Roasted Potatoes with Bacon, Leeks and Sage

Well hello, fall comfort food.  Thank you for turning up on my dinner plate.

This is such an easy dish that showcases some incredible fall flavors.  Baby fingerling potatoes, crispy and brown on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside?  Check.  Pungent fresh sage leaves, turned crispy after a visit to the oven?  Check.  Roasted leeks and crispy bacon to tie it all together with a power chord of flavor?  Check.

It's that simple.  And it's that good.  This sounds like a side dish, but trust me, you won't need anything else.

Roasted Potatoes with Bacon, Leeks and Sage

adapted from Bon Appetit

serves 2 as a main course, 4 as a side dish

INGREDIENTS:

1 strip of bacon, chopped

1 pound of baby fingerling potatoes, halved

1 leek, white and light green parts only, chopped

5 or 6 fresh sage leaves, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven (preferably toaster oven) to 375.  Line a baking sheet with foil.

2.  Heat a small skillet over medium heat.  Add the bacon pieces and cook until browned and crispy.  Remove with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels to drain.

3.  Toss the potatoes, leek, and sage with the olive oil (and drippings from the bacon, if you like, in which case reduce the amount of oil).  Season lightly with salt and pepper, place on the baking sheet, and bake for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are getting evenly browned, and leeks and sage are getting crispy.

4.  Add the bacon pieces and toss everything together.  Raise oven temperature to 400 and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until everything is browned and crispy, and potatoes are tender.  Serve.

Enjoy!