Bacon-y Garlic-y Potato-y

Make the cheese sauce

• Heat a medium saucepan over a medium heat and add milk, heat the milk for 7 minutes.
• While the milk is heating, grate the cheddar cheese.
• Place another saucepan over a low-medium heat. Add the butter and allow it to melt. Gradually beat in the flour using a spatula or a wooden spoon, until you have a thick paste.
• Continue stirring and cooking until the mixture has a dough-like consistency and comes away from the sides of the pan.
• Start adding the milk bit by bit, incorporating each bit and whisking away the lumps.
• Once you have a smooth sauce, season with salt, add the white pepper and nutmeg.
• Add 2/3 of the cheddar cheese and stir to melt in and combine. Set aside.

Preheat the oven

• Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan.

Cook the potatoes

• Peel and slice the potatoes into approx. 5mm-thick rounds.
• Place the potatoes in a large saucepan, season with salt and boil over a high heat for 7 minutes.
• Once cooked, drain the potatoes in a colander, then leave cover with a clean tea towel and leave to steam in the colander for 5 minutes.

Cook the bacon

• While the potatoes are cooking, add the bacon lardons to a cold frying pan and place over a medium heat. Fry for about 6 minutes until cooked through and golden.
• Remove from the pan and drain on kitchen paper.

Assemble the dish

• Peel and crush the garlic. Pick the rosemary leaves.
• To assemble the dish: Put ⅓ of the potato into a medium ovenproof dish, spreading out in an even layer. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle ⅓ of the garlic, 1/3 of the rosemary, 1/3 of thebacon lardons and 1/3 of the cheddar. Top with a ladleful of cheese sauce. Then repeat this two more times.

Bake the dish

• Bake for 30 mins until golden on top.

Plate up

• Plate up the Bacon-y Garlic-y Potato-y and enjoy!