These Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes are a potato lover’s dream. It's made with creamy mashed potatoes that are then topped with shredded cheddar cheese, baked until that's melted, and finished with crispy bacon and green onions. Similar to a loaded baked potato, but in casserole form. It's the perfect dish to serve at a dinner party or holiday dinner.
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Ingredients
The simple ingredients needed to make these mashed potato casserole are below. This combination makes perfectly creamy potatoes, that are then topped with sharp cheddar cheese, bacon, and scallions for the ideal loaded potato combination.
- Potatoes: Russet potatoes are the ideal mashed potato because of their starch content that enables them to stay fluffy without getting gluey.
- Heavy cream: Used to make the mashed potatoes creamy and fluffy. You could alternatively use half and half or whole milk.
- Sour cream: Also used to make the mashed potatoes creamy, but also to bring a small hint of tangy flavor. You could use room temp cream cheese if you have that on hand.
- Butter: Unsalted butter gets mashed into the potatoes to add flavor and help make the texture luscious.
- Garlic powder & onion powder: A classic spice combination that adds a perfect amount of flavor.
- Salt & pepper: kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper are ideal.
- Cheese: For sprinkling on top before baking – extra sharp or sharp cheddar cheese is ideal. You could however just pick your favorite meltable cheese. Some other good options are gruyere, fontina, and pepper jack. To ensure your cheese melts evenly, grate the cheese yourself off the block.
- Bacon: Crispy, chopped bacon is the perfect addition – it gets sprinkled on top to finish the dish. Whatever your favorite cut of bacon is will work.
- Scallions/green onions or chives: These are chopped and sprinkled on top for a fresh finishing element. Other fresh herbs you can use are parsley, thyme, or chopped rosemary.
Step by step instructions
To make these twice baked mashed potatoes follow the steps below. Full recipe can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
1. Boil the potatoes. Place the peeled and cut potatoes into a large pot. Fill the pot with cold water at least 2 inches above the potatoes. Set over high heat and boil until fork tender, about 15 minutes depending on the size you cut them.
2. Mash the potatoes. Drain the potatoes and add them back in the pot or to a large bowl. Add the heavy cream, sour cream, butter, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Mash to your desired consistency.
3. Prep for baking. Transfer the potato mixture to a baking dish / casserole dish and top with the shredded cheese.
4. Bake & add toppings. Put the dish into a preheated oven and bake until the cheese is melted and golden brown. About 10-15 minutes. Top with cooked bacon and scallions.
Tips and tricks
While this recipe is hopefully easy, I've listed some tips and tricks below for a bit of extra help.
- You can bake the potatoes instead of boil them for their first cook. To do so, keep the skins on, pierce the potatoes all around with a fork, wrap them individually in aluminum foil and bake at 400°F for about an hour. Then remove the skin before mashing.
- Shred your own cheese – this ensures there’s no additives that would prevent it from melting properly.
- Use room temperature heavy cream, sour cream, and butter - it will mix more homogeneously into the potatoes.
- Rather than using garlic powder, you could add a few garlic cloves into the pot to boil with the potatoes. Drain and mash with the potatoes.
Storage and reheating
- Storage: keep the dish in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freezing: this dish freezes well, but it should be frozen before finished. Follow the steps through making the mashed potatoes. Then transfer them to a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight before topping with the cheese and baking.
- Reheating: ideally this dish is warmed in the oven at 350°F for about 10-15 minutes. However it can also be warmed in the microwave for a few minutes.
- If you're worried about the cheese flowing over the edge of the casserole dish as it bakes, put the dish on a baking sheet before putting it in the oven.
FAQs
You can use a fork or a wooden spoon! Blender or food processor will likely overwork the potatoes, making them gluey. If you have a potato ricer that’s also great.
Plenty! Russets are the best for mashed potatoes, but if you need to, you can also use yukon gold potatoes or red potatoes.
You don’t always need to peel the skin off the potatoes for mashed potatoes, but for this recipe I like to.
Yes! To do so, make the recipe through mashing the potatoes. Then when you’re ready for it, bake the potatoes with the cheese on top and finish with the bacon and scallions.
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📖 Recipe
Loaded Twice Baked Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3 russet potatoes
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 3 strips bacon cooked & chopped
- 2 tablespoon scallions sliced
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425℉.
- Place peeled and cut potatoes into a large pot. Fill the pot with cold water at least 2 inches above the potatoes. Set over high heat and boil until fork tender, about 15 minutes depending on the size you cut them.
- Drain the potatoes and add them back in the pot or to a large bowl. Add the heavy cream, sour cream, butter, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Mash to your desired consistency.
- Transfer the potato mixture to a baking dish / casserole dish and top with the shredded cheese.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes until the cheese is melted and golden brown.
- Top with chopped bacon and scallions.
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