Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes

Love a good, heavy-loaded baked potato? Well, now you can have all of your favorite potato fixings in one glorious spoonful thanks to these Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes! Consider your potato side dish game officially elevated. 

These potatoes come locked and loaded with toppings galore: Cheddar cheese, bacon, sour cream...and don't forget the butter. It's an easy dinnertime side dish everyone at the table will love and a surefire potluck crowd pleaser! 

 

Serve with chicken, pork, BBQ, or as a holiday Side Dish alongside roasted turkey!

Need more potato recipe inspiration? Add our pan-fried Mashed Potato Cakes to your weekly dinnertime lineup!

HOW TO MAKE TWICE BAKED MASHED POTATOES

1. Prep the Potatoes - Dice the potatoes into 2-inch cubes and transfer them to a medium-sized saucepan and cover with water. Bring the water to a boil and cook for an additional 15-20 minutes, until the potatoes are softened and easily break in half when poked with the tines of a fork. Drain well and set off to the side.
2. Cook the Bacon - Dice thick-cut bacon into ¼-inch cubes and transfer to a sauté pan over medium-high heat. You can do this while the potatoes are cooking to save time. Cook the bacon for about 5 to 8 minutes, or until it is crisp to your liking. Set aside to drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
3. Mash the Potatoes - Transfer the drained potatoes to a mixing bowl, along with the butter, milk, sour cream, salt, and pepper. Mash them until they are smooth and creamy to your liking! If you are using a mixer, be sure not to crank the speed up beyond the medium setting.
4. Add Cheese and Bacon - Add half of the Cheddar and half of the cooked bacon to the mashed potatoes and stir. 
5. Assemble and Bake - Transfer the potato mix to an 8x8" baking dish and top with the remaining cheese and bacon. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350°F for 20 minutes. 

WANT TO BAKE INSTEAD OF BOIL?

If you want to cut back on the prep work for your Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes (and you're using Russet potatoes), feel free to bake your potatoes instead! 

To bake your potatoes, drizzle the potatoes with a tablespoon of oil and place them on a heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet, spacing them evenly apart. Bake for 1 hour at 400°. 

Once they are cool enough to handle, scoop out the potato filling into a medium-sized mixing bowl. 

READY TO EAT...LIKE, NOW?

Everything is already cooked going into the oven, so the only actual reason for baking Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes is to allow that cheesy topping to melt and give those potatoes an extra moment to meld with all those other yummy flavors in there. 

If you're ready to get the show on the road already, just ditch the baking dish and the oven time altogether, add all of the cheese and bacon at once, stir until the cheese is slightly melty, and serve! If you need more delicious recipe ideas for your next gathering, check out our Potluck Recipes next!  

3 GREAT WAYS TO MASH POTATOES

There's definitely more than one way to mash a potato and below. Pick from your favorite below!

Hand Masher | Using a hand-masher almost ensures your potatoes will not be overworked and avoids the possibility of gummy potatoes. The downside? It's can difficult to get those spuds super smooth with this tool. If you don't mind a few lumps in your potatoes, this is the best method for you. 

Potato Ricer or Food Mill | This mashing method will 100% deliver a smooth and creamy base for your Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes, without the risk of developing a gummy texture. The downfall? It can be messy, difficult to clean, and most definitely more time-consuming than the other methods. 

Handheld Mixer (or Stand Mixer) | If you want to get those potatoes mashed effortlessly, quickly, and with minimal lumps, the mixer it is. However, be sure not to crank up the speed beyond medium-low or you might end up with gummy potatoes!

INGREDIENTS

• Potatoes | You can use Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes for this recipe. However, if you are using Russets, consider peeling the potatoes before boiling them (unless you like the skin, that is). 
• Bacon | Fresh, thick-cut hot out of the pan is certainly the way to go when it comes to taking your loaded potatoes to the next level. By all means, avoid those pre-packaged bacon bits for this dish.
• Butter | This recipe calls for unsalted butter, but if you only have salted butter, just hold off on adding any salt to the recipe, and rather add-to-taste once your potatoes are mashed. 
• Milk | Whole milk was used for recipe development here, but you could sub in 2% milk if needed. Or, go the complete opposite direction and get a little more decadence in those spuds by using heavy whipping cream or even half-and-half.
• Sour Cream | Sour cream will add a nice pop of acidity to Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes, but if you aren't a fan, add an extra two tablespoons of butter to the recipe and leave it out altogether. 
• Cheese | Cheddar cheese is a classic potato topping, but if you'd like to change things up, by all means -- go for it! Any semi-firm cheese like Gouda, Havarti, Colby Jack, and the like would be delicious in this dish! Regardless of the cheese you use, freshly grated cheese is best. However, if time won't allow, do what you gotta do and grab yourself a great, high-quality pre-packaged cheese. 

5 MORE POTATO RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE

• Lyonnaise Potatoes
• Cheesy Mashed Potatoes
• Cheesy Crockpot Potatoes
• Mashed Potatoes With Skin
• Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole