Level up your side dish game with this delicious Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole. Creamy and rich and are easy to make ahead of time, making them a great option for Thanksgiving and the holidays.
What’s in this Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole Recipe?
When it comes to deciding what to serve up for Thanksgiving and Christmas I always want to find lots of make-ahead options to make the day less stressful in the kitchen. And that’s where this delicious loaded mashed potato casserole comes in! Super easy to make, this side dish is creamy and buttery, and of course, loaded with bacon and cheese. What’s not to love?!
- Potatoes: Yukon Gold is my favorite variety of potatoes, but Russet or Idaho potatoes also work well.
- Salt + Pepper: Enhance the natural flavor of the potatoes.
- Granulated Onion: Adds a savory and earthy flavor to the potatoes.
- Garlic Powder: Adds an earthy flavor and a pungent aroma.
- Unsalted Butter: Adds moisture and richness to the potatoes.
- Cream Cheese: Makes these potatoes super rich and creamy.
- Sour Cream: Adds even more creaminess and a slightly tangy flavor.
- Half-and-Half: Adds richness and moisture. You can also use heavy cream.
- Cheddar Cheese: Makes these potatoes super cheesy!
- Crumbled Bacon: Adds a salty and umami element.
- Fresh Chives: Add a pop of color and freshness.
Pro Tip: If making ahead of time, let the potatoes cool completely before storing.
Variations on Fully Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole
I flavored these potatoes how I take my baked potatoes, fully loaded. Feel free to swap in your favorite baked potato toppings, like broccoli and cheddar cheese, pico de gallo and Mexican cheese, or caramelized onions, garlic mushrooms, and Swiss cheese.
A loaded baked potato is topped with sour cream, cheddar cheese, bacon, and chives.
My top potato when making mash is Yukon Gold. They are nice and starchy so get really fluffy. Russets or Idaho potatoes are also a good choice but stay away from waxy potatoes like red-skinned or fingerlings.
I prefer to warm the milk or cream before adding to prevent it from curdling from the sudden temperature change.
While both options work, I prefer half-and-half or heavy cream over milk for a richer flavor.
How to Store and Reheat
Store leftover loaded mashed potato casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in. 350°F oven for 20-30 minutes, or until heated through.
How to Freeze
Freeze loaded mashed potato casserole tightly wrapped in 2 layers of plastic wrap and 1 layer of aluminum foil for up to 2 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Serving Suggestions
This loaded mashed potato casserole is the perfect accompaniment to your Christmas or Thanksgiving meal. Try it with Thanksgiving turkey, prime rib roast, mini turkey meatloaves, pork crown roast, roasted turkey breast, or pork roulade.
5-Star Review
“Made this for Easter Dinner today and even my daughter who hates mashed potatoes loved this recipe.” – Tiffany
Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt divided
- 1½ teaspoons ground black pepper divided
- 1 teaspoon granulated onion
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature (1 stick)
- 4 ounces cream cheese room temperature (½ brick)
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1½ cups half-and-half or heavy cream warmed slightly
- 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese divided
- 1 pound crumbled cooked bacon divided
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives divided
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Spray a 9×13-inch casserole dish with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into 1-inch cubes. Place the potatoes in a large Dutch oven and cover with 1-inch water. Add 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon granulated onion, and ½ teaspoon garlic powder; stir well. Set over high heat and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until potatoes are fork tender, about 15 minutes.5 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 1½ teaspoons ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon granulated onion, ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Drain the potatoes and return to the empty, still hot pot. Set the pot over low heat to boil off excess moisture from the potatoes – this should take just about 1 minute.
- Mash the potatoes, then and add the butter, cream cheese, sour cream, half-and-half, and 1 cup cheese. Stir well. Add half of the bacon and 1 tablespoon chopped chives. Stir well. Taste and, if needed, season with additional kosher salt and black pepper.½ cup unsalted butter, 4 ounces cream cheese, 1½ cups half-and-half or heavy cream, 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, 1 pound crumbled cooked bacon, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, 1 cup sour cream
- Spread the mashed potatoes into the prepared baking dish.
- At this point, the potatoes can be cooked immediately or refrigerated up to 2 days.
If baking immediately…
- …adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes, until heated through. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup of cheese and bake just until the cheese melts. Remove from the oven and top with reserved bacon and chives. Serve.
If making ahead…
- …cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking.
- When ready to cook, adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Remove the plastic wrap and cover tightly with foil.
- Bake 30 minutes at 350°F, then remove the foil. Continue baking for 20-30 minutes, or until heated through. Add the reserved shredded cheese and cook just until the cheese melts. Remove from oven and top with reserved bacon and chives. Serve and enjoy!
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Becky’s tips
- Boil the potatoes until they are fork tender and boil off any excess moisture.
- Use starchy potatoes like Yukon Gold or Russet for the best mashed potatoes.
- If making ahead of time, let the potatoes cool completely before storing.
Nutrition Information
This is a VERY good recipe, thank you for sharing it. I made it today, for Thanksgiving because my husband doesn’t like mashed potatoes but he likes loaded baked potatoes. HE LOVED IT, we all did. I cooked for just me, my husband and adult son. I made it exactly as written, but I halved it since I was cooking for a small gathering. It’s great as a leftover too btw!
We’re so happy to hear you loved this recipe, Karyn!
My potatoe mixture seems a little soupy. Is this normal?
They definitely shouldn’t be soupy! Did you boil off the excess moisture before adding the dairy? If so, then I think you may have had a bit under 5 pounds of potatoes, which could lead to the mixture becoming soupy.
Made this for Easter Dinner today and even my daughter who hates mashed potatoes loved this recipe. I did leave out the bacon since this was a side dish for bbq pork ribs. So to substitute for the lack of bacon flavor I added 1 tsp more of garlic powder, 1/2 tsp of onion powder and 1/4 tsp of Slap yo Mama seasoning. But even before adding those spices, the recipe came out really good. Thank you for this post.
Thanks for sharing, Tiffany!!
I’m just using your recipe on 11/24/21 and chose it because it has the ingredients my sister uses for her loaded mashed potato dish. You might not see my comment or reply to it but I noticed SOUR CREAM listed in the directions but not in the ingredient list. I added 1 cup. Seems to have a good sour cream flavor. Can you verify the amount?
One cup!
In a number of the previous recipes you have posted, you reference the amount of spices, etc with a decimal measurement. Having been used to using 1/4 to 1 tablespoon and the same for cup measurements. I’m having trouble figuring out what is the equivalent in the cup or spoon measuements.
Thank you for you support and the great recipes. Bill K