If making homemade vegan bacon, make a half batch of my Vegan Bacon (Low Sodium) recipe linked above in this blog. If not using bacon, skip this step (you can also use store bought bacon instead).

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Slice all of the potatoes into thin round slices. Try to keep the thickness uniform so the potatoes cook uniformly. Cover with a damp paper towel and set aside.

In a pan over medium heat, add the olive oil and the butter. Add in the onions, black pepper and salt. Sauté for 5 minutes until the onions are translucent. Add in garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.

Add the flour over the mixture, stirring until fully incorporated and smooth, cooking for about 1 minute.

Reduce heat to medium low. Stirring frequently, pour in the milk, nutritional yeast, and veggie broth, stirring to ensure no clumps and everything is incorporated. Let the sauce cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

In a large baking dish arrange half of the potatoes onto the pan. Pour over half of the sauce, and gently stir to ensure all of the potatoes are covered in sauce. Top with ½ cup of vegan cheese (optional).

Add the remainder of the potatoes, then top with the remaining cheese sauce, and the remaining vegan shredded cheddar cheese. Sprinkle with finely chopped bacon and fresh herbs. (optional)

Cover the top of the baking dish with a lid or foil. Bake the dish for 45 minutes, then remove the cover and bake for 15 minutes, with the foil cover removed.

Let the potatoes cool slightly. Garnish with more fresh herbs and serve!