Home » Recipes » Side Dish » Loaded Potato Casserole

Loaded Potato Casserole

This Loaded Potato Casserole recipe creates the ultimate comfort food with cheesy potatoes, savory bacon, and tangy sour cream. It’s the perfect side dish for any occasion.

Potato casserole with bacon, cheese, and sour cream on top.
Save the Recipe

WANT TO SAVE THIS?

 Enter your email below & we’ll send it right to your inbox.

Who doesn’t love the warm and cheesy goodness of loaded baked potatoes? But when you’re feeding a crowd, baking individual potatoes can be a bit a bit of a hassle.

This easy recipe solves that problem. It takes the same wonderful flavors of a fully loaded baked potato and conveniently bakes them in an easy and delicious casserole form.

This casserole is loaded with gooey cheese, savory bacon, and of course, fluffy mashed potatoes. It’s the perfect side dish whether you’re hosting a festive holiday meal or just preparing a casual family dinner.

The comforting flavors in this casserole makes it the perfect choice to pair with main dish options like this Slow Roasted Chicken, One Pan Meatball Casserole, or these Guinness Braised Short Ribs.

And be sure to check out more of the most popular casserole recipes!

Why We Love This Potato Casserole

  • Crowd pleaser: When it comes to deciding on the perfect side dish that everyone will love, this loaded potato casserole is always a hit.
  • Easy recipe: The best part about this casserole is that it’s made using just a few simple ingredients and only takes a few easy steps to prepare.
  • Pure comfort food: It just doesn’t get any better than warm, creamy potatoes, savory bacon, and plenty of gooey cheese.

Ingredients

Ingredients for loaded potato casserole.

What Goes into This Casserole

  • Yukon gold potatoes
  • Cream cheese
  • Minced garlic (or garlic powder)
  • Bacon
  • Shredded cheddar cheese
  • Sour cream
  • Sea salt
  • Ground black pepper
  • Chopped green onions-for garnish

See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients as well as complete instructions.

Substitutions & Variations

  • You can use any type melty cheese you like. Mild or sharp cheddar cheese, white cheddar cheese, and Colby Jack are great choices.
  • Instead of Yukon golds you can use any other type of starchy potatoes like russet potatoes.
  • We used fresh bacon but you can use a package of real bacon bits if you need a short cut. You can also add in small cubes of cooked ham instead of bacon.
  • Feel free to add other seasonings and herbs. Onion powder or a pinch cayenne pepper make great additions. You can also add herbs like rosemary, thyme, or an Italian seasoning blend.

How to Make Cheesy Potato Casserole

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 375 F Grease or spray with nonstick cooking spray a 9×13 inch baking dish and set aside.

Step 2. Peel and cut potatoes in cubes. Place potatoes in a large pot of boiling water with salt. Boil for 15 minutes.

Step 3. Remove, drain water and smash with a potato masher in a large bowl.

Potatoes being mashed in a glass bowl.

Step 4. Heat a non-stick skillet on medium heat. Cook the bacon for 2 minutes until it’s slightly crispy. Set aside.

Bacon in a frying pan.

Step 5. Add the crispy bacon to the tender potatoes and stir in cream cheese, 1 cup of the shredded cheese and ½ cup sour cream.

Potatoes, cream cheese, sour cream, bacon, and cheese in a glass bowl.

Step 6. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to your prepared casserole dish.

Mashed potatoes in a baking dish.

Step 7. Top with the rest of cheddar cheese and bake in the preheated oven at 400 F for about 15-20 minutes.

Mashed potatoes and cheese in a baking dish, uncooked.

Step 8. Remove from the oven.

Golden brown mashed potatoes and cheese in a baking dish.

Step 9. Garnish with dollops of tangy sour cream and green onion.

Potato casserole with bacon, cheese, and sour cream on top.

Serve and enjoy!

One serving of potato casserole with cheese and bacon in a white bowl with a knife and fork.

This dish would be wonderful alongside this Slow Cooker Beef Cube Steak. Love potato casseroles? We’re betting your family will devour this chicken hash brown casserole, too.

FAQs

Can I use baked potatoes instead?

Sure. You can bake potatoes to make a loaded baked potato casserole, sometimes called twice-baked potato casserole. It’s a little more time consuming but tastes equally as delicious.

Do I have to peel the potatoes before cooking?

Not necessarily. Potato skins can add extra texture to this casserole. If you’re using Yukon golds, you can just scrub them well under cool water and dice them with the skin. Russets have tougher skins and are best peeled.

Can I make this casserole in advance?

Absolutely! This casserole is excellent for making ahead. Prepare it in advance, refrigerate, and then bake when you’re ready to serve. Just allow a bit of additional baking time since it’s chilled.

Top Tips

Storing leftovers: Cool the casserole to room temperature. Add plastic wrap to the top or transfer the potatoes to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to five days. You can also freeze this up to three months.

Adjusting the texture: If the potato mixture seems too thick, you can thin them with a little heavy cream or whole milk until nice and creamy.

Using the right type of potato: For the best results you want to use starchy potatoes that will mash up light and fluffy. Avoid red potatoes or other waxy potatoes because they can become a little gummy when mashed.

Shred your own cheese: Packaged shredded cheese has a coating that prevents it from clumping. But it also prevents it from melting smoothly. If you have the time, I always recommend that you shred your own cheese.

This loaded potato casserole would pair well with this Oven Braised Beef, slow cooker cube steak, or even this air fryer cod.

Potato casserole with bacon, cheese, and sour cream on top.

Other Easy Potato Recipes

Potato casserole with bacon, cheese, and sour cream on top.

Loaded Potato Casserole

This easy loaded potato casserole is so delicious you’ll want to make it for every gathering!
5 from 1 vote
Print this Recipe Pin this Recipe Rate
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 346kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Baking dish

Ingredients

  • 2 lb yukon potato (906 g)
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • ½ cup bacon cut in bites (4 oz | 115 g)
  • 12.69 oz cream cheese 360 g
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese 7.76 oz | 220 g
  • 1 cup sour cream 8.64 oz | 245 g
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • Garnish
  • Green onions chopped
  • Sour cream

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375 F | 190 C.
  • Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish and set aside.
  • Bring a large pot to boil with salted water.
  • Peel and cut potato in cubes and boil for 15 minutes.
  • Remove, drain water and smash with a potato masher in a large bowl.
  • Heat a non-stick skillet on medium heat. Cook bacon bites for 2 minutes. Set aside.
  • Add bacon to the potato and stir in cream cheese, 1 cup of the shredded cheese and ½ cup sour cream. Adjust with salt and pepper.
  • Transfer in the baking dish.
  • Top with the rest of cheddar cheese and bake in the oven at 400 F | 200 C for 15 minutes. Remove from oven.

Notes

Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Not recommended to freeze.
Reheat in the microwave until heated through.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 346kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 57mg | Sodium: 593mg | Potassium: 676mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 494IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 228mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @kastilwell or tag #FFFP!

Similar Posts

5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating