Sizzling Bacon Hot Pot: A Hearty Comfort Food

Bacon hot pot is a delicious, hearty meal that's perfect for a cold winter's day or a busy weeknight. It's a classic dish that combines bacon, potatoes, and onions, with other ingredients such as vegetables and stock. The best part? It's an easy one-pot meal that can be made in a slow cooker or a casserole dish, resulting in a flavourful and comforting dish.

Choosing the right bacon

Start with the type of bacon: For a hot pot, you can use bacon chops, which are thick slices of bacon that offer a fantastic texture. Alternatively, you can opt for slab bacon, which allows you to cut uniform slices to your desired thickness. Slab bacon is ideal if you prefer thicker bacon slices in your hot pot.

Go for good quality: When it comes to meat, it's worth investing in high-quality, high-welfare, grass-fed, and organic options. This ensures that your bacon is free from antibiotics and their residues, which are often found in intensively farmed pork. Look for bacon that is labelled "high-welfare" or "organic."

Thickness matters: The thickness of your bacon slices will impact the cooking time and overall texture of your hot pot. For even cooking, choose thick-cut bacon that is at least 1/4 inch thick. Thicker bacon slices will also provide a chewier texture, while thinner slices will result in a crispier finish.

Raw and uncooked: Avoid pre-cooked bacon for your hot pot. Opt for raw bacon, as it will render and cook perfectly during the slow cooking process, resulting in tender and juicy bacon slices.

Add some flavour: To enhance the flavour of your hot pot, choose bacon that is smoked, such as Applewood smoked bacon. This will add a delightful smoky taste to your dish.

By following these tips and selecting the right bacon, you'll be well on your way to creating a mouthwatering bacon hot pot that your family and friends will surely enjoy.

Preparing the vegetables

Start by selecting a variety of fresh vegetables to create a well-rounded dish. Common choices include potatoes, onions, leeks, parsnips, carrots, and even apples. You'll want to peel and thinly slice the potatoes, aiming for a thickness of around 2-3mm. For the onions, a fine chop is best. If you're including leeks, quarter and thinly slice them. As for the parsnips and carrots, peel and slice them lengthways.

Once you have all your vegetables prepared, it's a good idea to season them. Place them in a large bowl, add some seasoning, and toss everything together to mix the flavours. You can also add herbs like sage to the mix for an extra layer of flavour.

If you're short on time, consider parboiling the vegetables before assembling the hot pot. This will speed up the cooking process. However, if you prefer a more crisp texture to your vegetables, skip the parboiling step.

Now you're ready to assemble the hot pot. Start with a layer of potatoes in a shallow casserole dish. Then, add a layer of your chosen meat, such as bacon pieces or rashers, chopped into bite-sized pieces. Spread them evenly over the potatoes. Next, add a layer of your mixed vegetables, ensuring they are well distributed. Continue building layers, finishing with a final layer of potatoes. You can also add other ingredients like crushed garlic to the layers for extra flavour.

At this point, you can pour over a sauce or stock. A simple sauce can be made by melting butter, stirring in flour, adding milk, and then sprinkling in cheese and nutmeg. Alternatively, you can use chicken or pork stock. Just make sure not to add too much liquid, as the potatoes will also release moisture during cooking.

Layering the ingredients

Start with a layer of bacon at the bottom of your casserole dish. You can trim off any excess fat from the bacon pieces. This forms a delicious base for your hot pot and ensures that the bacon is evenly distributed throughout the dish.

Next, add a layer of potatoes. It is recommended to peel and thinly slice the potatoes, about 2-3mm thick. Potatoes are a key ingredient in a hotpot and provide a hearty and filling base.

After the potatoes, add a layer of vegetables. You can use leeks, onions, parsnips, carrots, or any other seasonal vegetables of your choice. Thinly slice and chop the vegetables to ensure they cook evenly. This layer adds colour, texture, and extra flavour to your hot pot.

Now, it's time for another layer of bacon. You can also add some seasoning at this point, such as black pepper and a pinch of mixed herbs. Remember, if you are using chicken or pork stock, you may not need to add extra salt as the bacon and stock can be salty enough.

Continue layering the ingredients, repeating the process: potatoes, vegetables, bacon, and seasoning. You can also add crushed garlic to this layer for extra flavour. Keep layering until your dish is almost full, finishing off with a final layer of potatoes.

Once you have completed the layering, it's time to add the stock. You won't need a large amount as quite a lot of liquid will come from the potatoes. Simply pour the hot stock over the layered ingredients until you can just about see the liquid rising.

