Potato Bacon and Thyme Flan

Here’s a recipe for making a tasty potato flan with bacon and thyme.

Ingredients

• 500 g of potatoes
• 100 g of smoked bacon, cubed
• 2 eggs
• 100 ml of liquid cream
• 50 g of grated cheese (Parmesan or Pecorino)
• A bunch of fresh thyme, just the leaves
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Butter for greasing the molds
• Breadcrumbs as needed

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
2. Peel the potatoes and cook them in boiling salted water until they are soft. Drain them, then mash them with a potato masher or a fork to obtain a homogeneous mixture.
3. In a pan, sauté the bacon cubes until they become crispy. Then, let them cool on some paper towels to remove excess fat.
4. In a bowl, combine the mashed potatoes, bacon, eggs, liquid cream, and grated cheese. Mix well to blend all the ingredients together.
5. Add the thyme leaves, salt, and pepper to taste, and mix again.
6. Grease the flan molds with a little butter, then sprinkle with breadcrumbs to prevent the flan from sticking.
7. Fill the molds with the potato mixture, leveling the surface.
8. Bake the flans for about 20-25 minutes or until the surface becomes golden and crispy.
9. Remove the flans from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes before unmolding them.

I suggest serving the flans warm, perhaps accompanied by a fresh green salad.

Curiosity

The term “flan” has French origins and generally refers to a sweet or savory preparation baked in the oven, usually in a round mold with high sides. In Italy, savory flans are also known as “sformati,” and can be enriched with a variety of ingredients, following the seasons and personal tastes.