Twice Baked Potato Casserole

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Twice baked potato casserole is the ultimate comfort food. Creamy mashed potatoes, crisp bacon, and gooey cheese come together in this dish that’s perfect for busy weeknights and holiday meals alike.

My husband is a big potato lover. I’m always looking for new ways to serve up potatoes for him, whether that is crispy roasted potatoes, mashed potatoes, or this tasty twice-baked potato casserole. I love making recipes with potatoes because they are hearty and filling and are also very budget-friendly. 

Why I love this recipe

Twice baked potato casserole is a family favorite with all the tasty flavor of twice-baked potatoes loaded up with sour cream, bacon, cheddar cheese, and green onions but in casserole form! It is way easier to make than traditional individual twice-baked potatoes.

This is one of my favorite easy side dish recipes to make not just for the holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving but easy enough for any night of the week because the active prep time is just 15 minutes.

Ingredients

• potatoes
• bacon
• butter
• sour cream
• cheddar cheese
• salt and black pepper
• garlic powder
• green onion

Step by step

1. Poke holes in the potatoes and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 40 minutes or until tender.
2. While the potatoes are baking, chop the bacon into small pieces and brown in a large skillet. Set aside on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb an excess grease.
3. When the potatoes are done baking place them in a large mixing bowl and mash with a potato masher to break the skins. Add butter, cheese, sour cream, and seasonings and mash to your desired consistency, I like mine pretty lumpy but you can make them smoother if that’s your preference.

4. Fold in the bacon, then transfer the potato mixture to a baking dish sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
5. Bake for 30 minutes.
6. Top with chopped green onions before serving.

Tips for best results

• you can use leftover mashed potatoes in this recipe instead of freshly baking the potatoes but you will need to extend the baking time if you start with cold potatoes
• I recommend using unsalted butter for this recipe, if you only have salted omit the salt until you’ve tasted the potato mixture to avoid over-salting as the bacon adds salt as well
• no time to cook the bacon? choose precooked bacon or crispy bacon bits instead
• this is a great recipe for experimenting with and making your own…try adding in onion powder or mozzarella cheese or amp up the creaminess with a little bit of heavy cream thrown into the potato mixture

Can this casserole be made ahead of time?

This is a great recipe for making ahead of time, which is so useful if you are making it for a holiday meal or have a busy evening. Simply assemble the casserole and cover it with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate until ready to bake.

Important: It is important to not put a cold dish in a hot oven, so be sure to let the dish come to room temperature for at least 30-60 minutes or place it in the oven as it is preheating breakage. Keep in mind that the baking time will be closer to one hour if you are starting with a cold potato mixture instead of warm.

Serving suggestions

This loaded potato casserole is the perfect side dish for pork tenderloin, London broil, or roast turkey breast and turkey gravy. It’s also great for taking to potlucks (be prepared to be asked for the recipe!)