Bacon Cheddar Potato Rounds with a Two-Stage Bake (Print-Friendly Version)
These potato rounds use half-inch slices as the base for cooked bacon, Cheddar and green onion. Bake the potatoes until tender before adding the toppings. The final few minutes melt cheese; they cannot reliably finish a hard potato center. This two-stage approach also prevents the bacon and onion from spending the entire roasting period exposed to heat. Cut the potato rounds to a consistent half-inch thickness and dry them before brushing both faces with butter. The goal of the first bake is a tender potato center; melted cheese in the second bake cannot correct an undercooked slice. Probe a few of the thickest rounds before topping and continue roasting any that resist the knife. Divide the cheese and already-cooked bacon across all rounds before returning the tray to the oven. Keep the rounds in one layer and use a broad spatula when lifting them so the soft base stays intact. Add optional sour cream at the table instead of baking it onto the tray.