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Jazz up plain potatoes with these easy Loaded Mashed Potatoes. Lots of bacon, cheese, sour cream and more make this a delicious comfort food side dish.
My kids love when I make creamy mashed potatoes. They could eat it with every meal. So I decided to change up their favorite side dish and added some delicious flavor. Adding baked potato toppings and baking the potatoes, makes it the ultimate side dish recipe.
If your family loves mashed potatoes as much as mine, then you must try Homemade Mashed Potatoes or Easy Cheesy Mashed Potatoes.
Table of Contents
Why We Love this Recipe
If you love cheese and bacon, this loaded mashed potato casserole recipe is the one to try. I love the pop of color the green onions give it. Not only is this so delicious but it is really a pretty casserole too.
Give this ultimate comfort food side dish a try. It is delicious served with your holiday turkey, grilled chicken or teriyaki steak.
Ingredients
- Red Potatoes
- Minced Garlic
- Ranch Seasoning – dry mix
- Butter
- Milk
- Salt and Pepper
- Bacon – cooked and crumbled
- Sour Cream
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- Chives
Scroll to the bottom to see the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and recipe.
Variations Ideas
- Substitute Milk – I usually use milk for this recipe but you can substitute with heavy cream or evaporated milk.
- Substitute Sour Cream – You can reduce part of the sour cream and substitute cream cheese if you prefer. Both are delicious!
- Bacon – We prefer to use cooked crispy bacon in this recipe. If you prefer you can use bacon bits.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1 – Wash the potatoes and quarter them. We left the skin on.
Step 2. Place potatoes in a large pot and cover them with water. Once they are covered with water, bring to a boil and simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes. You want the potatoes to be fork tender.
Step 3. Drain the potatoes and put them back in the pot.
Step 4 – Add in the garlic, ranch seasoning, butter, salt and ½ a cup of the milk. I prefer to use an electric mixer to blend the potatoes until they are light and fluffy. You can use a potato masher if you prefer.
Step 5 – Use the remaining milk to gradually add to the mashed potatoes. Mix until they are the consistency that you prefer.
Step 6 – Add to a baking dish. Sprinkle the shredded cheese, bacon and chives on top of the mashed potatoes. Bake until the cheese is melted.
Recipe Tips
- Preparing Potatoes – So that the potatoes cook evenly, we recommend cutting them about the same size to boil them.
- Mixing Ingredients – After preparing the potatoes, beat them with a hand mixer or a stand mixer with the seasoning. You want to potatoes to be fork tender before mashing them. Gradually add in the milk to the consistency the you prefer.
- Cheese – We recommend shredding cheese yourself instead of using bag cheese. Pre-shredded cheese as added ingredients and it may not melt as well as hunk cheese.
- Cover While Baking – Cover with foil and bake. This prevents the cheese and bacon from burning before the whole casserole is heated thorough.
How to Make Ahead
First, make the casserole as directed but do not bake it. Once the casserole is together, cover and refrigerate.
Just bake it when you are ready to serve at the normal baking time and temperature. Note that you may need to add 3 to 5 minutes to the baking time to make sure the potatoes are completely heated all the way through from being refrigerated.
It is so nice for potlucks or holidays to be able to make this in advance. I love to do as much as possible ahead of time.
Frequently Asked Questions
We used red potatoes but you can use what you prefer. Russet potatoes and Yukon Gold Potatoes would also be delicious.
Refrigerate the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days.
More Easy Potato Recipes
- Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Crockpot Cheesy Potatoes
- Loaded Baked Potato Casserole
- Easy Stovetop Scalloped Potatoes Recipe
- Leftover Mashed Potato Cakes Recipe
We love hearing from you. If you make this Loaded Mashed Potato Recipe, make sure to leave us a comment or a star review.
Loaded Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Red Potatoes
- 2 tsp Minced Garlic
- 1 packet Ranch Seasoning 1 oz.
- 1/4 cup Butter
- 3/4 cup Milk
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 6 Slices Bacon cooked and crumbled
- 1 cup Sour Cream
- 2 cups Cheddar Cheese Shredded
- 1/2 cup Chives
Instructions
- Clean the potatoes and quarter them (leave the skin on).
- Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover them with water. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender.
- Drain the potatoes and then return them back to the pot.
- Then add in the garlic, ranch seasoning, butter, salt and ½ a cup of the milk. Use an electric mixer to blend the potatoes until they are light and fluffy.
- Add in the sour cream and Gradually add in the remaining milk until the mashed potatoes are the consistency that you prefer.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and place the mashed potatoes in a 9X9 baking pan.
- Then top the mashed potatoes with the shredded cheese, bacon and chives.
- Cover with foil (slightly tent the foil so that it does not stick to the cheese) and bake for 10-15 minutes until the cheese is completely melted.
- Serve immediately while warm and enjoy!
I cannot WAIT to try this. It sounds so much easier than scooping the potatoes, mixing it then putting them back in to bake. Thank you for the recipe!
I make these loaded mashed potatoes at family gatherings and when I make a pot roast or a pork loin. These loaded mashed potatoes is my husband favorite side dishe recipe..