Loaded Mashed Potatoes

Loaded mashed potatoes take the classic loaded baked potato and turns it into a casserole dish. The perfect holiday or big dinner side dish!

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One of my favorite side items for dinner is mashed potatoes. I’ve shared one of my favorite ways to make them as a garlic and leek mashed potatoes. And I’ve repurposed leftovers as potato croquettes, where I take the cold mashed potatoes and turn them into deep fried and breaded appetizers. But my current favorite go-to mashed potato will leave NO leftovers because they’re THAT. GOOD. These loaded mashed potatoes are inspired by the classic loaded baked potato, with sour cream, cheddar cheese, bacon and green onions mixed in, baked and then sprinkled on top. Better yet, you can easily scale the recipe up by doubling it to feed a crowd if you want!

What are loaded mashed potatoes?

Loaded mashed potatoes are a potato casserole dish that take inspiration from the classic “loaded” baked potato, a side dish that features a baked potato topped with butter, sour cream, cheddar cheese, bacon and green onions. However, instead of a baked potato, boiled potatoes are mashed and mixed with cream, sour cream, butter, cheddar cheese, bacon and green onions, then baked. Once baked they are topped with additional cheddar cheese bacon and green onions.

How do you make loaded mashed potatoes?

Making loaded mashed potatoes is easy. Boil chopped potatoes (with or without the skin, your preference) until the potatoes can easily be pierced with a fork. Then drain them and place the back in the still hot pot to dry out a bit.

Add butter, heavy cream, sour cream and mash to form a puree. Stir in cheddar cheese, bacon and green onions, then place in a casserole dish. Sprinkle the top with more cheddar cheese and bake until the cheese is melted. 

Sprinkle the top of the casserole with more bacon and chopped green onions and serve!

What potatoes should I use?

I use Yukon gold potatoes which have a rich, almost buttery, flavor to them. They aren’t too waxy and aren’t too starchy. Plus the skin is thinner, which means I can scrub them clean, cut them up without peeling, and cook them without the skin being too distracting.

But any potato you would use for making mashed potatoes will work! The classic russet potatoes are great for this recipe as well. I would avoid a more waxy potato like red skinned potatoes. They tend to be a little too firm for proper mashed potatoes

Can you make this ahead of time?

Yes! Mashed potatoes are the ideal make ahead food, as they warm up great. Make the mashed potatoes ahead of time, without the toppings, and just store them in a covered container for up to three days in the refrigerator.

The day you are serving them, preheat the oven to 350°F. Stir in 1/4 cup of extra milk or cream to help loosen them up and spoon them into the baking dish. Cover with cheddar cheese and heat up for 30 minutes or until they are thoroughly warmed up and the cheese is melted. Then top with the bacon and green onions.

How do you store leftovers?

You can store leftovers in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Just reheat as directed above. 

If you like these loaded mashed potatoes, check out these other potato recipes:

• Crispy Oven Potatoes
• Potato Rolls
• Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
• Shepherd’s Pie with Cheesy Garlic Mashed Potatoes
• Homemade Potato Gnocchi

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Loaded Mashed Potatoes

This mashed potato casserole dish is the ideal easy side dish for a crowd. Feel free to double the recipe and bake it in a larger casserole dish for a large group. I also like to crisp up the bacon again (a minute or two in a skillet on high heat) just to give extra crunch to the dish.

Servings 6

Calories 514kcal

Author Irvin

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds Yukon or Russet potatoes
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese divided
• 1/2 pound bacon
• 3 green onions
• Additional salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Preheat an oven to 350°F.

  Peel the potatoes (or leave scrub them clean and leave the peel on if you wish). Then cut them into 1-inch chunks. Place them in a pot and fill the pot with enough water to cover the potatoes by 1 inch. Bring the pot to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook the potatoes for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they are fork tender. Drain the potatoes, then return them to the empty hot pot. This will keep the potatoes warm and dry them out a bit.

  While the potatoes are cooking, chop the bacon into 1/4-inch thick pieces. Chop the green onions, separating the green parts from the white parts. Cook the bacon in a large skillet until crispy, then move the bacon to a bowl lined with a paper towel. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat for the potatoes.
  
• Once the potatoes are cooked and drained, add the butter to the hot potatoes and mash until melted in. Then add sour cream, milk, butter, salt, pepper, the reserve bacon fat, half of the shredded cheddar cheese, half of the cooked chopped bacon, and the white part of the green onions. Continue mash the potatoes with a potato masher until you have smooth puree and ingredients are incorporated.

  Taste the mashed potatoes and add more salt and pepper if desired.
  
• Spoon the mashed potatoes into a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Then sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese over the top of the mashed potatoes. Place in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the cheese is completely melted on top.
  
• Sprinkle the remaining bacon and the green part of the green onions over the casserole and serve.
  

Notes

This recipe can be easily doubled.

Nutrition

Calories: 514kcal