Potato Bacon Gruyère Tart – Easy Savory French Tart

If you love rich, comforting dishes with classic French flavors, this potato bacon Gruyère tart is a must-try. Thinly sliced potatoes, crispy bacon, caramelized onions, and nutty Gruyère cheese are layered into a flaky crust to create a savory tart that's both rustic and elegant. It's perfect for brunch, dinner, or entertaining, and it feels like something you'd be served in a cozy French café.

What Is a Potato Bacon Gruyère Tart?

A potato bacon Gruyère tart is a savory French-style tart made with layers of thinly sliced potatoes, cheese, and bacon baked in a pastry crust. Unlike a quiche, it typically contains little or no egg, allowing the flavors of the ingredients to shine through. The combination of Gruyère cheese and potatoes is a classic pairing in French cooking, known for its rich and slightly nutty flavor.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Rich, savory flavor with bacon, potatoes, and Gruyère
• Perfect balance of rustic and elegant
• Great for brunch, dinner, or entertaining
• Easy to customize with different herbs or cheeses
• Make-ahead friendly for gatherings
• Feels like a restaurant-quality dish at home

Savory Tarts

Savory tarts are popular because they are versatile, easy to customize, and perfect for both casual meals and entertaining. You can use simple ingredients and still create a dish that feels elegant and impressive. Mine brought me here, to a potato, bacon, Gruyère tart that is the perfect meal to make on a Saturday, or Sunday evening, or anytime really. I like to pair this rustic tart with a side of delicious greens drizzled with a simple pomegranate vinaigrette. This dish also pairs beautifully with a cannellini bean salad, Turkish gavurdagi salad, or lighter soups such as Middle Eastern lentil, carrot coriander, or creamy butternut squash and apple. The ingredients for this French tart are ones I always have on hand in my pantry/fridge. Making this tart is quick and easy since you can do some of the steps while your tart shell is chilling in the freezer.

Tips for the Best Potato Bacon Gruyere Tart

This potato, bacon, Gruyère tart is put together in layers. My main word of advice is: slice the potatoes as thin as you can so they cook quickly. Use a mandolin for the best results. While you can season with any herb you want, I prefer using herbes de provence (my very own blend). Check out the recipe, it contains lavender, YES, lavender! (Food grade.)

The Gruyère cheese is certainly THE star ingredient in this savory pie. Shredding the cheese helps to give an even coating on the potatoes. I can probably say that Gruyère is among my favorite cheeses. I like to eat it on a piece of toasted baguette and top it with a dollop of apricot jam. My father, who was of French descent, would often have cheese and bread, with a fruit jam after a meal. However, if Gruyère is too strong for you, try a regular Swiss cheese for a milder flavor. Here is a quick tips summary:

• Slice potatoes very thin so they cook evenly and become tender
• Use freshly shredded Gruyère for the best melt and flavor
• Cook the bacon just until crisp before layering
• Let the tart rest before slicing so it holds together
• Blind bake the crust to prevent sogginess
• Don't overload the tart with fillings, or it may not cook evenly

Step-by-step photos

• Step 1: Gather all your ingredients and have them chopped, measured, and ready to go. This is a very important step and makes for a successful dish.

• Step 2: To make the dough, add the flour, salt, and butter to a food processor and pulse until the mixture looks like a fine meal. Add the vinegar and water.

• Step 3: Pulse until the mixture comes together and pulls away from the sides of the mixing bowl.
• Step 4: Roll out the dough on a floured surface into a 12-inch circle. This will fit into a 10-inch tart pan. Tip: Slide the removable bottom of the tart pan under the folded dough centered as shown. Drop this into the out tart pan and unfold.

• Step 5: Press the dough into the tart pan and dock holes with a fork over the bottom, then freeze for 1 hour. Preheat your oven to 350°F about 30 minutes before baking to get it up to temp. While the dough is chilling, get the fillings ready.
• Step 6: Peel and slice the potatoes as thin as possible to allow for a faster bake time, then place them in water to keep them from browning. Place the onions in a large skillet with olive oil on medium heat and sauté until translucent. Sprinkle with the herbes de Provence and salt, then set aside and allow to cool.

• Step 7: Mix the brown sugar, black pepper, and nutmeg in a small bowl. Microwave the diced bacon until just about crispy, discard the grease, then add to a small skillet on medium heat and toss in the brown sugar mixture. Stir to combine until the sugar has melted into the bacon. Set this aside and allow it to cool.
• Step 8: Blind bake the tart shell after it has chilled for 1 hour, then brush the bottom and sides with the beaten egg wash all around the bottom and sides of the tart shell while it is hot. This will seal the tart shell.

