If you love a cosy, comforting dinner that the whole family can tuck into, this Creamy Bacon Roast Potato Bake is just the thing! It's a family recipe that brings together crispy roast potatoes, smoky bacon, tender cabbage and mushrooms in a creamy, cheesy sauce. Everything goes into one dish before being topped with mature cheddar and baked until golden and bubbling. You get the most delicious contrast between those crispy potatoes and the creamy bacon and cabbage sauce.
It's a brilliant way to use up leftover roast potatoes from Sunday dinner, but you can absolutely make it with freshly cooked roast potatoes, too. The recipe is easy to pull together, especially if you get the potatoes roasting while you prepare the bacon, vegetables and sauce. And because it all comes together in one baking dish, there's less washing up afterwards!
And if you have kids who aren't exactly big fans of cabbage, this is definitely one to try. Mine aren't usually keen on it either, but they are completely fine with it in this recipe because it cooks down really well into the creamy sauce. It is filling, satisfying and feels like proper cosy comfort food, but you're getting a good amount of vegetables in there too.
This is the sort of hearty, warming meal I love making during autumn and winter when everyone fancies something comforting for dinner. It feeds 4-5 adults, making it ideal for a family dinner, and you can easily serve it alongside some extra vegetables if you like. It's also a lovely way to get cabbage onto the dinner table in a dish that feels like proper comfort food rather than an afterthought.
The ingredients are simple and easy to find, and you can make this recipe work around what you have in the fridge. Whether you're using up leftover roasties or starting from scratch, this bacon cabbage and roast potato bake is a satisfying, family-friendly dinner that's well worth adding to your meal plan.
The creamy sauce is packed with smoky bacon, mushrooms, onion and savoy cabbage, with a little fresh thyme running through it. You then layer everything up with the roast potatoes on the bottom, spoon the creamy bacon and vegetable sauce over the top and finish it all off with a generous layer of cheddar. Pop it in the oven for 20 minutes and you have a lovely bubbling, cheesy bake ready to serve.
If you have a toddler, weaning baby or fussy eater and are wondering how to adapt this Creamy Bacon Roast Potato Bake for your family, see here >
- watch the step-by-step video -
Why you'll love this Creamy Bacon Roast Potato Bake
Because it's…
A great way to use leftovers. You can cook up fresh roast potatoes for this meal, or you can give leftover roasties a delicious new lease of life instead of serving them up in exactly the same way twice.
Cosy and comforting. Creamy sauce, bacon, roast potatoes and melted cheddar make this perfect cosy season food.
Family friendly. The cabbage cooks down into the creamy sauce, making it much more appealing to children who aren't keen on cabbage. It feeds up to 5 adults, so makes a generous amount for most families.
It's a great way to use cabbage. The cabbage cooks down into the creamy sauce, adding flavour and vegetables to this hearty bake.
Freezable. Make a batch ahead of time and freeze portions for another day.
Can be served as a side dish. Why not roast a chicken and serve this as your vegetable and carb side dish? Delish!
Using leftover roast potatoes
This is a brilliant recipe to make when you have leftover roast potatoes in the fridge, especially after a Sunday roast or at Christmas when you might have more roast potatoes than you know what to do with. You don't need to make a fresh batch just for this recipe. You'll need approximately 530-580g of cooked roast potatoes for the bake.
Reheat them in the oven at 200ºC/180ºC fan/400ºF/gas 6 for 10-15 minutes, or until piping hot in the centre, before using them for the base for the bake.
Once they're hot, arrange them in the baking dish and continue with the recipe as written. Because the potatoes are already cooked, you don't need to roast a fresh batch, making this a great option for a quicker midweek dinner.
If you don't have leftovers, you can make roast potatoes specifically for this recipe or use shop-bought roast potatoes when you want to save time.
Serving this Creamy Bacon Roast Potato Bake as a side dish
Although this bacon cabbage and roast potato bake makes a lovely meal on its own, it's also delicious served as a side dish alongside roast chicken or turkey. You've got your carbohydrates from the roast potatoes, vegetables from the cabbage and mushrooms, and that lovely salty, smoky bacon flavour that pairs so well with roast chicken. The creamy cheese sauce brings everything together, making it a little more special than your usual roast dinner sides.
