TomaTruffle & Bacon Potato Stacks
Makes 10-12
9 slices of bacon, cooked until crisp & drained
2.5 pounds russet potatoes (try to select long, skinny potatoes)
1 cup heavy cream
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
butter, for greasing tray
4 oz shredded Point Reyes TomaTruffle, divided
finely diced Fresh Chives, to garnish (optional)
Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 12-muffin muffin tin with butter.
Cut each slice of bacon into quarters. Set aside.
Peel potatoes and slice off the top and bottom. Use a knife, carefully trim around the outside until potatoes are cylinders and will fit into the muffin tin. Using a mandolin or a sharp knife, thinly slice the potatoes into rounds approximately ⅛" thick.
Pour the cream into a pot over medium heat and stir in the nutmeg, salt and pepper. Mix in the potatoes and gently simmer for 3-4 minutes until the cream thickens, gently stirring the potatoes as you go. Remove from heat.
Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, place one slice in each muffin slot. Assemble as follows: a pinch of TomaTruffle, potato slice, bacon, potato slice, TomaTruffle, potato slice, bacon, potato, TomaTruffle, potato. The potatoes will cook down, so it's okay to go a bit higher than the top of the tin. (You might need to adjust your layers depending on the thickness of your potatoes, how much cheese you use, etc.) Top with a small drizzle of pan sauce, then loosely cover the tray with foil.
Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until knife tender. Remove foil. Use a knife to straighten up any stacks that have shifted, top with remaining TomaTruffle, then place back in the oven, uncovered, until golden and bubbly.
Let cool for about 5 minutes. Using a spoon, carefully remove potato stacks from muffin tin. Garnish with chives (optional) and serve.
