Cheesy Potatoes with Pancetta & Caramelized Onions

Cheesy Potatoes with Pancetta & Caramelized Onions

Why You Should Give This Recipe a Try

Cheesy Potatoes with Pancetta & Caramelized Onions is like a warm hug in a skillet. Tender mini yellow potatoes, crispy pancetta, and gooey caramelized onions cook together in a skillet before being smothered in layers of cheddar jack cheese. And that, right there, is it! No complicated steps and very few ingredients. Caramelize the onions and fry the pancetta while the potatoes boil and you will have a complete meal on the table in 30 minutes. It is just the delicious kind of comfort food that will quickly become a family favorite: filling, fast, fabulous!

Cheesy Potatoes with Pancetta & Caramelized Onions is like an Americanized version of my Easy French Comfort Food: Creamy Potatoes and Pancetta, potatoes and pancetta in a creamy sauce of heavy cream, white wine, and Gruyère cheese sauce. Not a cheese person? Try my Easy Crispy Salt and Vinegar Smashed Potatoes

Some of the best features of this recipe:

Comfort food: Cheese and potatoes are two comfort food staples. Toss in some crispy pancetta and caramelized onions for a hearty meal that takes comfort to a whole new level.

Fast: Caramelize the onions and fry the pancetta while the potatoes cook and you can have your meal on a plate in just about 30 minutes.

Little clean up: I won’t say this is a one pan meal since you have to boil potatoes, but two pots is pretty good for a whole meal.

As with all of my recipes, Cheesy Skillet Potatoes with Pancetta & Caramelized Onions is super simple to make with no complicated cooking techniques, no special equipment, and with basic ingredients found in most grocery stores.

Recipe Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs mini yellow potatoes

1 tbsp olive oil

1 medium yellow onion

4 oz cubed pancetta

1 cup shredded cheddar Jack cheese

2 tsp coarse salt

Salt

Black pepper

Helpful Tools

• Sharp knife
• Cutting board
• ​Colander
• Large pan
• Large skillet

Ingredient Notes

Potatoes: If you can’t find mini yellow potatoes, you can use russet of Yukon gold potatoes cut into 1-inch pieces.

Pancetta: Pancetta often comes in slices, but I buy mine cubed to extra heartiness. You can use either. If pancetta isn’t available, you can substitute bacon.

Cheese: I like the way cheddar jack melts into a uniform, creamy layer, but you can use Monterey Jack or even cheddar cheese. 

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Clean the potatoes and place them in a large pan. Add cold water about 2 inches above the potatoes and pour in 2 tsp coarse salt.

2. Boil the potatoes until fork tender, about 15-20 minutes. 

3. While the potatoes are boiling, prepare the onions and pancetta.

4. Slice the onion and, if necessary, the pancetta.

5. Add 1 tbsp olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat. 

6. Place the sliced onions in the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, lightly brown, and very soft, about 15 minutes. You may need to lower the temperature a bit to avoid browning the onions too quickly.

7. Remove the onions and add the pancetta to the pan. Cook until crisp, about 4 minutes.

8. Drain the cooked potatoes and give them a rough chop. 

9. Return the onions to the pan with the pancetta.

10. Add the chopped potatoes to the pan and cook all together until the potatoes are browned, about 5-8 minutes.

11. Lightly salt and pepper (remember that pancetta is a bit salty).

12. Evenly sprinkle the cheese over the potatoes, onion, and pancetta and cook over medium heat until the cheese is melted, about 3 minutes.

Check out the recipe card, below, for the step-by-step directions for these Cheesy Potatoes with Caramelized Onions & Pancetta.

Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

Tips & Tricks

Make sure to cut your potatoes to a uniform size when cooking. The mini potatoes are often fine to cook whole, but there are always one or two that are larger than the others. Making them all the same size will ensure even cooking.

​If you are using russet or Yukon gold potatoes, you don’t need to peel them – unless that is your preference. Make sure to wash them well.

Caramelizing onions is the process of breaking them down by low and slow cooking. For French onion soup, you would cook the onions for more than an hour. In this case, 15 minutes is sufficient, but make sure you are not burning the onions. They should be browned and soft when ready.

If you are using cheddar and have a few minutes, you can make your own grated cheese with a box grater. Cheddar in a bag has a coating on it that keeps it from melting smoothly. Cheddar Jack and Monterey Jack are creamy cheeses that melt well even when packaged.

When substituting bacon for pancetta, cook the bacon to the desired texture and be sure to pat off the extra grease. Break into small pieces.

Easy, comforting meals are a great way to end the day. Try some of these other simple but delicious chicken dinners I’ve created:

30 Minute Dinner: Easy One Pot Creamy Chicken Marsala

Easy One Skillet Creamy Tuscan Chicken Dinner

Easy Dinner: Layered Chicken Enchilada Lasagna Recipe

Easy Sheet Pan BBQ Chicken Thighs with Sweet Potatoes