Tartiflette

This is possibly the best potato side dish I have ever made. Or it could be a main dish with some crusty bread and salad. Tartiflette is normally made with Reblochon cheese, but that's currently banned in the United States because Americans are wussies when it comes to questionable cheese. Use Camembert, Taleggio, or brie as a substitute.

8 oz ripe Camembert, Taleggio, or brie, rind left on, cut into slices

2 lbs yellow potatoes, unpeeled, cut in half lengthwise and sliced into 1/4-inch half moons

6 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 large onion, chopped finely

1 1/4 tsp table salt, divided

2 1/2 tsp fresh thyme, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup white wine

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease an 8-inch square baking dish.

Place a steamer basket over a large saucepan. Add a couple of inches of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add potato slices to the steamer basket, cover, and lower the heat to medium. Steam the potatoes about 17 minutes until cooked through and you can pierce the pieces with a knife tip, with little resistance. Set the potatoes aside and let them cool for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until browned and almost crisp, about 6 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon. Pour off all but 2 TB of bacon fat. Add onion and 1/2 tsp salt to the remaining fat in the skillet and cook over medium heat until softened and browned. Add thyme and garlic and cook about 2 minutes more. Add wine and cook until it is reduced by half. Remove the skillet from the heat and add cream, pepper, and remaining salt.

Add the steamed potato slices to the skillet and stir gently to combine. Transfer half of the potato mixture to the baking dish in an even layer. Sprinkle with half of the bacon. Add remaining potatoes and top with the rest of the bacon. Arrange the cheese slices evenly over top.

Bake about 20 minutes until bubbly and lightly browned. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving because the cheese will be molten hot.