Roasted Potato Hash with Bacon

Golden brown potatoes that are crispy on the outside, tender on the inside and tossed with bacon and caramelized bell peppers. I mean... it's what culinary dreams are made of.

Why roast the potatoes? When you cook potatoes on the stove-top, you need lots of oil (or butter); that's because potatoes take a long time to soften, so you need copious amounts of fat to make sure the spuds don't stick to the pan. When you roast them (arranged on parchment paper or foil) they tenderize without lots of fat. Yes, I realize I added bacon to this dish, but I've slashed fat, so there's room for it!

I roast the bacon too: The truth is, I don't like a big mess, and bacon grease is a big mess on the stovetop. So I roast my bacon. Here's how: I arrange the slices on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, until almost crispy. If you want to roast the bacon for this recipe, please do! Just use a baking sheet with a little edge so the grease doesn't spill into your oven. Reserve 2 teaspoons of that bacon fat for finished the dish.

Roasted Potato Hash with Bacon

Cooking spray
1 pound small red potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 bell pepper, any color, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon oregano
Salt and ground black pepper
4 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or coat with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, pepper, oil, and oregano. Toss to coat. Arrange the potatoes and peppers on the prepared pan and season with salt and pepper.

Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown.
Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp (or roast the bacon as directed above and then cut into 1-inch pieces). Drain away all but 2 teaspoons of the bacon fat. Add the roasted potatoes and peppers to the bacon in the skillet and toss to coat. Cook for 1 minute to heat through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serves 4