Perfect Easy Brunch Item! Potato Bacon Torte

For the crust: Use 2 Pillsbury Pie Crusts at room temp to save time!

For the Filling:
4 strips bacon (*I just used real bacon bits from the salad dressing section in grocery store*)
1 cup Heavy Cream
3 sprigs Thyme, plus leaves for topping (*I used 1.5 teaspoons Herbs de Provence instead*)
3 medium potatoes, peeled (*I used red potatoes and did not peel*)
Kosher Salt & fresh ground Pepper
1/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese (*I used sliced Muenster, so used what you have on hand*)
1 large Egg Yolk

~ For Crust: Fit 1 Pie Crust into a 9-inch Pie Plate and prick with a fork to eliminate bubbling. Put in Fridge.
~ Preheat oven to 375.
~ Cook the Bacon if not using the Real Bacon Bits, drain on towel then crumble.
~ Bring the Cream and Thyme Sprigs to a bare simmer in a saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat and let steep for 5 minutes. Remove the thyme. If using a regular dried herb just add before simmering and leave the herbs in the Cream mixture.
~ Slice potatoes in half lengthwise and slice thinly crosswise. Remove the Pie Plate from the Fridge. Add a layer of Potato slices over the Dough in a circular pattern, overlapping, then season with Salt & Pepper. Sprinkle about 1/4 of the bacon. (If using the Bacon Bits, just eyeball it) Continue layering until the pan is nearly full. Top evenly with Cheese. Gently pour the Cream over the Torte, allowing the Cream to seep down into the Potato Slices.
~ At this point I took the remaining Pie Crust and cut out 3 holes in the Crust using a very small Heart Cookie Cutter to allow steam out. You can use any small seasonal Cutter you have on hand or just use a shot glass or something small. You could always just cut slits in the crust if you don't want to do this step.
~ Lay the Pie Crust over the filling, pressing the edges of the 2 Crusts together and Crimping them together. Beat the Egg Yolk with a splash of Water and brush the top of the Crust. The more Yolk the more golden the Crust will become.
~ Place Torte on a baking sheet and bake until the Crust is browned, approx. 50 minutes to 1 hour. Be sure to cover the edges with Tin Foil if they start to brown too fast. Let rest AT LEAST 15 minutes before cutting so the Cream Filling has time to set up.
ENJOY!