Potatoes with creamy cheese sauce in cocotte

Today, I'm excited to share with you a recipe that is not only delicious, but also perfect for those days when you're looking for comfort and flavor: potatoes with cream cheese, spinach and bacon en cocotte . And I'm giving the premiere to the wonderful Le Creuset Marble cocotte ! The truth is that the joy always multiplies when cooking in a cocotte.

Potatoes with hot cream cheese in cocotte are a comforting dish par excellence. The combination of roasted potatoes with a creamy cheese sauce is absolutely irresistible. But the real surprise here is the crispy and tasty bacon , which mixes with the softness of the sauce and the freshness of the spinach.

The best part about this recipe is that it is incredibly easy to make. So, without further ado, let's dive into this delicious culinary adventure together!

Ingredients

• 10 medium potatoes
• 30 ml olive oil
• 5 ml of salt
• 5 ml pepper
• 100g butter
• 60g flour
• 3 or 4 cups of hot milk (about 800 ml)
• 150 g spinach, washed and chopped
• 150g cheddar cheese
• 250 g bacon*

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.

2. Clean the potatoes and place them in the Le Creuset iron cocotte . Fill the cocotte with water and boil them until they are tender. Drain them and put them back in the same cocotte.

3. Drizzle the potatoes with the olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and bake for 20-30 minutes, until golden brown. Remove them from the oven and let them cool for 15 minutes.

4. Let's prepare the bacon. To do this, cut the bacon into large cubes (otherwise they will be too dry after sautéing and then baking), and place it in a saucepan or saucepan ( Poleón or a low cocotte works very well for me). Sauté it over the heat for a few minutes, until it browns slightly in its own fat (don't do it too much, it will end up cooking later in the oven). Remove from the saucepan and set aside.

5. We prepare the sauce. Put the cubed butter in the same saucepan or saucepan that you used for the bacon, and melt it. Sprinkle the flour inside, while whisking vigorously and cooking the mixture for 2 minutes, until smooth. Pour in the milk while whisking and let it heat and boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add the spinach and half of the cheese. Stir until melted and integrated, and set aside, placing plastic wrap in direct contact with the surface of the sauce to prevent a crust from forming.

6. Return to the cocotte with the potatoes. Make cross cuts in the potatoes and press them to open the top. Pour the sauce over them, then add the reserved bacon and the remaining cheese. Bake for another 10-15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and golden. Serve and enjoy!

Grades:

• You can turn the recipe into a vegetarian dish simply by omitting the cheese. Instead, if you want, you can add some mushrooms sautéed with garlic, they go very well with this dish.
• If you like the flavor of garlic, you can add some when you sauté the bacon, or put some in the cocotte next to the potatoes when you put them in the oven.