Cook bacon until fried, but not yet crispy, and set aside. I prefer to do this in my oven or air fryer, but you can also use a frying pan.

Line the base and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with parchment paper. Allow the parchment paper to hang over the sides.

Peel and thinly slice potatoes. This is easiest using a mandoline slicer, but be sure to be careful. The sliced potatoes should be very thinly cut.

Line the bottom of the prepared baking dish with two layers of sliced potatoes. Drizzle with some cream, thyme, Parmesan, and a sprinkle of salt, enough to coat the layer.

Cover with a layer of cooked bacon.

Top the bacon with another two layers of sliced potatoes. Continue to layer with cream, thyme, Parmesan, salt, bacon, and potatoes until all ingredients are used up.

Fold in the tops of the parchment paper and cover the entire baking dish with plastic wrap. Place a slightly smaller baking pan on top. Fill with something heavy, such as cans, and allow the dish to rest for 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven while you wait to 350°F.

When ready, remove the weighted pan and the plastic wrap. Cover the top with foil. Bake until the potatoes are tender, about 1 hour.

Remove the foil and set aside. Bake another 20 minutes to lightly brown the top of the potato pave.

Place the foil back over the casserole, and top with the smaller baking sheet and weights. Chill in the refrigerator overnight.

The next day, preheat the oven to 425°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment.

Remove the layered potatoes to a large cutting board. Use a sharp knife to trim the edges. Cut the remaining casserole into small squares, and skewer each top to bottom with a toothpick.

Transfer each skewer to the prepared baking sheets. Make sure they don't touch. Bake the potato pave until lightly golden, about 10 minutes. Gently flip and bake another 10-15 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate to drain the excess oil, then serve with hot sauce if desired.