Finally, add a few small knobs of butter to the top layer of potatoes. This will help to crisp and brown the potatoes during cooking, creating a delicious crust.

Now your bacon hot pot is ready to be cooked! Cover the dish and place it in the oven at the recommended temperature and time, usually around 180 degrees Celsius for 1.5 hours. Then, remove the lid and cook for a further 30-45 minutes to brown the top layer.

Your bacon hot pot is now ready to be served! This dish is perfect for a winter warmer or a summer evening, and it's a great way to use up any leftover vegetables and bacon you have in the fridge. Enjoy your tasty and hearty bacon hot pot!

Cooking the hot pot

There are several ways to cook a bacon hot pot, depending on the type of cookware you are using.

If you are using a slow cooker, you can follow these steps:

• Sauté the diced onion with butter in the slow cooker.
• Add the potatoes, bacon chops, veggie mix, tinned tomatoes, and seasoning to the slow cooker and mix well.
• Slow cook on high for 3.5 hours or on low for 6 hours.
• Add in any extra seasoning and mix well.
• Thinly slice the potatoes (leaving the skin on or off, as preferred) and place them over the bacon ingredients. Cook for an extra 30 minutes before serving.

If you are using an oven, you can follow these steps:

• Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5.
• Chop the potatoes into thin discs (about 2-3mm wide) and set them aside.
• Heat butter or oil over medium heat and fry the bacon for a few minutes, then add in the onions. Sauté for about six minutes, until the bacon is crispy and the onions are caramelised. Add in the garlic and cook for another minute.
• Assemble the hot pot by placing a layer of potatoes in the bottom of a shallow casserole dish.
• Add a large spoonful of the bacon and onion mixture, spreading it evenly over the potatoes.
• Continue layering the bacon mixture and potatoes, finishing with a layer of potatoes.
• Prepare some hot stock and pour it over the layers until you can just see the liquid rising.
• Place the hot pot in the oven for about 45 minutes, checking after 30 minutes to see if more stock is needed.
• When the potatoes are cooked and starting to turn golden, remove the casserole dish from the oven and sprinkle over the cheese.
• Put the dish back in the oven for another 15 minutes, until the cheese has melted and is bubbling.
• Serve with the remaining crispy bacon and caramelised onions, and a scattering of chives.

If you are using a large casserole dish with a lid, you can follow these steps:

• Butter the dish and layer the ingredients, starting with bacon, then potatoes, leeks and onion, pepper, and a sprinkle of herbs.
• Continue layering until the dish is almost full, finishing with a layer of potatoes.
• Add stock – you may not need much, as the potatoes will release some liquid.
• Add a few small knobs of butter to the top layer.
• Cover and cook for 1 ½ hours at 180 degrees Celsius.
• Remove the lid and cook for a further ½ - ¾ hours to crisp and brown the top layer.

For a summer evening or winter night, you can also try an upside-down bacon hot pot in a large, shallow, ovenproof gratin dish:

• Grease the dish with butter.
• Place the sliced vegetables and apple into a large bowl, season, and toss together.
• Spread the vegetables into the shallow dish and add sage, pushing it into the layers.
• Pour over the hot stock, add the bacon pieces, and dot with butter.
• Cover with foil and cook in a preheated oven for about 50 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
• Remove the foil and cook for a further 15 minutes to brown and crisp the top.
• Serve with extra green seasonal steamed vegetables.

Serving suggestions

Bacon hot pot is a hearty, flavourful dish that can be served in many ways. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Green Seasonal Vegetables: Bacon hot pot goes well with steamed green vegetables such as kale, cabbage, or other seasonal options. These add a nutritious and colourful touch to your meal.
• Cheddar Cheese: Sprinkle grated cheddar cheese on top of your bacon hot pot before serving. This adds a creamy, savoury dimension to the dish.
• Chives: A scattering of chopped chives not only adds flavour but also a pop of colour to your plate.
• Bread: Bacon hot pot can be served with bread on the side, such as homemade bread or dumplings, to soak up all the delicious juices.
• Leftovers: Bacon hot pot often yields leftovers, which can be a great base for another meal. Use your creativity and add in any extra vegetables or meat you have on hand.
• Sides: Consider serving your bacon hot pot with a side salad or roasted vegetables for a well-rounded meal.
• Temperature: Bacon hot pot can be enjoyed either hot or cold, so feel free to adjust the temperature according to your preference or the season.

Frequently asked questions