Boy do I miss Paris.  I miss the beautiful architecture, all the people on the streets, and most of all the food – what a great week we had.  Every time I go, I feel like I am closer to actually living there again.  Of course my older daughter, who loved every minute of our trip, starts getting nervous whenever I talk about moving.  I know it is not in the cards right now, but you never know what the future might bring.

So as you know, my husband is obsessed with his egg (BGE) – and every Sunday I look forward to his next project.  Lately he has been trying to do more than just the Sunday night meal – he might smoke some extra chicken breasts for tacos later in the week, some hot dogs for the kids, or the best idea – some bacon that I can use to cook with.  Bacon on the egg is something else.  Besides the way it sounds, it is just ridiculous.  The bacon cooks perfectly, with a wonderful smokey flavor – and since the fat just drips down, it is surprisingly not too greasy.  If you don’t have an egg, I’m sorry – try to find someone who does, and bring over some bacon.  You will thank me later.

So, what did I do with the last batch of bacon?  Your’e looking at it – and these potatoes were such a hit, I made this dish twice in a week.  The flavor of these potatoes were just incredible – between the bacon and the caramelized onions, these were outrageous.  I love how simple this is to make, and how healthy it is given the complex flavors.  Cooking Light definitely knew what they were doing when they posted this recipe.

So – until I am able to move to Paris, I am going to enjoy every minute of the egg.  The biggest issue with moving, is figuring out how to move the egg.  It is part of the family now, and what a nice addition it was.

Ingredients

• 3 slices thick-but bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 large onion, halved and sliced thin
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/4 cups beef broth
• 3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled
• 2 tablespoons unsalted buter, cut into 4 pieces

Preparation

Adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 425 degrees.  Green a 13×9-inch baking dish.

Cook the bacon in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat until crisp, 10 to 13 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate.  Remove and discard all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pot.  Return the pot to medium heat and add the onion and 1/4 teaspoon of salt; cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is soft and golden brown, about 25 minutes, adjusting the heat and adding water 1 tablespoon at a time if onion or bottom of pot becomes too dark.  Transfer onion to a large bowl; add bacon, thyme, and remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, and pepper.  Add broths to now-empty saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits.

Slides potatoes 1/8-inch thick.  Transfer to the bowl with the onion mixture and toss to combine.  Transfer to prepared baking dish.  Firmly press down on the mixture to compress into an even layer.  Carefully pour hot broth over the top of the potatoes.  Dot the surface evenly with butter.

Bake, uncovered, until potatoes are tender and golden brown on edges and most of liqued has been absorbed, 45 to 55 minutes.  Transfer to wire rack and let stand for 20 minutes to fully absorb the broth before cutting and serving.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  French Potato Casserole with Bacon and Caramelized Onion