It's a great option for a Sunday roast when you fancy something a bit different from serving separate roast potatoes and vegetables. You can serve it alongside roast chicken with gravy and any other favourite trimmings, making it a comforting addition to an autumn or winter roast dinner. It's also a handy way to get several side dishes into one bake, which can help save space on the hob when you're cooking a big family meal.
FAQs For my Creamy Bacon Roast Potato Bake
Potatoes. You'll need 800g-1kg / 28-35oz of raw potatoes if you're making fresh roast potatoes, or 530-580g / 28.7-20.46oz of leftover cooked roast potatoes. Maris Piper potatoes are ideal for roasting because they develop fluffy centres and crispy edges. King Edward potatoes are another good option. You can roast them how you usually do or you can use my recipe for extra crispy roast potatoes. If you're short on time you can use shop bought roast potatoes and cook them according to a packet instructions.
Smoked Back Bacon. I use smoked back bacon, diced into roughly 1cm pieces. It adds a lovely smoky, savoury flavour to the sauce. You could use smoked streaky bacon instead, although it will generally release more fat and give the sauce a richer flavour.
Onion. You could also use frozen diced onion to save time.
Mushrooms. I like to buy pre-sliced mushrooms because they are usually the same price as whole mushrooms and it saves time as you don't need to clean or chop them. You can use whole mushrooms, but allow extra prep time. Chestnut or white mushrooms are both suitable.
Savoy cabbage. Savoy cabbage works particularly well because it softens down into the creamy sauce. You could use another cabbage if that's what you have. Whichever cabbage you use, slice it relatively thinly, no more than 1cm thick so it cooks down well.
Butter. You'll need butter to start the sauce. It adds flavour and helps create the roux that thickens the sauce. You can use a suitable dairy-free alternative if needed, although the finished flavour will vary. I use salted butter, but if you are using salted butter, you may need a to add a touch more salt.
Plain flour. This thickens the creamy sauce. If you need a gluten-free substitute use cornflour or cornstarch.
Milk. You'll need whole or semi-skimmed milk to make the creamy sauce, although whole milk gives a slightly richer result. For a dairy-free version, use an unsweetened plant-based milk suitable for cooking.
Thyme. Fresh thyme gives the best flavour, but you can use ¼ teaspoon dried thyme if that's all you have.
Mature cheddar. 160g of grated mature cheddar adds a lovely savoury flavour and creates that delicious cheesy topping. Mature cheddar works particularly well because you get plenty of flavour without needing to use lots of cheese.
Absolutely! This is a great way to use up leftover roast potatoes from a Sunday roast. You'll need around 530-580g / 28.7-20.46oz of cooked roast potatoes. Reheat them in the oven at 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/gas mark 6 for 10-15 minutes, or until hot in the centre, before assembling the bake.
Yes! You can make a fresh batch of roast potatoes specifically for this recipe. You'll need 800g-1kg / 28-35oz of raw Maris Piper potatoes. Roast them as you normally would, or use my recipe, then layer them in your baking dish before adding the sauce and cheese.
Yes. Shop-bought roast potatoes are a handy shortcut when you don't have leftovers and don't want to make roast potatoes from scratch. Cook them according to the packet instructions before adding them to the bake.
Yes. Savoy cabbage is my first choice because it becomes lovely and tender in the creamy sauce, but you can use another variety if that's what you have. Slice it finely and check that it has softened before adding the flour and milk. Firmer varieties may need a little longer to cook.
Yes, you can leave them out if your family isn't keen on mushrooms. The recipe will still work, although you'll have a little less vegetable bulk and savoury flavour. You could add some extra cabbage instead or add 250g / 8.82oz of sliced carrots.
Yes. Mature cheddar gives the sauce and topping a lovely strong flavour, but you can use another good melting cheese. Medium cheddar or red Leicester would both work. Bear in mind that milder cheeses may give you a less pronounced flavour so you may want to up the quantity a little.
You can, although the bacon provides much of the smoky, savoury flavour. For a meat-free version, you can leave out the bacon and add in more salt to compensate on the loss of saltiness.
Absolutely! This bake makes a delicious side dish for roast chicken or turkey. It combines roast potatoes, cabbage and mushrooms in a creamy cheese sauce, with smoky bacon adding a lovely salty flavour that complements the chicken beautifully. Serve it alongside your roast chicken and gravy for a super comforting Sunday dinner, particularly if you are hosting to a large amount of guests - this will go a long way as a side dish.
