Potato & Bacon Hash - Nicky's Kitchen Sanctuary

This is a bit of a breakfast-for-dinner type meal. A simple seasoned potato hash with crispy bacon, served alongside good ole’ baked beans that have been given a big flavour boost with smoky paprika, warming white pepper and creamy cheese. I love this for a lovely comforting dinner, or a relaxed weekend brunch.

Nicky’s Notes

This one started as a lazy Sunday brunch and quickly became a regular weeknight dinner.

It’s fast, filling and everyone clears their plates. I love the contrast: golden potatoes with little crispy bits of bacon, then those cosy beans boosted with smoked paprika and melty cheese.

It’s basic in the best way, using staples I always tend to have on hand (bacon in the fridge, beans and potatoes in the cupboard). What’s not to love.

Ingredients for Potato Hash

***Full recipe with detailed quantities in the recipe card below***

A wooden surface with labelled ingredients: potatoes, baked beans, cornflour, spring onions, onion, bacon, mixed cheese, smoked paprika, white pepper, garlic powder, oil, salt and pepper.

Ingredient Swaps and Substitutions

Seasonings: no smoked paprika? Try a pinch of chilli powder or fajita spice.
Potatoes: Maris Piper, Yukon Gold or any all-rounder. Tinned potatoes also work—drain well and pat dry before frying.
Bacon: swap streaky for lardons, pancetta or turkey bacon. Veggie? Use a plant-based bacon or mushrooms.
Cheese: I use red Leicester, Cheddar and mozzarella as a mix, bought ready-grated, you could swap it out for all cheddar, red leicester, mozzarella; use what you’ve got.

Abbreviated Recipe

***Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card below***

Parboil diced potatoes, crisp up bacon, then pan-fry the potatoes in the bacon fat with onion and seasonings until golden; chop the bacon and toss back through. Warm baked beans with smoked paprika and white pepper, stir in cheese, then serve alongside the hash with a sprinkle of spring onions and black pepper.

Recipe Tips

Spread the potatoes in a single layer and resist the urge to stir. Let them sit for 3–4 minutes to build that deep golden crust before flipping. Crowding = steaming, not crisping.
For an extra shortcut this recipe also works well with tinned potatoes. Simply drain, slice in half and add to the frying pan (no-need to boil).

Crispy-edged, fluffy-centred potatoes with salty, smoky bacon, offset by creamy, lightly spiced cheesy beans. My potato and bacon hash is cosy, savoury and wildly satisfying.

A plate of seasoned potato and bacon hash with crispy bacon and chopped spring onions, served with baked beans topped with grated cheese.

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Watch how to make it

Place the chopped potatoes in a pan and cover with cold water. Place over a high heat. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

500 g (1.1lbs) potatoes
Meanwhile, heat ½ tablespoon of the oil in a frying pan (skillet) over a medium-high heat, Add the bacon to the pan and fry for five minutes, turning once, until crisp. Remove from the pan and place on a chopping board.

8 rashers streaky bacon
When the potatoes are finished, turn off the heat and drain the potatoes.
Add the remaining 1 ½ tablespoons of oil to the frying pan (skillet) you used to cook the bacon. Heat over a medium heat.

2 tablespoons oil
Add the drained potatoes to the pan in a single layer. Cook for 4-5 minutes. Try not to move them around too much, so they brown nicely, but keep an eye on them to ensure they don’t burn.
While the potatoes are cooking, add the baked beans, smoked paprika and white pepper to a saucepan, and heat on a medium heat, stirring occasionally, until hot. Then turn down the heat to very low, to keep the beans warm.

2 400g (14oz) tins baked beans in tomato sauce, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
Use a spatula to turn the potatoes over in the pan. Add the onion, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Cook the potatoes, turning occasionally, for a further 5 minutes, until the onions soften.

1 small onion, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Chop the bacon into small pieces and add to the pan with the potatoes. Stir together and cook for a further 1-2 minutes to heat the bacon through. Then turn off the heat.
Add half of the cheese mix to the beans. Stir together, then turn off the heat.

100 g (1 packed cup) grated mixed cheese
Divide the potato mixtures between four plates and spoon the beans onto the side then sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the beans.
Finish the dish with a sprinkling of black pepper and spring onions, then serve.

A good pinch of black pepper, 2 spring onions (scallions)

Tip: This recipe also works well with tinned potatoes. Simply drain, slice in half and add to the frying pan (no-need to boil).
Nutritional information is calculated automatically and will vary depending on the ingredients you use.

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

This potato and bacon hash recipe was first posted in November 2025.

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