Loaded Twice Baked Potato Casserole – Turn twice baked potatoes into an easy cheesy potato casserole that will be sure to please. Loaded with garlic, cheese, and bacon!
Whether it is Thanksgiving dinner or a Tuesday night the potatoes can be the star of the show. They aren’t necessarily meant to, but they surely take over and be what people keep going back for. And that exactly what this twice baked potato casserole is.
This recipe has been a staple at our house for years! It is perfect when you are making the Perfect Prime Rib for the holidays, or just want something comforting with your favorite Meatloaf Recipe. Seriously, it goes with just about anything.
I mean you have creamy, cheesy mashed potatoes that are loaded with bacon. What can really go wrong?
Potato Casserole Ingredients
- Potatoes
- Garlic
- Butter
- Sour Cream
- Heavy Cream
- Cheddar Cheese
- Bacon
- Salt & Pepper
- Green Onions
What Can I Use Instead Of Sour Cream
Trust me, you can’t taste it, it really just helps make it creamy. But if you don’t have it or really don’t want to use it there are options.
- Cream Cheese
- Greek Yogurt
- More Heavy Cream
How to Make Twice Baked Potato Casserole
- Start by chopping the potatoes and boiling them until they are tender. I have heard it a million times, you call this twice baked, but you aren’t baking the potatoes! I get it, I am taking a shortcut. Boiling them just gets it done faster. But you can also leave the potatoes whole, pierce them with a fork and bake for about an hour or until they are soft.
- Next you mash them well. I like to use a potato masher so there are still a few chunks.
- Once they are mashed mis in the butter, sour cream, and heavy cream until they are nice and creamy.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste and mix in the cheddar cheese and the bacon!
- Place in a large baking dish, top with more cheese and bacon and then bake until they are hot, bubbly and delicious.
I am partnering with Jones Dairy Farm to bring you this over the top cheesy potato side dish. Bacon always makes everything better, and Jones Dairy Farm bacon is no exception. I used the Cherrywood Smoked Bacon, so there was tons of great smoky flavor.
I mixed bacon in the loaded twice baked potato casserole, as well as sprinkling some on top. So you can be sure to get bacon in every bite! So dress up your holidays, or even your weekends, or your Mondays for that matter with this loaded twice baked potato casserole. I will be the side dish that everyone will ask for over and over again.
Can You Make Baked Potato Casserole Ahead of Time
Most definitely you can. You can assemble the entire thing and then place in the fridge until you are ready to bake it, up to 2 days ahead of time. Just cover tightly with foil until it is time to bake.
Can You Freeze Cheesy Potato Casserole
Yes, this freezes really well. If you bake it first and are freezing the leftover just make sure it is completely cooled. Then cover very tightly with plastic wrap and foil to keep and air out.
To reheat it is best to let them thaw in the fridge overnight and then place in the over, covered with foil, to reheat for about 25 minutes. You can also microwave them if you have smaller portions.
More Tasty Potato Side Dish Recipes You’ll Love
- Potatoes Au Gratin
- Scalloped Potatoes
- Baked Potato Casserole
- Loaded Baked Potatoes
- Crispy Smashed Potatoes
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Oven Roasted Potatoes
- Air Fryer Potato Wedges
Loaded Twice Baked Potato Casserole
Loaded Twice Baked Potato Casserole - Turn twice baked potatoes into an easy cheesy potato casserole that will be sure to please. Loaded with garlic, cheese, and bacon!
Ingredients
- 4 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and chopped into cubes
- 4 cloves garlic, mashed
- 5 Tablespoons butter
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/2 - 1 cup heavy cream or milk, (amount depends on how creamy you like it)
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 12 oz bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 1 Tablespoon salt, (approximately, adjust to taste)
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup green onions, finely chopped
Instructions
- Add potatoes and garlic to a large pot. Fill with water, so the potatoes are completely covered. Bring to a boil, and cook for 15-20 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Mash potatoes. Sir in butter, sour cream, and heavy cream. Mash further if necessary to get to your desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in 1 1/2 cups cheese, and bacon (reserve some for the topping).
- Pour into 13x9 in baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and reserved bacon. Bake for 20-25 minutes until hot and cheese is melted.
- Sprinkle with green onions before serving.
Nutrition Information
Yield
8Serving Size
8 ServingsAmount Per Serving Calories 545Total Fat 30gSaturated Fat 17gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 10gCholesterol 88mgSodium 448mgCarbohydrates 54gFiber 5gSugar 4gProtein 16g
Nutrition Disclaimer: All information presented on this site is intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information shared on dinnersdishesanddesserts.com should only be used as a general guideline.
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**I have an ongoing relationship with Jones Dairy Farm for recipe development. I was compensated for my time to develop this recipe. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own. Thank you for supporting the brands I love, and that make Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts possible.
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Beth says
I hardly ever make twice baked potatoes, but I definitely should for thanksgiving this year! Go big, right?!
Anna @ Crunchy Creamy Sweet says
Love everything about this! Loaded potatoes are the best!
Katerina @ Diethood says
That first photo… uhm… I was ready to break through my monitor! LOVE this amazing potato dish!
P.S. Thanksgiving is next week?!? Aye aye aye… 😉
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
This is one of my favorite recipes to make! Everyone loves it!
Nay says
Question: Are the potatoes cooked before you slice them up? Or only cook them once after you mix all the ingredients together?
Erin S says
No, you chop and then boil them – just like you would regular mashed potatoes.
