Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole
Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole is an easy make ahead, crowd pleasing side dish. Creamy mashed potatoes are loaded with lots of cheese, crispy bacon, tangy sour cream, and topped with green onion. This recipe is great for weeknight dinners or when feeding a crowd like Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 3 lb Russet Potatoes
- 1 tsp Salt
- 12 oz Bacon chopped
- 8 tbsp Butter
- 1/2 cup Milk
- 1/2 cup Sour Cream
- 8 oz Colby Jack Cheese
- 2 Green Onions to garnish
Instructions
- Peel and dice potatoes into roughly 1/2" pieces.
- Place potatoes in a pot and add enough water to cover. Add salt.
- Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium.
- Cook until potatoes are tender (easily pierced with fork).
- Drain and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 375.
- Cut bacon into 1" pieces and cook in a skillet until browned.
- Remove bacon from skillet and place on paper towels to drain.
- Microwave butter for 1 minute in a medium bowl.
- Add milk and heat for 30 seconds, until butter is melted.
- Add sour cream and whisk until blended.
- Gradually add milk mixture to potatoes until desired consistency is reached.
- Beat potatoes with a mixer until creamy. Set aside.
- Shred the cheese.
- Add 1/2 of the bacon and 1/2 the cheese to the potatoes. Stir to incorporate.
- Transfer potatoes to a baking dish.
- Top with remaining bacon.
- Top with remaining cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and cook an additional 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
- Trim and chop green onions. Sprinkle on top.
Notes
- Add the milk and butter mixture to the potatoes in small amounts. You may not use all of the butter and milk mixture. Beat until you have you have the consistency you like.
- For a smoother mashed potato casserole with less lumps, use a potato ricer to smash the potatoes.
- Pan fried thick cut bacon gives the best texture. If you need to save time, use store-bought pre-cooked microwave bacon.
- Fresh grated cheese is the best. Bagged cheese contains anti caking agents so it will not melt well.
- Lightly butter your aluminum foil to prevent cheese from sticking.
- If you are not baking your potatoes immediately and are making ahead, allow the potatoes to cool before adding final layer of cheese.
- If making potato casserole ahead of time, prepare the mixture, add to baking dish and then cover with aluminum foil. Refrigerate until ready to bake.
Nutrition
Calories: 562kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 853mg | Potassium: 882mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 793IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 257mg | Iron: 2mg