Baked Potatoes with Creamed Mushrooms, Black Garlic & Crispy Bacon

Ingredients

• 6 largefloury potatoes, washed and dried
• to tastecoarse salt
• to tasteolive oil
• 250 gstreaky bacon
• 15 mlbutter
• 250 gbrown mushrooms, sliced
• 4 clovesblack garlic, chopped (fermented soft garlic)
• 5 mldried rosemary
• 250 mlcream
• to tastefreshly ground salt and pepper
• to tastemicro rocket leaves

Instructions

1. 1

   Heat the oven

   Preheat the oven to 200 °C.

2. 2

   Salt the tray

   Scatter coarse salt over a baking tray.

3. 3

   Bake the potatoes

   Prick each potato several times with a fork. Rub them with olive oil, set them on the salted tray and sprinkle with more salt. Bake for approximately one hour.

4. 4

   Roast the bacon

   Arrange the bacon rashers on a roasting rack and roast in the oven for 15–20 minutes, or until crisp.

5. 5

   Make bacon crumbs

   Leave the bacon to cool, then blitz approximately three quarters of it in a food processor to make crumbs.

6. 6

   Fry the mushrooms

   Melt the butter in a medium-sized, heavy-based saucepan. Add the mushrooms, garlic and rosemary, and fry until softened and fragrant. Season to taste.

7. 7

   Reduce the cream

   Pour in the cream and simmer for a further 15 minutes, or until it has reduced to a creamy sauce.

8. 8

   Fill the potatoes

   Cut a cross into each baked potato. Using both hands, squash each one to open it and expose the flesh. Add a generous helping of creamed mushrooms, scatter over the bacon crumbs and finish each potato with a shard of the remaining crisp bacon.

9. 9

   Finish and serve

   Scatter with micro rocket leaves and serve immediately.

What are baked potatoes with creamed mushrooms?

A baked potato is a whole potato cooked in its skin until the outside is firm and the centre is soft. It is a familiar British café and home-cooking favourite, though there is no single origin for this way of serving potatoes.

This version turns the potato into a meal with mushrooms simmered in cream, sweet and earthy black garlic, and crisp bacon. The soft filling and crunchy toppings make each potato feel generous and complete.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 630 calories, 21g protein, 50g carbs, 37g fat.

The potatoes provide most of the carbohydrates, while the bacon, cream, butter and olive oil contribute much of the fat. Bacon, mushrooms and cream supply protein, with the bacon also contributing a substantial share of the salt. Pair a potato with a simple salad or extra vegetables for a fresher, more balanced plate.

Choose the right potatoes

Floury potatoes: their starchy flesh becomes light and fluffy when baked, making it easy to open and squash for the topping.

Even sizing: use potatoes of roughly similar size so they are more likely to finish baking at the same time. Drying the skins before adding oil helps them bake without excess surface moisture.

Get crisp skins and bacon

Prick the potatoes: the fork holes let steam escape as they bake. Rub the skins with oil and season them on the tray for a savoury, well-seasoned exterior.

Use a rack for the bacon: the heat can reach around the rashers as they roast. Let them cool before blitzing so the crumbs stay distinct rather than turning greasy.

Build the mushroom sauce

Cook the mushrooms: fry them with the black garlic and rosemary until they have softened and become fragrant. Season before adding the cream so the flavour is distributed through the mixture.

Reduce gently: simmer the cream for the stated 15 minutes, checking that the sauce thickens while remaining spoonable. Black garlic is soft and has a mild, sweet, earthy flavour that works well with the mushrooms.

Check the potato texture

The recipe allows approximately one hour of baking, but the useful cue is a tender centre that gives when pressed. Handle the potatoes carefully when opening them, as they will be hot.

Cut a cross and squash from the sides to expose the fluffy centre. Add the mushroom sauce while the potato is open so it settles into the flesh.

Plan the timing

Start the potatoes first, then roast the bacon during their baking time. The bacon takes 15–20 minutes, so check it for crispness rather than relying only on the clock.

Make the mushroom sauce while the potatoes finish. Assemble the dish just before serving so the bacon stays crisp and the potatoes are hot.

What to serve alongside

A simple salad adds a fresh contrast to the creamy sauce and salty bacon. Keep its dressing light so it does not compete with the potato topping.

For a more substantial meal, serve the potatoes alongside steak, as suggested in the recipe. They can also be served on their own as a filling main.

Recipe notes & tips

• Choose potatoes of a similar size to help them bake evenly.
• Dry the potatoes well before rubbing them with olive oil.
• Keep the bacon on its roasting rack so it can crisp as it cooks.
• Blitz only about three quarters of the bacon, saving the rest for crisp shards.
• Simmer the cream until it coats the mushrooms without becoming too thick.
• Assemble the potatoes just before serving to preserve the bacon’s crunch.

Variations

• Add thyme: replace the dried rosemary with thyme for a different herbal note.
• Use chestnut mushrooms: swap them for the brown mushrooms while keeping the same quantity.
• Make it meat-free: leave out the bacon and add toasted seeds for crunch.
• Add spring onions: scatter sliced spring onions over the finished potatoes.
• Bring extra pepper: grind more black pepper over the mushroom sauce just before serving.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Skipping the fork holes: prick each potato several times before baking so steam can escape.
• Using damp skins: dry the potatoes before oiling them to avoid a wet exterior.
• Blitzing hot bacon: let it cool first so it makes crumbs rather than a greasy paste.
• Rushing the sauce: give the cream the full simmering time so it can reduce into a creamy topping.
• Overfilling before opening: cut and gently squash the potato first so the sauce can sit in the exposed centre.
• Adding the bacon too early: top the potatoes just before serving to keep the bacon crisp.

How to store

Store leftover potatoes and mushroom sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat until piping hot in the oven or microwave; keep any leftover bacon crumbs separate and add them after reheating for better texture.

Frequently asked questions