Michelle | A Dish of Daily Life says
I love everything about this recipe! I am so making this…yum!
Renee - Kudos Kitchen says
I’d like to dive head first into this twice baked potato casserole. Is that wrong?
Tara says
I love a casserole like this with all that cheese and wonderful BACON!!
Cookin Canuck says
My family would rebel if I did something other than mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving, but this would be perfect for another meal during the weekend!
Renee@Renee's Kitchen Adventures says
I am so far behind on my planning for Thanksgiving this year! What a wonderful casserole! I think I might give it a go for Christmas this year!
Carrie @Frugal Foodie Mama says
Okay, so I was totally planning on making traditional mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving dinner next year, but now I am having second thoughts after seeing this amazing casserole! This looks so good. 🙂
Amanda says
Made this tonight. It was good. Could almost double the bacon. I found 4lbs of potatoes to be too much. I would cut it by at least a pound.
Suzan says
Thank you for sharing this AWESOME recipe.
I’ve made it a few times and LUV it!!! My
husband does not like sour cream but he
doesn’t know it’s in the recipe and he loves
it. I’ve also shared this recipe with 3 people.
THANK YOU
Erin S says
So glad your family loves it!! My husband doesn’t like sour cream either, but he loves this!!
Sarah says
Can the twice baked potato casserole be made the day ahead and then baked when needed?
Erin S says
Definitely Sarah. I have made it in the morning and stored it in the fridge all day until dinner. So the day before would work as well! Enjoy!
Andrea says
This may be a dumb question but do I cool the bacon before putting it in the casserole before it goes in the oven?
Erin S says
Andrea – It actually doesn’t matter. If you want to cook the bacon in the morning you can put it in cold. If you are doing it all at once, just put it in hot. I would just make sure you drain it if making it right before you add it to the casserole. Enjoy!
Andrea says
Thank you
sandra cherry says
Im wanting to make stuffed shells,Can you help me please for a famliy of four all boys I really enjoy rescipes thst you share with us thank you
Sherrill Kuntz says
Is there a printed recipe or just the video?
Erin S says
Yes, page above where you left this comment and you can see the full printable recipe.
Kelly says
Is it possible to freeze before baking?
Erin S says
I have not tried it, I have just refrigerated it before baking. But I am not sure why it wouldn’t work.
ria says
sounds like it would be delish but is there a way to lower the fat and sodium so more people could enjoy it and still stay on track w their lifestyle??
Erin S says
You could use light sour cream, and a low fat milk, and use less cheese and bacon to make it lighter. But all of this would definitely change the recipe and the outcome. This is a special holiday dish at our house, so on those couple days a year, I don’t hold back. But for more of every day, you could make those changes.
Jenny Ming` says
How is this TWICE baked?
Erin S says
If you want to bake the potatoes instead of boiling them, you are welcome to. For the sake of time I boiled them. It has the same flavor profile has a twice baked potato, hence the name.
DJayne says
Hi! Jenny – it’s considered twice baked as it is derived from a very taste twice baked potato, whereas, you bake the potato, scoop out the flesh, mix with all these yummi-lious ingredients, fill the empty potato shells & then bake again. This, too, is twice baked if you bake, instead of boil – you retain more flavor & nutrition if you bake, as an added bonus, add a few if the potato skins to the mixture! YUM! YUM!
Rache says
Would this dish freeze well?
Teena Rockwell says
Hi there,
This sounds like an excellent dish and I really really want to try it. I’ve made traditional twice baked potatoes in the oven many times, but this lookes so much better for parties. My question is, I am not a fan of sour cream at all. Would I even taste it if its only 1 cup? I tasted The Costco one last weekend with their samples and that was the only thing I tasted. Did not even taste the potatoes or the cheese but clearly saw it. I’m sure I’m the only one who isnt a fan, so would make the dish for others to enjoy. But what I really enjoyed about your recipe is that it only called for one cup and I saw others with 2 and 3 cups. Also some had heavy whipping cream… could I use that instead? If not, it’s ok I don’t want to mess with your recipe.
Thank you so much for answering my questions
Erin S says
You really can’t taste the sour cream at all – it really just helps to make the potatoes creamy. My husband doesn’t like sour cream either and has no idea it is in there. You could maybe reduce the amount some and add more cream. Or use a little Greek yogurt in its place. I would start with just a little and taste. Then you can either sub in more cream, or add a little more if you are ok with the taste. Enjoy!
Christina Webster says
I used red potatoes and kept the skins! Delish!
JD Southern California says
How many oz. of bacon? Can you store leftover in the refrigerator? I live by myself it looks like it would be easy to reduce the ingredients to have a lesser amount. Thank You for your help.
Erin S says
A package of bacon is 16 oz or 1 pound. You can definitely cut the recipe in half or even smaller. I would even try to divide into smaller pans and freeze some for later!
JD Southern California says
Thanks for the fast reply some sites do not.
One more question: Would you freeze it unbaked and the thaw in refrigerator and bake for a little longer? Or bake it before freezing. Thanks.
Erin S says
I would freeze it unbaked and then thaw and bake. I think either would work, but unbaked would probably give you the best texture with the dish later on. Enjoy!
JD Southern California says
Thank you; I try to ask questions that I need and just encase I pass the recipe on to someone else. When I post it on the computer I always mention who supplied the recipe. Bye for know.
Thanks Again.
Susan says
Best way to lower the sodium without affecting the taste is to leave out the TABLESPOON (yikes!!) of salt. There’s enough sodium already in the bacon and cheese!