Move over sweet potato casserole, there’s a new casserole in town! This easy Loaded Baked Potato Casserole recipe will be your new go-to side dish! Loaded with bacon, cheddar cheese and sour cream, you just can’t go wrong!
Why You’ll Love This Loaded Baked Potato Casserole Recipe
We all know and love twice-baked potatoes, but MAN are they a lot of work. This casserole simplifies things into a hearty side dish with all of your favorite potato toppings.
- Simplified twice baked potato – All of the best parts of twice baked potatoes are simplified into this delicious casserole form with almost no prep time. It’s sure to be a huge hit with your family.
- Use up leftovers – This casserole is a great way to use up leftover mashed potatoes, too. In fact, my favorite time to make it is after the holidays when I’m sure to have lots of leftovers.
- Easy side dish – If you are a potato lover like me and you are looking for an easy side dish for twice baked potato casserole, look no further!
Ingredients
The simple ingredients of this loaded baked potato casserole create a magnificent dish!
- Mashed potatoes – You can always make your own mashed potatoes (I would use russet potatoes or red potatoes) or even buy them premade at the store. Rather than using a potato masher, I’d use an electric mixer. We want creamy mashed potatoes, not chunky. And make sure the potato skins are removed.
- Sharp cheddar cheese – For extra cheesy potatoes, we will be adding this directly to the potato mixture and also on top of the casserole too.
- Sour cream – A lot of recipes call for cream cheese, but with all the sour cream and cheddar cheese, I find my twice-baked potato casserole to be just right.
- Milk – Some recipes use heavy cream, but I find that milk works best. It thins this potato mixture down to exactly the right consistency that we need for this loaded potato casserole.
- Butter – As always, I choose to use unsalted butter when cooking. That way I am able to control the amount of salt that goes into this perfect side dish.
- Salt and pepper – I always use fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper for this casserole. If using salted butter, be sure to omit the salt all together.
- Garlic powder – With all the goodness of the cheese, the only seasoning we really need for this easy casserole dish is garlic powder.
- Bacon – You can’t have a twice-baked potato casserole recipe without crispy bacon! I like to crumble mine on top, but you could throw into the potato mixture as well.
- Scallions – Sometimes called green onions, these babies not only add a little crunch and flavor, but they also add a pretty green color to the finished dish.
How to Make Loaded Baked Potato Casserole
It’s super easy to make this great side dish and pair it with your family favorite meal.
- Prepare oven and casserole dish. Preheat oven and coat a baking dish with cooking spray.
- Combine potato mixture. In a large bowl, place potatoes, some of the cheddar cheese, sour cream, milk, butter, fine sea salt, ground black pepper and garlic powder. Stir well and pour into prepared casserole dish.
- Add remaining cheese. Top with remaining shredded cheddar cheese.
- Bake. Bake for 15 minutes.
- Toppings. Remove and top with bacon crumbles and fresh green onions.
How to Serve this Loaded Baked Potato Casserole
This is really an all-in-one dish, but take it up a notch with items you’d serve at a baked potato bar. More crumbled bacon, scallions or chives, additional cheese butter and/or sour cream.
Leftovers can be transformed into mashed potato cups!
We like to serve ours with any of our favorite main dish recipes. Any weeknight dinner you’re serving on your dinner table will pair perfectly.
Storage and Freezing
How to Store
Store any leftover potatoes in an airtight container or large dish covered in plastic wrap. This can be stored in the refrigerator for up to five days.
Can I Freeze Loaded Baked Potato Casserole?
Yes, you sure can. I love freezing casseroles. Check out my tips for freezing a casserole, too!
More Easy Potato Recipes
Creamy potatoes with delicious flavor are at the top of my favorite foods list. Perfect for serving with a holiday meal or just a regular weeknight dinner, here are some of the best potato side dishes.
Loaded Baked Potato Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups mashed potatoes
- 1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese , divided
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 cup bacon , cooked, drained and crumbled
- 1/4 cup scallions , chopped
- Cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a casserole dish with cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine mashed potatoes, 3/4 cup cheddar cheese, sour cream, milk, butter, fine sea salt, ground black pepper and garlic powder. Stir well and pour into prepared casserole dish.
- Top with remaining 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese.
- Bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove and top with bacon crumbles and scallions. Serve immediately.
- If you’ve tried this recipe, make sure to come back and let us know how it was!
Nutrition
Delicious! Anything with potatoes and cheese gets my vote! Perfect for our English weather!
I love that you use sharp cheddar cheese and all the amazing potato topping. SO good! Thanks for the recipe.
I had twiced baked potatoes before but never a twiced baked casserole! This was amazing – a new favorite side dish!
The creamy, cheesy filling mixed with crispy bacon and green onions is just heavenly. It’s the perfect side dish for any meal and always a crowd-pleaser.
These twice baked potatoes are so much easier to make than the real potatoes! Perfect to go with just about any dish and loaded with flavor!
Love love love this recipe! Fabulous flavors and we plan to have it again very soon. Thanks for sharing it ❤️
Heaven! These potatoes are so easy and crazy delicious! Thank you for the recipe.
Twice baked potato is one of our favorite but really love the casserole version! Makes it a little simpler to make!
My kids loved this. Especially the teenage boy! Thanks!