These mashed potatoes have all the flavors of a fully loaded baked potato in the form of an easy to make casserole. I serve this dish every year for the holidays and it always gets rave reviews! Serve your casserole along with other Thanksgiving recipes such as roasted turkey breast, candied sweet potatoes and Southern cornbread dressing. In my family I am always put on mashed potato duty. I’ve made them so many times that I have it down to an exact science. But sometimes I want something a little more interesting than your standard mashed potatoes. This loaded mashed potato casserole jazzes up plain potatoes by adding everyone’s favorite baked potato toppings to the mix. Best of all, you can make the entire casserole a day in advance and just pop it in the oven to bake before it’s time to eat.
Mashed Potato Casserole Ingredients
To make this recipe, you will need Russet potatoes, milk, butter, sour cream, kosher salt, black pepper, cheddar cheese, bacon, chives and parsley.
How Do You Make Mashed Potato Casserole?
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt. Cook the potatoes in the boiling water until they are tender. Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot. Add milk, butter, sour cream, cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Use an electric mixer or potato masher to blend everything together. Preheat the oven and grease a casserole dish. Spread the potatoes into the prepared dish, and top with the rest of the cheese. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake. Uncover the pan, then add the bacon and bake until the cheese is bubbly. Add a sprinkle of chives and parsley, then serve and enjoy.
Tips For The Perfect Dish
For extra smooth potatoes, use a potato ricer to smash the potatoes before you add them back to the pot. Never use a food processor to make mashed potatoes, as they will turn gummy. I recommend using freshly shredded cheddar cheese. The bagged kind at the grocery store is often coated with preservatives and anti caking agents and does not melt as well. Watch your casserole carefully during the last part of the baking time to make sure your bacon doesn’t get overly brown. This recipe can be prepared up to one day before you plan to serve it. Prepare the mashed potato mixture and place them in the baking dish with the cheese on top. Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate until you’re ready to bake the casserole.
Flavor Variations
While this recipe is delicious as-is, you can customize some of the ingredients to suit your tastes.
Potatoes: No Russet potatoes on hand? Yukon Gold potatoes will also work well. Cheese: Swap out the cheddar for other varieties such as colby jack, mozzarella, fontina or Monterey Jack. Flavorings: You can add other ingredients to the mashed potatoes such as fresh garlic, jalapeno, smoked paprika, onion powder or cream cheese.
These mashed potatoes are on our table for every holiday, and there are never any leftovers. You definitely can’t argue with that kind of success!
Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole Video
