Loaded Mashed Potatoes are creamy and buttery, topped with cheddar cheese, bacon and scallions. They’re a breeze to make and perfect for making ahead.
Ultimate Loaded Mashed Potatoes
Mashed Potatoes and baked potatoes are the ultimate comfort food around here. We love the warm, creamy starchy goodness and adding all the toppings is always a huge hit. One person will usually make a pile of cheese on their plate roughly the size of the potatoes while another will make what looks like a bacon mountain. This used to lead to fights over toppings.
Now, we make loaded mashed potatoes casserole which takes all the “I didn’t get enough bacon” off the table. This dish is easy, it feeds a crowd and it can be made ahead.
Made with bacon, sour cream, cheese and green onions, these really do feel like they’re fully loaded mashed potatoes.
Easiest Mashed Potato Recipes:
- Ultimate Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes: No work needed at all for these mashed potatoes and they’re great for serving at parties because they can stay warm in the slow cooker.
- Richest, Cheesiest, Crispy Mashed Potatoes: These mashed potatoes are the CHEESIEST I’ve ever seen and crispy from a final bake!
This recipe was originally requested a couple of years ago by my husband after he ate Chili’s Loaded Mashed Potatoes. So you can imagine his joy that when I was developing the recipe, I had him pick up 2 large servings from our local restaurant.
How to make Loaded Mashed Potatoes:
I started making the mashed potatoes with milk, but it wasn’t tangy or creamy enough. I tried mashed potatoes with cream cheese and mashed potatoes with heavy cream, but it wasn’t until I subbed in JUST sour cream that the texture came out perfect. We did at one point have a refrigerator full of trays of mashed potatoes.
When it came to serving these potatoes I tried just adding the cheese and a sheet of foil to let them naturally melt, but the cheese didn’t get quite melted enough. The bacon also stayed a little too cold even with the carryover heat. A quick trip to the oven solves this, so I highly recommend the final step of baking.
If you are pressed for time, I suggest adding half the potatoes to the casserole dish, then the cheese, then remaining potatoes and topping it with bacon and green onions. The cheese being in the middle will help it melt more. Use the skillet to re-warm your bacon crumbles for just a few seconds before adding them to the top of the mashed potatoes.
If you’re looking to make this dish a bit healthier to counteract all the cheese and bacon and butter, you can make cauliflower loaded mashed potatoes by boiling half the amount of cauliflower and pureeing it in your food processor before adding it in with the mashed potatoes.
You won’t even be able to taste the difference and with half the amount of potatoes in the recipe you will be saving a lot of calories and carbs.
Tools used in this Loaded Mashed Potatoes Recipe:
Potato Masher: 1/2 whisk, 1/2 potato masher, I love this kitchen tool!
Immersion Blender or Hand Mixer: Make quick work of the potatoes this blender is my go to for blending soups and mashed potatoes.
9×13 Baking Pan: The perfect size for these mashed potatoes to have good topping coverage and baking time in the oven.
Loaded Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 8 ounces bacon or more to taste
- 3 pounds russet potatoes peeled and cut into 1" cubes
- 1 stick butter
- 1 container (16 oz) sour cream
- 4 teaspoons Kosher salt divided
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 8 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup green onions sliced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Put the potatoes into a large pot and cover with water and 2 teaspoons of the salt.
Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
- Drain the potatoes and put them back into the pot with the butter and sour cream.
- Mash them well and add in the remaining salt and the pepper.
- Scoop the potatoes into a 9x13 casserole dish and top with the cheese and bacon.
Cook the potatoes for 5-10 minutes covered with foil, or until the cheese is fully melted.
- Garnish with green onions before serving.
Recipe Notes
If making ahead for a party, stop at the step before it goes into the oven. If refrigerated in between, cook the potatoes for 15-20 minutes covered.
Can I use a disposable tin casserole dish?
Sure 🙂
Is this recipe just as easy to double??
Sure 🙂
Made them, ate them, loved them!
While the recipe, as posted, is simply wonderful, I cut the bacon and cheese in half to better suit our own nutritional limits, and the potatoes turned out fabulous. I’ll definitely make this again, and again, and would not hesitate to serve them to company.
They look lovely, they taste fabulous, and will no doubt be wonderful leftovers, if we’re lucky enough to have any.
Thank you, Sabrina.
Sabrina l love your recipes but could we have some for 2
You can easily adjust the recipe down using the slider tool in the recipe card for only 2 servings. Personally, I don’t mind having leftovers the next day to give myself a break from cooking every now and again. Hope this helps!
Made this for our Thanksgiving feast this year, and everyone loved them! Thank you for the recipe!
You’re welcome, Kathy.
Can I make this ahead of time, then freeze it?
Sure 🙂
Can I cook the potatoes in the oven instead of the stovetop? I’m making this for thanksgiving and going to make it the night before and will add the cheese and garnish with the onions before heating it in the oven.
You can always cook them first in the oven like baked potatoes and then mash them. Otherwise, besides boiling the potatoes, this recipe is made in the oven. Hope this helps!
Can you use the red potatoes instead of the russet potatoes
Yep 🙂
The recipe calls for 4 teaspoons of salt.. I see that you only used 2 to boil in the water? Where is the other salt incorporated? And the ground pepper?
Thanks
You’ll want to add them in step 5. 🙂 Enjoy!
Do you cook the bacon before you put it in the dish?
Yes 🙂
Can you use hash brown potatoes instead of mashed
That sounds amazing!
Can I use garlic salt instead if regular salt??
Sure
Sabrina,
Can I cook this potatoe dish, like the crockpot recipe?
Then should I place in oven safe roasting pan when adding the cheese & bacon – or will the cheese crisp up, with lid off crockpot, for 30min, like the crockpot dressing?
I can cook the bacon just before, it is to be added & served.
Sorry, to ask about changing the recipe(s) but think they both look & sound great, want to try both for Thanksgiving meal.
That sounds right – I would recommend baking the cheese and the bacon part, so that they get melty and browned.
Thank you, for your speedy response. I hope you & your family have a safe & wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday.
Sincerely,
Lise
Same to you!
Looks SO good! I can’t wait to try!
Thanks Sandra!
Oooh yeah…these really ARE the ultimate mashed potatoes!
Thanks Cathy!
Mashed potatoes are always a great go to for a side dish!
Definitely!
I love how cheesy these are!
Cheese is always a good addition!!
I will definitely take some of these mashed potatoes off your hands!!!
Come on over 🙂
I think I could eat this practically every day and not get tired of it!