Potato Bake with Bacon and Pickled Cucumber Recipe
This potato bake is inspired by a classic Polish dinner: potatoes, bacon, pickled cucumbers and a creamy egg‑and‑sour‑cream sauce all in one dish. The potatoes form soft, creamy layers, the top is covered with golden cheese, and the sour pickles cut through the richness of the bacon. It’s a great way to use up leftover boiled potatoes and the last pickles from the fridge.
This dish brings together flavors typical of a Polish home‑cooked dinner: potatoes, smoked bacon, sour cream and pickled cucumbers. Instead of serving them separately on a plate, everything is layered and baked in one dish, which makes it practical for feeding the family and using up leftovers like boiled potatoes or an open jar of pickles.
This bake tastes like a hearty Polish dinner packed into a single dish – potatoes, bacon, cream and pickled cucumber, a combination well known from home cooking. The creamy sour‑cream‑and‑egg sauce coats the potatoes, while the sour pickles pleasantly cut through the bacon’s richness, making the dish filling but not cloying. It’s an ideal way to give leftover potatoes and an open jar of pickles a delicious second life.
Why this version works
- Par‑boiling raw potatoes guarantees they soften in the oven but still hold their shape.
- Well‑rendered, deeply browned bacon adds a smoky aroma instead of rubbery chunks of fat.
- A thin layer of pickles adds acidity without watering down the creamy sauce.
- The sour‑cream‑and‑egg sauce binds the layers, giving a creamy yet sliceable texture.
Chef's tips
If you’re using potatoes from the previous day, don’t cook them again – just slice and layer them, otherwise they’ll turn into mash., Fry the bacon patiently until it’s really browned and fragrant; pale bacon turns rubbery after baking., If the cheese on top is browning faster than the center is bubbling, cover the dish with foil and continue baking until the sauce is set.
How to serve
Serve with a simple slaw made from cabbage, carrot or lightly pickled cucumber to add freshness and crunch to the plate., For a quick after‑work dinner, a portion of this bake and a glass of kefir or buttermilk is all you need., On the second day, you can reheat it with a fried egg on top – the white will set and the yolk will create an extra sauce.
Watch out for
- Don’t over‑salt – bacon, cheese and pickles are all salty, so it’s easy to overdo it.
- Slices of potato that are too thick may stay firm even after baking.
- Don’t fill the dish right to the brim with sauce, or it will boil over and the center may stay too runny.
Substitutions
- Instead of bacon, use smoked sausage cut into half‑moons.
- Replace 18% cream with a mixture of cream and milk for a lighter sauce.
- Swap the yellow cheese for oscypek or another smoked cheese if you like a stronger aroma.
- Use thyme or herbes de Provence instead of marjoram.
Ingredients
- potatoes peeled - 800 g
- bacon smoked, in thin slices or cubes - 150 g
- pickled cucumber medium pieces - 3 piece
- onion medium - 1 piece
- sour cream 18% or 30% fat - 200 ml
- egg - 2 piece
- yellow cheese grated, e.g. gouda - 120 g
- garlic - 2 cloves
- oil - 1 tablespoon
- salt to taste, go easy because of the bacon
- black pepper freshly ground, to taste
- marjoram dried herb - 1 teaspoon
Preparation
- Peel the potatoes and slice them into rounds about 3 mm thick. If using raw potatoes, put them into salted water, bring to a boil and cook for 8–10 minutes, until just tender when pierced but not falling apart. Drain and let cool slightly.
- Peel the onion and dice it finely. Cut the bacon into strips or cubes. Heat the tablespoon of oil in a pan, add the bacon and fry for 4–5 minutes until the fat renders and the edges are clearly browned and crisp.
- Add the onion to the bacon and fry together for 3–4 minutes, stirring, until the onion softens and turns lightly golden but not dark or burnt. Take the pan off the heat and let cool slightly.
- Slice the pickled cucumbers into thin rounds or small dice, draining off excess brine over the jar – the pieces should be moist but not dripping. Preheat the oven to 190°C (top and bottom heat).
- In a bowl, mix the sour cream, eggs, pressed garlic, marjoram, a pinch of salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Stir until the mixture is smooth and slightly fluffy from mixing.
- Lightly grease a baking dish with oil. Arrange half of the potatoes on the bottom, slightly overlapping so there are no large gaps. Season lightly with salt and pepper, keeping in mind the saltiness of the bacon and cheese.
- Spread half of the bacon‑and‑onion mixture and half of the pickles evenly over the potatoes. Cover with the remaining potatoes and again season lightly with salt and pepper, being careful not to over‑salt.
- Top with the remaining bacon with onion and the rest of the pickles. Pour the sour‑cream‑and‑egg mixture over everything, jiggling the dish so the sauce seeps between the layers; the liquid should come to about three‑quarters of the height.
- Grate the cheese on the coarse side of a grater and sprinkle evenly over the top of the bake. Place in the oven and bake for 30–35 minutes, until the cheese is deeply golden and the edges of the mixture are clearly bubbling.
- After baking, let the dish rest for about 10 minutes so it can set slightly – the surface should stop wobbling when you move the dish. Slice and serve hot, when the center is creamy but not runny.
Storage
Store the bake in the fridge for up to 2 days, ideally in the same dish covered with a lid or foil – the potatoes firm up slightly and the cheese softens. Reheat covered; if needed, add 1–2 tablespoons of milk or cream so the sauce doesn’t dry out.
I usually bake this on Saturday evening and simply reheat it on Sunday – after a night in the fridge, the flavor of the bacon and pickles becomes even more intense.
