Cheesy Bacon Ranch Potatoes are the perfect combination of both flavors and textures. What's not to love about crispy bits of fried bacon and roasted red potatoes seasoned with tangy dill and smothered in a mix of melty cheddar and smoked gruyere cheese?
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Why You'll Love These Cheesy Ranch Potatoes
I lean on this ranch + bacon + cheddar flavor profile all the time, and it's never failed me or a hungry crowd. Between weekly hosting and years of planning potluck parties and holiday dinners, I've learned what disappears first. Spoiler alert: it's potatoes and cheese.
Everyone Loves | And I do mean everyone. This recipe was a complete success for the whole family, ranch lovers and ranch haters alike. I've found bacon, cheese, and potatoes to be a winning combination 100% of the time. Our loaded mashed potato casserole and twice baked potatoes backs that claim up.
Feeds a Crowd | This recipe makes for more than one night's fair share of potatoes. Use it as the dinnertime side dish that just keeps on giving (well, at least for one more night or so), or the ideal side dish to any barbecue and enjoy.
Make-Ahead Friendly | Parboil the potatoes, crisp up the bacon, and grate the cheese the day before and assemble just before cooking! Cheesy bacon ranch potatoes are just as good the next day.
If potatoes and cheese are totally your thing, you'll want to add this loaded potato salad to your must-make list. The crowd always goes wild!
Ingredients (Packet vs. Dressing: What's Best?)
Many of the recipes out there call for drenching a mass of potatoes with ranch dressing, and then baking them, but dry seasoning actually proves a better choice for getting those potatoes to crisp up.
Ranch seasoning itself is extremely easy to make at home, and lucky for us, doesn't require an extra trip to the store to retrieve the ever-forgotten ranch packet.
Here's what you'll need for the best Cheesy Ranch Potatoes:
- Red Potatoes | Great for creamy centers and crispy edges. Yukon Golds will also work for this recipe!
- Bacon | We're making homemade bacon bits and it's gonna be worth it. Use cold, thick-cut bacon.
- Seasoning | Make your own ranch seasoning with dried dill, chives, garlic powder, Kosher salt, black pepper, and onion powder or grab yourself a packet of ranch if you know you'll be in a pinch for time come dinner!
- Cheese | This recipe calls for a melty mix of cheddar and smoked gouda cheese. You can also use Monterey jack, Colby jack, havarti, or just about any semi-firm cheese.
- Green Onions | Optional, but adds a fresh bite and color to the finished dish. Chives would serve the same purpose!
How to Make Baked Cheesy Ranch Potatoes
Just like our crispy roasted potatoes, the potatoes in this recipe are parboiled. This ensures they bake up with a fully-cooked, creamy center.
Step 1: Parboil the Potatoes
Add potatoes to a pot and cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to maintain a rapid simmer. Cook until fork tender, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a colander to drain and set aside.
Step 2: Cook the Bacon
Dice bacon and add to a large oven-safe skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside on a paper-towel lined plate.
Step 3: Cut + Season Potatoes
Cut large potatoes into quarters and smaller potatoes in half. Transfer to the pan and add seasoning. Toss in the leftover bacon grease.
Step 4: Top with Cheese + Bake
Add two-thirds of the cheese and bacon to the skillet and stir to combine. Top with remaining cheese and bacon and bake at 375°F for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melty and the skins of the potatoes have crisped up.
Pro Tip: Top with sliced green onions and sour cream for an Irish Nachos-style dish.
Make-Ahead, Serving & Reheating Tips
Make-Ahead | You can make these potatoes up to one day in advance. Parboil, drain well, cool completely, then toss with bacon grease, ranch seasoning, salt and pepper. Refrigerate bacon and potatoes in a separate airtight containers. Assemble the day of and cook as directed.
Serving | Keep finished potatoes in an oven-safe dish covered with foil on warm for up to 45 minutes.
Reheating | Reheat potatoes spread in a single layer on a rimmed sheet pan at 350°F for 6-8 minutes. For a quicker reheating method, microwave at 45-second intervals until warmed through.
Store | Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
More Crowd-Favorite Potato Side Dishes
- Roasted Baby Dutch Potatoes
- Garlic Parmesan Smashed Potatoes
- Potato Cakes
- Cheesy Mashed Potatoes
- Lyonnaise Potatoes
Cheesy Bacon Ranch Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3 pounds baby red potatoes thoroughly rinsed
- 6 slices cold thick-cut bacon, diced
- 1 ½ teaspoon dried dill weed
- 1 ½ teaspoon dried chives
- 1 ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 ½ cup freshly grated Cheddar cheese
- 1 cup freshly grated Smoked Gouda cheese
- 2 green onions white and light green parts only, sliced (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°. Add potatoes to a large pot and cover with water by 1 inch. Transfer to the stovetop and bring to a boil over high heat. Allow the potatoes to boil for 15-20 minutes, or until tender enough to pierce with a fork. Drain potatoes and set aside to cool.
- While the potatoes are cooling, cook the bacon. In a cast iron skillet, or a large, oven-safe pan, over medium-high heat, add the diced bacon and saute for 7-8 minutes, or until crispy.
- Remove from the heat. Remove bacon, and set aside on a plate lined with a paper towel. Spoon out the majority of the grease, leaving behind only a thin layer to coat the bottom of the pan (about 3 tablespoons).
- Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut larger potatoes into quarters and smaller potatoes into halves, so that they are roughly of uniform size.
- Transfer the potatoes to the pan, sprinkle with dill, chives, garlic powder, salt, pepper and onion powder, and toss to evenly combine, coating with the leftover bacon grease.
- In a bowl, combine the Cheddar and Smoked Gouda cheese. Fold about ⅔ of the cheese mixture, along with ⅔ of the bacon into the potatoes.
- Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top, and sprinkle with leftover bacon and green onions. Transfer to the oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly. Serve and enjoy.
Nutrition
Pair Cheesy Bacon Ranch Potatoes with:
Oven-Baked Country-Style Ribs, Perfectly Cooked Chicken Breasts, BBQ Baked Chicken, BBQ Chicken Sandwich, Onion Smothered Chicken, Skillet Cheeseburgers
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