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Deliciously cheesy mashed potato casserole is a comforting twist that takes a classic side dish to a whole new level!
WE LOOOVE THEM!
We love Mashed Potatoes (in fact, we are strong believers they are the real star of Thanksgiving), but put them in casserole form and add even more cheese and goodness, and we promise you’ll be obsessed with today’s Mashed Potato Casserole.
This potato side dish is a casserole version of Mashed Potatoes and Twice Baked Potatoes combined and is the perfection addition to your holiday meal. Plus, it’s simple and can be made ahead of time making it holiday perfection.
WHY WE LOVE IT:
- DELICIOUS!! With butter, potatoes, bacon, cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, and more – what’s not to love? The flavor is incredible!
- Make ahead of time. We love this for holidays and love that it can be made in advance, which is great for busy weeks and get-togethers.
- Feeds a crowd. It’s great for company since it feeds a lot, making is perfect for holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Ingredients
PREP TIME: 35 minutes
BAKE TIME: 20 minutes
- 5 pounds potatoes – Russet potatoes and Yukon Gold potatoes are preferred – they have a perfect amount of starch which helps create creamy, flavorful potatoes.
- 1 cup sour cream – use full-fat sour cream.
- ½ cup butter – salted or unsalted work great, but you may need more salt if you’re using unsalted butter.
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- ½ cup milk – use 2% or higher for this recipe.
- 2 teaspoons garlic salt (with parsley flakes)
- black pepper – to taste
- 12 slices cooked bacon – We prefer to make Bacon in the Oven but you can also use a microwave bacon if you’re in a rush.
- 2 cups cheddar cheese – use other cheeses or a blend of your favorites including Mozzarella and Italian blend.
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
- garnish – green onion, chives, or other fresh herbs work great.
How to Make Mashed Potato Casserole
- POTATOES. Peel and cube 5 pounds potatoes. Place in a large pot and add water until just covering potatoes. Bring to boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and cook for 18-20 minutes.
- MASH. Drain water and mash potatoes using a potato masher or spoon (do not over-mix or potatoes will become gummy). Add 1 cup sour cream, ½ cup butter, 8 ounces cream cheese, and ½ cup milk until well combined.
- SEASON. Add 1 teaspoon garlic salt, and black pepper to taste. Fold in ½ of the cooked bacon, 1 cup cheddar cheese, and ½ cup parmesan cheese. Stir well.
- BAKE. Spoon into a lightly greased 9×13 pan. Top with remaining shredded cheddar cheese and the rest of the bacon. Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes.
- TOPPINGS. Garnish with green onions or chives.
Complete the Meal
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Homemade Pumpkin Pie
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1 hr 45 mins
Cheesy Potatoes
4 hrs 5 mins
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Mashed Potato Casserole
Deliciously cheesy mashed potato casserole is a comforting twist that takes a classic side dish to a whole new level!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 5 pounds potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 1 cup sour cream
- ½ cup butter
- 8 ounces cream cheese, cubed
- ½ cup milk
- 2 teaspoons garlic salt (with parsley flakes)
- pepper to taste
- 12 slices bacon, cooked, chopped, and divided
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, divided
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
- green onions, for garnish
Instructions
- Peel and cube potatoes.
- Place in pot and add water until just covering potatoes. Bring to boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and cook for 18-20 minutes.
- Drain water and mash potatoes using a masher or spoon. Add sour cream, butter, cream cheese, and milk until well combined. Add salt and pepper. Fold in ½ the bacon, 1 cup cheddar cheese, and parmesan cheese. Stir well.
- Spoon into a lightly greased 9×13 pan. Top with remaining cheddar cheese and the rest of the bacon.
- Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes. Garnish with green onions and ENJOY!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Calories: 469kcal, Carbohydrates: 25g, Protein: 15g, Fat: 34g, Saturated Fat: 18g, Cholesterol: 89mg, Sodium: 883mg, Potassium: 912mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 855IU, Vitamin C: 21.7mg, Calcium: 296mg, Iron: 6.5mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
How Much Should I Make?
- It may depend on how much your family loves mashed potatoes. Here is a quick guide to help:
- 10 people – 1 dish
- 20-25 people – double recipe
- 35-40 people – triple recipe
Making ahead of time:
- We recommend making this no more than 48 hours in advance, cover and refrigerate. Cook until warmed throughout.
How to Store Leftover Mashed Potato Casserole?
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.
- To freeze, simply spread them into a freezer Ziploc bag and squeeze out as much air as possible. They’re best when used within 6-8 weeks, but can last for up to 4 months.
- To reheat. Let potatoes thaw in the fridge overnight. Place potatoes in a casserole dish and bake at 350°F for about 25 minutes. Add additional cheese and top and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
Recipe adapted from McCormick.
Delicious recipe! I love mashed potatoes.
This Mashed Potato Cassarole was awesome. Could be made with shredded chicken, turkey or almost any kind of meat. Family loved it. Could also add favorite vegetables. Endless possibilities! Thanks for the recipes.
I made this recipe for Easter last year and it did not disappoint. Sadly I had none to take home as everyone went back for seconds.
