If you are looking for a baked potato taste that does not take an hour or so to cook, Grilled Bacon and Cheddar Potatoes are a great alternative. When looking for a quick side dish for a weeknight barbecue, baked potatoes are usually not an option. On the barbecue, potatoes can take a while to bake through. That’s what makes these potatoes the perfect weeknight BBQ potato dish.
Baked potatoes with all the toppings are one of our favourite ways to enjoy potatoes, especially when grilling steaks. But the time it takes to make baked potatoes can be too long for a weeknight. That’s where this recipe comes in. It tastes like a baked potato and can be topped with all your favourite baked potato toppings, but takes less time to make.
Ingredients For Grilled Bacon Cheddar Potatoes
To make this simple BBQ side dish, you will only need six ingredients:
- Potatoes.
- Vegetable oil.
- Salt and pepper.
- Bacon.
- Shredded cheese.
More Prep, Less Cooking Time, All The Flavour
Since the potatoes are sliced into ¼ inch slices, the prep time is a little longer than a baked potato. But the cooking time is much less, meaning that these take less time than a baked potato.
You can also save time by cooking the bacon on a rack over a baking sheet on the barbecue with the lid closed. While the bacon is cooking, slice the potatoes and place them on the grill beside the pan of bacon. This allows for the potato to crisp and partially cook at the same time as the bacon. You could also use precooked bacon.
Slicing the potatoes and grilling them on the barbecue, cuts down on the time the potatoes need to cook. Once browned on both sides, transfer the slices to a foil-lined baking sheet. Then grease the foil with a little butter or cooking spray to prevent sticking.
When it comes to cheese, you can use pre-shredded cheese in a pinch, but we prefer shredded whatever cheese we have on hand.
Toppings For Grilled Bacon Cheddar Potatoes
Grilled Bacon and Cheddar Potatoes can be topped any way you would top a baked potato. But there are so many great toppings for potatoes and these are no exception.
- Chives or green onions.
- Sour cream.
- Jalapeno slices.
- Hot sauce. Our favourite is Frank’s Red Hot.
- Ranch dressing on top or for dipping.
- A drizzle of BBQ sauce to give the dish more smoky flavour.
Topping the potatoes with grated Parmesan just before serving is another way to add some wonderful flavour to these potatoes.
Serving Grilled Bacon Cheddar Potatoes
These potatoes make a great BBQ side dish to pair with any BBQ meat. They pair well with chicken, like our Sticky BBQ Drumsticks.
Storing Leftover Grilled Bacon Cheddar Potatoes
Leftovers can be kept in the fridge in an air-tight container for up to 2 days. We don’t recommend freezing this dish because the potatoes get mushy when reheating.
Reheating can be done in the microwave oven.
Grilled Bacon and Cheddar Potatoes
Equipment
- Barbecue
Ingredients
- 1 Russet Potatoes
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 6 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 1 cup shredded cheddar
Instructions
- Preheat grill to 375°F
- Slice potatoes into ¼ inch thick slices
- Brush potato slices with vegetable oil and place on preheated grill
- Season with salt and pepper
- Cook 3-4 minutes per side
- Move slices to a foil lined baking sheet that has been greased with butter or cooking spray
- Top potatoes with crumbled bacon and cheddar.
- Return to barbecue and close lid.
- Cook 8-12 minutes until cheese is melted
- Serve hot with your favourite toppings