• Step 9: Drain and pat dry the sliced potatoes, then arrange in concentric circles around the tart shell until all have been inserted.
• Step 10: Add the onion mixture over the potatoes.

• Step 11: Place half the bacon mixture and then half the grated Gruyère cheese, then repeat in layers until all has been placed on top. Bake for 30 minutes.
• Step 12: Test with a toothpick to see if the potatoes are done. If they are soft, it is done, and if you still feel a bit of crunch or firmness in the potatoes, continue to bake. Tip: Turn on your broiler for the last couple of minutes and watch carefully to brown the cheese on top. Delicious!

In conclusion, I hope you will find the potato, bacon, and Gruyère tart a pleasant addition to your recipe collection. Finally, but almost as important, if making the crust from scratch is not your cup of tea, no worries! A pre-made crust works just as well. Been there, done that!

Frequently Asked Questions:

📖 Recipe

Potato Bacon Gruyère Tart - Easy Savory French Tart

Analida Braeger

You'll love this tasty potato, bacon & gruyere tart! A lovely savory cheesy tart with sweet onions, salty bacon and a nice hint of herbs with my own special blend of herbes de provence.

4.92 from 12 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course Main dish

Cuisine French

Servings 8

Calories 329 kcal

Ingredients

  

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Dough

• 1 ¼ cup flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 7 tablespoon unsalted butter cut into small pieces
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 ½ tablespoon water cold
• 1 egg beaten + 1 Tbsp. water for egg wash

Filling

• 2 potatoes large baking type, peeled and sliced thin
• 2 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 onion medium size, sliced thin
• 2 teaspoon herbs de Provence
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 4 slices bacon diced
• ½ teaspoon brown sugar
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 dash nutmeg
• 1 cup Gruyere shredded
• 1 tablespoon curly parsley (optional) finely chopped as a garnish

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Instructions

 

• To make the crust: In a food processor place flour, salt and butter. Pulse until mixture becomes a fine meal. Add the vinegar and the cold water. Keep pulsing until the mixture comes together.
• Remove from food processor and dust with flour. On a floured surface roll out into a 12" circle. Fit into a 10" tart pan. Poke bottom with a fork, cover and place in the freezer for 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Blind bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately brush the bottom and sides with egg wash while hot. This will seal the tart shell.
• Slice potatoes as thinly as possible. Place in water to keep them from turning brown.
• In a skillet heat olive oil on medium and sauté the onion slices until soft and translucent. Sprinkle with herbes de Provence and salt. Set aside to cool.
• Place the brown sugar, pepper and nutmeg in a small bowl. Microwave the diced bacon until just about crispy. Discard the grease and place the bacon in a small skillet on medium heat then add the brown sugar mixture. Stir until the sugars dissolves into the bacon. Set aside and allow to cool.
• Arrange the potatoes forming concentric circles all around the bottom of the tart. Place half the onions on top. Next, add half of the Gruyere cheese, and half of the bacon. Repeat the process.
• Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft when tested with a toothpick. Tip: When the potatoes are soft turn on the broiler and watch carefully to brown the cheese on top then serve.
• Remove from oven and garnish with parsley.

Notes

Frequently Asked Questions:

• Can I make this tart crust dough in advance and freeze it? The first way would be to roll out the dough and press it into the tart pan. You can freeze this for up to three months wrapped in foil and then placed in a tightly sealed container or freezer bag. Remove the frozen tart shell from the freezer then bake. For best results use the dough within three months.
• How long can I store the finished tart? It is best to eat this tart fresh baked. It will last for 3 days in the refrigerator but the crust will start to get a bit softer. Wrap the tart with foil or plastic wrap while in the refrigerator.
• Can I freeze the finished tart? No, since this tart contains potatoes it does not freeze well as they have a very unpleasant texture when thawed.
• Can I reheat the tart in the oven from the refrigerator? Yes, preheat the oven to 200°F and heat for 15-30 minutes until warm in the center. A smaller portion will take less time. If half of the tart is left it will take less time to heat up the center.

Nutrition

Calories: 329kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 10gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 76mgSodium: 573mgPotassium: 296mgFiber: 2gVitamin A: 605IUVitamin C: 7.9mgCalcium: 197mgIron: 2.9mg

Keyword bacon and cheese, savory tart, scratch recipe, tart baking

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