What a combination of ingredients for this casserole!
How can you not love it?…. butter, potatoes, sour cream, cheese, cream cheese and bacon, with toppings. Steaming hot, served with your turkey, ham or roast beef and chicken? You can’t go wrong with this casserole and I can’t wait to make this for Thanksgiving!
This dish is so good, and extremely easy. Have to double this for our family. Everyone loves it. The addition of the bacon and green onions are what makes this dish a favorite.
Make at least 4 to 5 times a year
I love cheese and I love mashed potatoes, so I gave this a 5 star rating, good cooking!
So so good! The fam gobbled it up, and I finished the rest, so there were no leftovers 🙂
The most perfect side ever! This had so much flavor and was so easy to make. Cannot wait to make this again!
This is the perfect way to make a large amount of soft and fluffy potatoes for a crowd! It made the best side dish.
Thanks for a delicious make ahead dish
This recipe is a perfect make-ahead for Easter dinner. It’s mashed potatoes so already a comfort food and then the addition of cheese and bacon?? So good.
This casserole is amazing! Love that you can make ahead of time! Sooo creamy and taste delicious! What a hit!
We love this casserole
Made it fir Christmas dinner and was so tasty and held/ transported so well
This sounds delicious – I love Stuffed Potatoes and going to try this when I have a crowd. Thanks for sharing
You’re welcome! Hope you enjoy!
This is a must make for our anniversary tomorrow. My husband loves mashed potatoes and adding cheese just takes them up a notch. This will be enjoyed by my daughter, brother and sister in law, and of course the happy 56 years anniversary couple. Sure to be a hit.
Yum! I’m putting these on the menu!
Can I make it up a day before and not cook until the next day?
I think my grandson would really love these and considering making them for Thanksgiving. Cheese goes with everything.
These are the best! I have been making them for years for our Friendsgiving. 🙂
Girl thanks for these, with Easter coming up and needing to expand the table, these will come in handy and I KNOW that whatever I make from you will always be terrific! No guesswork or worry!
I used many of your Fiesta recipes for our Anniversary celebration at church with 60 guests. It was again, what was that word…oh yeah, TERRIFIC!
Thank you!
Awe, thanks for saying that!! That means a lot!!
Very good!
Glad you think so! Thank you!
Sounds delicious! Will definitely try it without bacon. Thanks for the great recipes!
You are so welcome!! And, you can definitely leave the bacon off & it will still taste great! Enjoy!
Great recipe, especially when I have leftover baked potatoes. Very simple to use them instead of cooking a fresh batch of potatoes. My family loves this recipe. Thank you for a delicious and quick recipe!!!
You are so welcome!! I’m glad your family likes them!!
These are great. My family will love and I’m adding to my Easter menu! Thanks for another great casserole idea.
You are so welcome!! I hope it’s a hit!!
Hi,
I’ve made this recipe for years and I love it!
I do have a question though – does it matter if we boil the potatoes like the instructions above or steam them in the instapot?
This recipe had me at potato’s since I grew up in the Midwest and potatoes were a staple vThis recipe gives the comfort in food. Delicious, creamy and easy to assemble and make for company or pot luck. My family is excited when they see this as the side dish for dinner. I know everyone will eat it.
I love mashed potatoes and this recipe is a great way to turn regular potatoes into something delicious!
This recipe is incredible to make and eat. Soo good. Leftovers, reheated in the microwave are fantastic, too.
Best mashed potatoes I’ve ever had, even better than mine! Will only be making these for now on
I first made these at Thanksgiving. My picky family loved them so much more than twice baked. I love them because it was less fuss to make. So good.
I made this today for our lunch with my roast beef sandwich. My husband and I love this recipe!!! I enjoy getting your e-mails to see what I can make next. Keep sending those good recipes!!!!
I LOVE a loaded baked potato and this is basically one in a casserole form. YUM!
I love making casseroles. Saves time and they are delicious! My family loves mashed potatoe casserole. I have used many of your recipes since I joined.
I’m so very excited to try this recipe. I love mashed potatoes and the cheese and bacon on this one make it look so yummy instead of just the traditional gravy!
These are the best! I made them for Thanksgiving. Now I’m thinking we should have them again for Easter too!
This is so good! It is a great, quicker option to twice-baked potatoes!
love mashed potatoe , No Gravy needed here , great bunches flavors. dats what its all about flavor
Thanks for sharing this excellent alternative way to make/serve twice baked potatoes. I love the casserole twist – so much easier to make (especially if you are prone to ripping potato skins) and so much easier to share too – a perfect potluck side that will never have leftovers!
I love this casserole! The mashed potatoes make it different.
I make Lil’ Luna recipes all the time!
Just the best!
Love this recipe! I used plain Greek yogurt, instead of sour cream/cream cheese, since I had it on hand and added some roasted Hatch green chile into the mix. Great side dish for ribs!
This was a great recipe but I found it a bit too runny and salty. Better as leftovers for the texture but next time I will cut back on the parmesan cheese and even the bacon. I didn’t even use garlic salt, just garlic powder and only added bacon to the top, not mixed in with the potatoes. Lesson learned I guess. Still overall was decent the next day. I’ll try again soon.