This recipe serves 4-5 adults, so 2 adults and 3-5 children. If you serve it as a side dish to roast chicken or turkey, it will stretch much further.
Yes, but the potatoes will soften as they sit under the sauce. For the best texture, prepare the sauce ahead of time, store covered in the fridge and assemble the bake shortly before cooking. If the bake is fridge cold, it will need longer in the oven. Bake until steaming hot all the way through.
If you've used freshly cooked roast potatoes, you can store and reheat leftovers safely. Allow leftovers to cool for up to 2 hours, then store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days (cook day + 2). They can also be frozen, just defrost in the fridge for 24 hours and then you can reheat in the oven or the microwave until steaming hot all the way through.
If you have used leftover potatoes, avoid reheating it again.
For more on safe food storage, read here >
Yes if you have used freshly cooked roast potatoes for this bake. Allow the cooked bake to cool completely, then portion into suitable freezer containers and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost thoroughly in the fridge before reheating until piping hot all the way through.
The potatoes may soften slightly after freezing and reheating, so the texture won't be quite the same as when freshly baked.
If you have used leftover potatoes, avoid reheating it again for safety reasons.
This Creamy Bacon Roast Potato Bake is suitable for egg and nut-free diets. It is NOT SUITABLE for those on a gluten, diary-free, vegan or vegetarian diet. You can make this recipe gluten-free by using cornflour or cornstarch instead of flour.
Adapting My Creamy Bacon Roast Potato Bake For Your Family
Eating together is beneficial for families of all ages and stages, for a multitude of reasons; nutritional, behavioural, psychological and for healthy family functioning. This section will show you how to tweak this Creamy Bacon Roast Potato Bake recipe for sharing with a weaning baby, toddler or a fussy eater, which will help make it easier to eat together as a family.
Keeping Fussy Eaters Happy
If you have a picky eater and you're worried about the cabbage and mushrooms in this recipe, I would just recommend you, thinly slice the cabbage and you can chop up the mushrooms so everything cooks down into the sauce even more, making the vegetables less noticeable.
Making My Creamy Bacon Roast Potato Bake Suitable for Toddlers
Suitable from 12 months +. You might want to wait until your toddler is over 2 years old however, as this bake contains bacon. Hold off adding salt to the cook. When serving little one's portion, chop up their serving so it is manageable for their stage and age.
I've also added these notes to the bottom of the recipe so you have them to hand when you come to cook.
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Creamy Bacon Roast Potato Bake
Ingredients
- 800-1 kg potatoes, like Maris Piper's, peeled and quartered (see notes for using leftovers)
- 50 g butter
- 300 g smoked back bacon, diced
- 1 onion, finely sliced
- 250 g sliced mushrooms
- 1 small savoy cabbage, sliced
- ½ tablespoon water
- 50 g plain flour
- 600 ml milk
- Salt & pepper to taste
- ½ tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, optional
- 160 g mature or sharp cheddar, grated
Instructions
- Make roast potatoes as you usually would or use my recipe (see notes if using left over roast potatoes). While they roast, prep the rest of ingredients. When there is 25 minutes left to go on roast potatoes, continue with the next steps.
- Preheat the bottom oven to 200ºc/180ºc fan/400ºf/gas 6 .
- Melt the butter in wide bottomed pan over a medium-low heat until bubbling, then add in the onion and bacon. Fry for 4-5 minutes, stirring often until onion has softened.
- Add in the mushrooms and fry for 3 minutes, or until starting to soften.
- Top with the cabbage and the ½ tablespoon water. Cover with lid and cook for 6 minutes over the lowest heat.
- Then remove lid, stir well and add in the flour. Stir well for 1 minute. Then pour in the milk slowly while stirring. Increase the heat to high and continue to stir until milk comes to a simmer. Turn off the heat stir in the salt & pepper, thyme and ¼ of the cheese.
- Place roast potatoes in an even layer at the bottom of a large rectangular oven proof dish. Pour the bacon and cabbage mixture evenly over the potatoes.
- Top with the remaining grated cheese.
- Transfer to the bottom of the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden and bubbling.
Notes
Baby & Toddler
YOUNGER CHILDREN & FUSSY EATERS
STORAGE
Nutrition - per serving
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