving fat in skillet.

Brush bottom of a 15- by 10-inch shallow baking pan with oil and half of reserved bacon fat. Sprinkle potatoes with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and arrange, cut sides down, in baking pan. Bake until undersides are golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 375°F. Turn potatoes over, then sprinkle with cheese, bacon, and garlic and drizzle with remaining bacon fat (if fat congeals, reheat briefly over medium heat). Bake until cheese is melted, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley.

Cooks' notes:

• Potatoes can be boiled and peeled 1 day ahead and chilled in an airtight container.
• Potatoes, without cheese, bacon, garlic, and bacon fat, can be baked 6 hours ahead and kept, loosely covered, at room temperature. Turn potatoes over and proceed with recipe, baking a little longer. If baking at same time as stuffing, leave oven temperature at 425°F.