This was a huge hit at our Easter dinner with family. Even my 8 month old grandson loved it! I did cut about half of the garlic salt because most of my family isn’t a fan of too much garlic. We will definitely make this recipe again!! Thank you so much!
Uou’re welcome! I’m so glad the recipe was a hit with your family!
It was delicious!!!! Made it for Christmas Eve and everyone loved it!!!!!
Hi I plan to make this for Xmas..i do not plan on using bacon but was wondering if sauteed yellow onions can be added as well??
I haven’t tried it with the sautéed onions, but I bet it would be a delicious swap for the bacon. You’ll have to let us know how the casserole turned out! 🙂
Great for Christmas morning. Whole family will love them . Easy and yummy
Made this for Thanksgiving and it was fantastic and everyone loved it! An excellent side and so yummy! Thank you so much! Excited to make again soon!
This seems like such an easy and crowd pleaser recipe. Definitely trying it this holiday.
This looks so yummy! I will be trying it for sure!
Highly recommended! Thank you so much for sharing this amazing cheesy mashed potato casserole recipe! Will surely have this again! It’s really easy to make and it tasted so delicious!
This is always a welcome sight at the dinner table. We will be making this for Thanksgiving.
It is amazing and I had a lot of leftovers and I am freezing it for next time!!! I didn’t have bacon to add in it but still really good. Also didn’t have a mixer so used a wooden spoon lol. Thank you for this recipe I can’t wait to try more
You’re welcome!! I’m so glad you loved the recipe. It’s definitely a great one to freeze too!
Very good. I used slightly less than 5 lbs of potatos for 10 people and still had leftovers. Only used 1/2 c of sour cream which worked well. Cut the potatos in big wedges and cooked in the instant pot for 10 minutes on manual and let them do a natural release for 10 mins. Drained the water and then mashed them by hand. They were so light and fluffy could have used only a fork. Great recipe
I’m so happy you liked it! Thanks for sharing what you do! I love your instant pot variation. 🙂
This is my new favorite way to make potatoes for family gatherings.
Do you bake this covered or uncovered?
Uncovered 🙂 Enjoy!!
these are awesome and great even left over!
I am so glad you liked them!! Thank you for trying the recipe & for letting me know 🙂
Just made this for my family. Amazing!!! A new favorite. Thank you for sharing. You
Woohoo! These are our favorite! Glad your family liked them! Thank you!
I know what I will be having for dinner tonight! This looks hands down delicious!
Heart be still, this looks incredible, must make asap!
My favorite way to make mashed potatoes! Always a hit!
This casserole was a huge hit with my whole family – our new obsession!
These potatoes are so creamy! I love it!
Potatoes are well loved around here! Adding to the menu plan!
Same around here!! Enjoy!
Hands down my favorite side dish!
One of mine too!! Thank you!
I love just about any type of potatoes, but these look especially good. You can’t go wrong with bacon and cheese in my book!
No, you can’t go wrong with that! 🙂 Thank you!!
Theres nothing I like better than to make something stick it in the fridge and then bring it out to bake. Especially mashed potatoes. Its always one of those dishes that Im trying to keep warm. Love this recipe!
This dish is so tasty and full of flavor! It’s definitely one of our favorites in my house.
I have 6 siblings and our families get together once a month for a large family dinner. This was the perfect side dish for our large crew. Also, thanks for the tip about baking it when it’s made ahead of time.
I’ve made these twice now. They’re delcious…I could live on these. Made as directed and added more salt….so good. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Yay!! Love to hear that! These are some of my favorites! Thank you!
Can you put this together the day before?
I haven’t put it together that far in advance. The most is the morning of, but I’m sure it would be ok, since it’s in the fridge. Just cover it well! Let me know how it comes out. Thanks!!
Thanks! Will do! I wanted to take it to a family reunion in a couple of weeks which about a 2 hour drive and is at mid day. Wanted to make it the evening before.
What about if I just made this for my husband and I like what are amounts then
do you have to use the sour cream?
I haven’t tried it without it. The sour cream definitely makes it creamy and gives it a taste, but you could substitute it for something else, if you prefer something different. If you try it another way, let me know what you used or if you just left it out. Thanks!!
You can always use milk or heavy cream
This sounds awesome! Do you think it would freeze well?
Thank you for a wonderful recipe, I think the dish turned out just delicious, decoration is great, definitely try to cook.
This dish was excellent!!! Everyone had seconds!! The only modifications I made was to go low fat……low fat sour cream, cream cheese and shredded cheese……I also used uncured bacon. ♡
This recipe looks amazing!! My kind of mashed potatoes! 😉 I’d love to have you come over and link your post up to my craft party which starts at 7pm EST. and is new every Thursday! I also pin every post!
http://www.diy-crush.com/blog/category/link-party/
I love potatoes too! Especially mashed potatoes and funeral potatoes and pretty much any kind of potato with sour cream involved. This recipe looks divine! Definitely going to try this one!