Creamy cheesy Mashed potato casserole is like no other. This AMAZING side dish takes mashed potatoes to a whole new level!
This mashed potato casserole is a must-have at all holiday functions and is great for any potato lover who likes regular mashed potatoes! This reminds me of Twice Baked Potatoes, but a very flavorful, creamy and delicious cheesy potato casserole version.
easy, Cheesy Potato bake
Have I mentioned my love for potatoes?! The starchy vegetable is my favorite, and it’s probably a favorite of yours too since I haven’t met a person who doesn’t like potatoes. 😉
Mashed potatoes have been a favorite side dish but since we like all potato dishes, we wanted to make a Mashed Potato Casserole.
Not going to lie – this mashed potato casserole was PHENOMENAL!! In fact, I felt like it was a little easier than regular potatoes and that it was even more flavorful. It’s probably because there was cream cheese, butter, sour cream, more cheese and bacon to go with it.
Best potatoes for mashed potatoes are RUSSET. Red potatoes are more waxy, but russets break down much easier creating the creamiest potato casserole.
We love that this recipe feeds a lot. It’s great if you are having company over and like I mentioned before, it’s super easy!! If you love mashed potatoes as much as me this recipe is a MUST in the monthly rotation and especially for holiday meals. 😉
How to Make Mashed Potato casserole
The awesome thing about these baked mashed potatoes is that you can make it ahead and refrigerate it. This is helpful if you’re making several dishes for a holiday meal or large family dinner.
POTATOES. To make, begin by peeling and cubing the potatoes, then place them in a pot and add enough water to just cover the potatoes. Bring them to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes.
MASH + SEASON. From there, drain the water and mash the potatoes using a masher, spoon or hand mixer. Add sour cream, butter, cream cheese and milk, then mix until until well combined. Add salt and pepper. Next, fold in half of the bacon, 1 cup of cheddar cheese, and the parmesan cheese. Mix well.
BAKE. Then, spoon the potatoes into a lightly greased 9×13 pan. Top with remaining cheddar cheese and bacon and bake at for 20-25 minutes.
Recipe FAQ + Tips
Garnish: We like to add green onions or chives, along with more cheese and bacon crumbles on top! If you are not a fan of bacon there are several alternatives you can use such as cubed ham or sausage. You can also add more veggies like corn, peas, broccoli florets or diced bell peppers.
Make it ahead of time: Since many main dishes need to be made in the oven it’s super convenient to make these ahead of time. We recommend making this no more than 48 hours in advance, covering and refrigerating. If still cold when putting it into the oven, bake for an extra 10 minutes.
STORE leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. You can also freeze them for later. Simply scoop into a freezer Ziploc bag and squeeze out as much air as possible. Freeze for 4-6 months.
TO REHEAT, let potatoes thaw in the fridge overnight. Place potatoes in a casserole dish and bake at 350 for about 25 minutes. Add additional cheese and top and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
HOW MUCH TO MAKE FOR THE HOLIDAYS? I guess that 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 – Triple recipe
For more mashed potato recipes:
- Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Classic Mashed Potatoes
- Garlic Red Mashed Potatoes
- Mashed Parmesan Potatoes
- Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Mashed Potato Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 lb potatoes peeled and cubed
- 1 c sour cream
- 1/2 c butter
- 8 oz cream cheese cubed
- 1/2 c milk
- 2 tsp garlic salt (with parsley flakes)
- pepper to taste
- 12 slices bacon cooked, chopped, and divided
- 2 c cheddar cheese divided
- 1/2 c 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. Mix well.
- Spoon into lightly greased 9×13 pan. Top with remaining cheddar cheese and the rest of the bacon.
- Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Garnish with green onions and ENJOY!
Video
Notes
Recipe adapted from McCormick.
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 🙂
Do you bake this covered or uncovered?
Uncovered 🙂 Enjoy!!
This is my new favorite way to make potatoes for family gatherings.
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. 🙂
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!
This is always a welcome sight at the dinner table. We will be making this for Thanksgiving.
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 looks so yummy! I will be trying it for sure!
This seems like such an easy and crowd pleaser recipe. Definitely trying it this holiday.
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!
Great for Christmas morning. Whole family will love them . Easy and yummy
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! 🙂
It was delicious!!!! Made it for Christmas Eve and everyone loved it!!!!!
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!
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.
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!