Cheesy bacon potatoes combine my favorite foods, putting them in a skillet together and letting them work magic. It’s the perfect side for any occasion but is also hefty enough to be a delicious stand-alone meal when you want to whip up quick comfort food full of flavor and fun.

While you can cook this meal in any pan of your choosing, the humble skillet works best. Its heat retention helps crisp potatoes and bacon, while allowing the inside to soften and cook through at a consistent pace. A generous helping of pantry herbs and cheese binds everything all together into a truly feel-good mini-meal. I use a three cheese shredded blend for peak flavor and melt-ability!

Any potatoes can work for this dish, however, the red variety provides two very important advantages. From a visual perspective, they add gorgeous colors and a touch of class. Their thinner skins are full of fiber, and absorb more from the spices and bacon. This gives red potatoes a huge edge in the flavor stakes.

Our bacon buying guide maps out the different types of bacon, and how they create a range of flavor results, even in a simple dish of this kind. I prefer thick cut bacon for cheesy skillet potatoes because it’s generally more flavorsome, and good to cook up in the skillet without burning, yet still has enough of the bacon fat needed to keep everything humming along together. If thick bacon is not to your taste, then meaty cuts such as middle or back bacon would suffice.

With little prep effort, and just 20 minutes in your skillet, you can have the perfect weeknight dinner for two, or a side dish that suits 4-6 people. Better still, if you cook enough, there will be tasty, cheesy leftovers you can heat up in just a couple of minutes the next day.