Description
A comforting and flavorful side dish featuring creamy mashed potatoes mixed with crispy bacon, sharp cheddar cheese, and green onions, baked twice for a golden, bubbly top and rich taste. Perfect for holiday dinners or family gatherings.
Ingredients
Potatoes and Seasoning
- 5 pounds potatoes (washed)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp seasoning salt
- Black pepper to taste
Dairy and Mix-ins
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup sour cream
- ½ cup butter (cold, cut in cubes)
- 1 cup cheddar cheese (shredded, plus more for topping)
Additional Toppings
- 8 slices bacon (cooked and diced, plus more for topping)
- 3 green onions, diced (green part only, plus more for topping)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 400℉ to prepare for baking the potatoes.
- Bake Potatoes: Pierce each potato multiple times with a fork. Place them directly on the top oven rack and bake for 45 to 60 minutes until they are tender when pierced with a fork.
- Prepare Potatoes: Reduce oven temperature to 350℉ once potatoes are done. When cool enough to handle, either peel the skins off or cut potatoes into quarters with skins on, then place them into a large mixing bowl.
- Mash and Mix: Add cold butter cubes to the potatoes and mash them in. Mix in sour cream, milk, garlic powder, onion powder, seasoning salt, and black pepper. Stir gently to combine without overmixing; some lumps are okay.
- Add Mix-ins: Fold in the cooked bacon, diced green onions, and shredded cheddar cheese, reserving some for topping.
- Assemble: Transfer the potato mixture to a greased 9 x 13 inch casserole dish, smoothing the surface with a spoon. Sprinkle the reserved cheese, bacon, and green onions evenly on top.
- Final Bake: Bake the casserole in the oven at 350℉ for about 30 minutes until heated through and the cheese topping is melted, bubbly, and golden. Serve warm and enjoy.
Notes
- The skins can be left on or removed based on preference.
- Do not overmix the potatoes to keep some texture.
- Use freshly cooked bacon for best flavor and crispiness.
- Adjust seasoning salt and black pepper to taste.
- For extra creaminess, substitute half-and-half for milk if desired.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
