Loaded mashed potato casserole transforms your favourite potatoes right into a make-ahead pleasant casserole! This model is completely tacky with simply the correct amount of bacon and bitter cream (or cream cheese, your alternative!). Recipe features a how-to video!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Loaded with all your favourite mix-ins. bitter cream (or cream cheese!), bacon, cheddar cheese, and chives/scallions. There’s a lot taste occurring right here!
- Prepared in below an hour & simply quarter-hour of hands-on time. Leaves you loads of time to focus in your principal dish.
- Might be prepped upfront. I embody directions on learn how to make this as much as two days forward of serving.
- Simply moveable, so it makes the proper travel-ready Thanksgiving aspect dish!
Neglect the turkey, mashed potatoes are hands-down a very powerful dish on any Thanksgiving or different vacation dinner desk (or, simply any dinner desk, actually). Whereas I like my traditional mashed potatoes, typically it’s enjoyable to get a bit fancy, and this loaded mashed potato casserole, filled with shredded cheese, bacon, bitter cream, and chives is one thing of a showstopper.
You’re only one hour away from this tacky, crispy-bacon-goodness (and the vast majority of that’s passive wait-for-it-to-bake time!)…let’s dive proper in!
What You Want
- Potatoes. Both russet or gold potatoes will work, however I usually choose the starchier russet potatoes. You have to to peel your potatoes earlier than chopping them.
- Cheese. I like cheddar, although you actually can use no matter you like (my youngsters love Colby jack)! Shredding your personal cheese will offer you the most effective outcomes (similar to when making mac and cheese!), however you should use pre-shredded should you’re in a pinch.
- Milk. I like to recommend entire milk for finest outcomes, however any may work right here. If you happen to select a non-dairy various, you could want a number of splashes greater than I listing within the recipe.
- Bitter cream OR cream cheese. Decide your favourite–each work properly! Once I examined this recipe, my style testers had been utterly divided on choice, to the purpose the place I actually couldn’t determine which one was higher. If you happen to can’t determine, go for bitter cream, because it has a milder taste that everybody appears to take pleasure in.
- Garlic. No mincing wanted, use your garlic press to press a single clove into your potatoes (or two, in case your cloves are small!).
SAM’S TIP: Don’t skimp on the garnish! 1-2 tablespoons of contemporary chives or scallions add taste and a pleasant pop of coloration to your casserole.
That is simply an summary of the elements I used and why. For the total recipe please scroll right down to the underside of the put up!
Tips on how to Make Mashed Potato Casserole
Earlier than we start, I wish to point out that the images and directions beneath are simply meant to be useful, visible tips to accompany the written recipe (on the backside of the put up) and aren’t supposed so that you can try to bake from. I present these images and particulars as a result of I believe they’re useful, however for the total recipe in its entirety scroll right down to the recipe card.
- Prep your potatoes. Peel ’em, chop ’em, and rinse them properly (give them a very good rinse below chilly water). When slicing your potatoes, it’s vital to chop the items in order that they’re shut in measurement, that manner they prepare dinner evenly and also you don’t find yourself with lumpy potatoes (trace: should you actually don’t like lumpy potatoes, use a ricer to mash them)
- Boil till tender. Prepare dinner the potatoes in well-salted water, boiling till fork-tender, then drain properly and return the potatoes to the pot.
- Mash ’em. In case you are utilizing a ricer, rice them earlier than including your different elements. If utilizing a masher, add the milk, butter, cream cheese/bitter cream, salt, and spices after which mash away, then fold in a cup of the cheese.
- Unfold the combination into your baking dish and prime with the remaining cheese.
- Sprinkle crumbled bacon overtop, then cowl and bake. We’ll bake for 20 minutes with the foil on, then take away the foil and hold baking till the cheese is bubbly.
- Garnish with chives or scallions, then serve!
SAM’S TIP: Evenly butter your foil earlier than inserting it over your casserole; this may assist forestall the cheese from sticking. Simply be sure to place the butter aspect down!
Continuously Requested Questions
Russet potatoes are my alternative, I like their fluffier, starchier high quality. Nonetheless, yellow, gold, or purple potatoes will all work properly right here. If utilizing a thinner-skinned potato (like gold or purple) you don’t even must peel them should you don’t thoughts the skins!
I take advantage of an 11×7″ (17x28cm) casserole dish, these are usually 2 or 2.5 quarts. If you happen to go for a spherical pan, these are normally deeper and should require extra time within the oven to completely warmth by means of, so hold that in thoughts.
