Cook thin-sliced smoked bacon in batches until fried, but not yet crispy, and set aside. Peel and thinly slice russet potatoes using a sharp knife or mandolin. Line the base and sides of a 9 by 13-inch baking dish with parchment, allowing the parchment to hang over the sides, and cover the bottom with two layers of sliced potatoes. Drizzle with some of the heavy cream, thyme, Parmesan, and a sprinkle of salt. Cover with a layer of bacon.
3 pounds smoked bacon thin-sliced, 6 pounds russet potatoes, 1½ cups heavy cream, 6 sprigs thyme fresh, 5.3 ounces Parmesan cheese grated, Salt to taste
Top with another two layers of potatoes. Continue layering the cream, thyme, Parmesan, salt, then bacon and potatoes. Continue to repeat layers in this order, finishing with two layers of potato and topping it off with cream, thyme, Parmesan, salt, and melted butter.
½ cup butter unsalted
Fold in the tops of the parchment paper and cover with plastic wrap. Place a smaller baking pan on top (it should fit into the first pan to rest on top of the potatoes) and add a heavy weight, such as cans. Allow to rest for 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°F and remove the smaller pan and weights along with the plastic wrap. Cover the top with foil and bake for 1 hour, until the potatoes are tender. Remove the foil and set it aside. Bake for another 20 minutes to brown the top of the potatoes.
Add the foil back to the baking pan and top with the smaller baking pan and weights for a second time. Chill in the refrigerator overnight. This step is crucial for the potato pave to keep their shape, so don't skip out on chilling it!
When ready to make the next day, preheat the oven to 425°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Remove the potatoes to a large cutting board and use a knife to trim the edges.
Cut the remaining potato pave into small squares.
Skewer each one from top to bottom with a toothpick to keep the potatoes together.
Transfer each skewer to the prepared lined baking sheets, making sure they are on their sides and not touching each other. Bake in preheated oven until lightly golden, 10 minutes or so. Gently flip and bake another 10-15 minutes until crisp and golden. Rest on paper towels to drain excess oil. Serve sprinkled with fresh thyme and hot sauce, and enjoy!
Sriracha or other hot sauce for serving