Bacon Hotpot

Elin al'Nia

50g butter
50g plain flour
600ml milk
Salt & pepper
4 large onions, sliced
4 large potatoes, peeled & thinly sliced
125 – 225 bacon rashers or scraps of bacon/ham/gammon (good for using up leftovers from a joint).

Heat oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6.

Make a white sauce as follows: melt butter in saucepan, stir in flour, remove from heat & stir in milk a bit at a time. Put back on stove, bring to boil, stirring & then turn down heat, season with salt & pepper to taste and leave to simmer.

Grease a casserole dish, fill with layers in this order: onions, potatoes, bacon. End with a top layer or potatoes. Pour the sauce over the top and shake the dish so that the sauce goes right through the other ingredients.

Put lid on casserole, bake in oven for one hour then turn heat down to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Remove lid and back for another hour.