Cheesy Fried Tater Skillet!

This "Cheesy Fried Tater Skillet" takes fried potatoes and kicks them up several notches!  This is good any meal of the day and it can be served as a main course or a side dish!   It's wonderful breakfast recipe served with biscuits and gravy...yummy!    I love one skillet or dish meals and recipes that call for things you always have on hand!  

 Here is what you will need:

5 slices bacon (if serving for a main dish you might fry a few more)

1/2 cup diced sweet onion

3 Tbs. vegetable or canola oil

4 large potatoes, peeled and sliced thin

salt

black pepper

seasoned salt

1 cup Monterrey Jack Cheddar cheese blend

chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Fry the bacon in a large skillet, preferably an oven proof one.  I just used my large iron skillet!

Add the vegetable oil to the bacon drippings in your pan.  If you cook more than the 5 slices of bacon called for, you might not need the extra oil, but with just 5 slices you need a tad more to fry the potatoes in.  Add your diced onion and saute just a bit before you add the potatoes.

Add the potato slices to the skillet and sprinkle with salt, seasoned salt and plenty of black pepper.  With a spatula, turn potatoes over making sure to get the onion off the bottom of the skillet.  Try to get all of the slices coated with the oil.  Cook on medium high for about 5 minutes!

Turn the heat down to about medium and cover with a lid.  Since I am using a cast iron skillet I just covered with a lid from one of my other skillets.  Let them cook covered for 10 -15 minutes!  The steam makes them soft on the inside.   Check halfway through to see if they need turning. Don't over steam them, they will fall apart.  When they are soft, remove the lid.   Turn the heat back up a bit and turn them in sections with your spatula.  Cook until just browned.  You might need to turn them one more time.  Don't turn too much though, because you want the slices to remain slices.  There is no set time for this, because depending on the type of skillet and potato you are using, it will vary.  I would say around 5 minutes.

Sprinkle 1 cup Monterrey Jack Cheddar Cheese blend over the top.  I like to run this in the oven at 400 degrees for 5 -7 minutes to get the cheese nice a melted and bubbly.  If your skillet is not oven proof, you can just cover it until the cheese melts

Crumble the bacon over the top and garnish with a little chopped parsley!  The parsley is totally optional! 

Serve immediately!  This one was a winner for sure!!!