If you wish to make this in a 9×13″ pan, your casserole might be thinner, which is completely high-quality, it simply received’t want fairly as lengthy to bake.
I suppose you could possibly, however the taste doubtless received’t be nearly as good, and I can’t assure your outcomes. However you could possibly at all times attempt–it can undoubtedly save time!
If you happen to love mashed potatoes, give my shepherd’s pie a attempt subsequent!
Take pleasure in!
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Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole
Servings: 8 servings
Energy: 390kcal
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Directions
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Preheat oven to 375F (190C).
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Peel and lower potatoes into 1 ½” (4cm) items. Place in a colander and rinse below chilly water for one minute.
3 lbs (1.3 kg) russet or gold potatoes
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Switch potatoes to a big pot, cowl with not less than an inch of water, and generously salt the water. Place pot on stovetop over excessive warmth and produce to a boil, stirring sometimes. As soon as potatoes are fork-tender, rigorously drain potatoes into colander then return to the pot and permit to take a seat for a minute (this helps the surplus water evaporate from the pan).
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Add milk, butter, bitter cream or cream cheese, garlic, salt, and pepper,and mash till potatoes attain desired consistency. Stir properly.
⅔ cup (157 ml) entire milk, ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, ½ cup (120 g) bitter cream, 1 clove garlic, 1 teaspoon desk salt, ½ teaspoon contemporary cracked black pepper
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Stir in 1 cup (4oz) or shredded cheddar cheese till properly distributed.
6 oz (170 g) shredded cheddar cheese
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Unfold potatoes right into a 2 or 2.5 qt casserole dish. Prime with remaining ½ cup (2oz) of shredded cheddar cheese and crumbled bacon.
½ cup (60 g) crumbled bacon
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Evenly butter a big piece of foil and calmly cowl the casserole dish (buttered aspect down). Switch to middle rack of 375F (190C) preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes, take away the foil, and proceed baking for an additional 15-20 minutes, till cheese is melty and bubbly.
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Take away from oven and prime with chives or scallions. Serve heat.
Chives or scallions
Notes
Bitter cream vs cream cheese
Both of those is a scrumptious possibility. I personally choose cream cheese, which is a bit richer and makes a thicker mashed potato. If you happen to aren’t certain which to make use of, although, I like to recommend utilizing bitter cream which has a milder taste and is extra more likely to be well-enjoyed by all your friends.
Baking dish
I take advantage of an 11×7″ (17x28cm) casserole dish, these are usually 2 or 2.5 quarts. If you happen to go for a spherical pan, observe that these are normally deeper and should require extra time within the oven to completely warmth by means of.
If you wish to make this in a 9×13″ pan, your casserole might be thinner, which is completely high-quality, it simply received’t want as a lot time within the oven to warmth by means of (begin checking 5 minutes sooner).
Storing
Retailer tightly lined within the fridge for as much as 4 days.
Making upfront
You can also make your entire dish as much as 2 days upfront of baking. Comply with the recipe by means of step 6 (don’t bake), cowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate. When able to bake, take away plastic wrap and canopy with calmly buttered foil. Let sit at room temperature whereas oven heats to 350F. Bake lined for 30-40 minutes, then uncover and bake a further 15-20 minutes, till cheese is melty and dish is heated by means of.
Freezing
Let the potatoes cool utterly, retailer in an hermetic container or wrap tightly. I typically wish to press plastic wrap into the floor of the potatoes to assist forestall any freezer burn. It is going to hold for about 2 months within the freezer. earlier than reheating, thaw in a single day within the fridge and reheat in 350F (175C) oven (take away the plastic wrap first, should you used it!), lined, for about half-hour (or longer, verify that the middle is heated earlier than serving, typically you suppose it’s thawed all the best way however it’s nonetheless frozen within the middle and might have extra time, an instant-read thermometer is an effective way to verify the temperature!).
Vitamin
Serving: 1serving | Energy: 390kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 13g | Fats: 24g | Saturated Fats: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 1g | Monounsaturated Fats: 5g | Trans Fats: 0.5g | Ldl cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 664mg | Potassium: 781mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 693IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 217mg | Iron: 2mg
Dietary info relies on third-party calculations and must be thought-about an estimate solely. Precise dietary content material will fluctuate based mostly upon manufacturers used, measuring strategies, cooking technique, portion sizes, and extra.
