Loaded Potato Bites with Queso SAuce

Peel the potatoes and chop them into bite-sized pieces. Toss in oil and place in a preheated air fryer basket. Sprinkle with salt. Cook in the air fryer at 180 degrees for 8 minutes. Toss and cook for a further 8 minutes at 180 degrees. Toss again and return to the air fryer for the final 8 minutes at 180 degrees. At the end of cooking, these should be crisp, brown, and edible straight away, but you can also reheat at 180 degrees for 4 minutes without overcooking.

While the potatoes are cooking, make the topping. Remove any rind from the bacon and cut it into small pieces. Place the bacon in a pan with a bit of oil and cook, stirring occasionally, until crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan and drain it on a paper towel. Clean the spring onions and chop them into fine pieces. If they are large, you can split them in half.

To make the queso, heat the milk, water, stock, and mustard powder in a small saucepan over medium heat. Toss the grated cheese in the cornflour, ensuring it is well coated. The cornflour not only stops the cheese from clumping, but it also thickens the sauce. Once the milk mixture has reached a simmer, add handfuls of the cheese, stirring well to incorporate before adding more cheese. The sauce should slowly thicken. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools. You can serve this sauce hot, but I like it just warm.

When ready to serve, reheat the potatoes, if necessary, and top with the bacon and spring onions. Crumble the fetta over. It is ready to eat as is for a healthy loaded potato; otherwise, you can finish it with a drizzle or a generous topping of queso sauce.