Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes

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Amp up your mashed potatoes with twice baked mashed potatoes! Loaded with all of your favorite tater toppings, this potato casserole recipe is a hit with the whole family.

I absolutely love the flavors of twice baked potatoes. Cheese, bacon, and chives, on fluffy potatoes? Yum!

The main problem, though, is that twice baked potatoes are a bit fussy to make. So much so that we only ever had them growing up as the frozen, microwavable kind.

Turning these classic potatoes into a casserole makes them far easier, and perhaps even better than the original!

Twice baked mashed potatoes are great for adding to the holiday table or serving up for Sunday supper. They’re both creamy and fluffy, cheesy and tangy, and just plain good.

The casserole comes together quickly, especially if you happen to have some mashed potatoes on hand already. 

And it reheats well, so you can check another dish off your Thanksgiving prep list. You’ll love these potatoes!

Ingredients for twice baked potatoes casserole

These potatoes have all the usual ingredients you’d expect in a twice baked potato.

Potatoes – You want a fluffy mashing potato, such as Yukon gold or Russet. 

I cook the potatoes while I am prepping the rest of the ingredients, but you can also cook the potatoes ahead of time. 

Mashed potatoes keep well, so just prepare extra at another meal and save them for this recipe. Make sure to keep them unflavored!

Garlic – The garlic is cooked with the potatoes to soften. You can also roast the garlic cloves in the oven for a sweeter, deeper flavor.

Cheddar cheese – Use sharp or extra sharp. I recommend grating it yourself from a block. Not only does freshly shredded cheese melt better, but it also doesn’t have the additives they put in bagged cheese to prevent it from clumping.

Bacon – As with the potatoes, you can cook the bacon in advance of assembling the loaded potato casserole.

To keep the stovetop open and less messy, I bake bacon in the oven. It gives perfect flat strips that are easy to chop.

Bake extra bacon to make BLTs or bacon spinach quiche!

Cream cheese – Make sure your cream cheese is softened a bit for this recipe. Leaving it at room temperature while the potatoes cook should be long enough. 

Softening the cream cheese will help it blend into the potatoes better and not leave you with clumps of cream cheese. Cut the cream cheese into chunks to help it warm quicker.

Sour cream – What are potatoes without sour cream? It’s essential for making the mashed potatoes smooth and creamy, and provides the perfect amount of tangy flavor.

Green onion – Also known as scallions, green onions are the finishing touch for this casserole.

You’ll also need salt and pepper.

How to make loaded baked potato casserole

First, peel the potatoes and cut out any eyes or brown spots. 

You can leave the peels on if you prefer a more rustic mashed potato, but for a smooth casserole, remove them.

Place the potatoes and garlic in a large pot and cover with water by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook potatoes until fork tender. This will take about 15-20 minutes.

If you need to cook the bacon, do so while the potatoes are cooking.

Chop the bacon into small pieces, shred the cheese, and chop the green onions.

Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray or butter.

When the potatoes are cooked, drain them and return to the warm pot or put in a large bowl.

Mash with a potato masher or pass through a potato ricer.

Add 1 cup of the shredded cheddar and the sour cream, cream cheese, salt, and pepper and mix well. 

Stir until the cream cheese and sour cream are blended into the potatoes, but take care to not overbeat the potatoes, which can make them gluey.

Spoon into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining cheddar cheese, bacon pieces, and green onions.

You can also mix some of the bacon and green onions into the casserole instead of just putting it on top.

Bake for about 30 minutes, until warmed through and the cheese on top is melted. Serve while still warm.

This dish is great alongside a Thanksgiving turkey, meatloaf, or juicy prime rib!

Storage tips

Twice baked mashed potatoes store well. Cover the pan with foil or plastic wrap and keep in the fridge for 3-5 days.

To reheat, portion out desired amount and heat in the microwave until warm.

If reheating the entire pan, remove any plastic wrap, cover with foil, and heat in a 350°F until warmed through.

To freeze, cool completely, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and foil, and place in the freezer.

Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm as usual, or heat directly from frozen.

Note that reheated mashed potatoes might be a little drier, so add a few pats of butter on top to mix in once warmed.

If you plan to make ahead this dish, I recommend using a disposable, aluminum casserole pan. It will heat from frozen much better, and will keep your casserole pans available for other dishes.

More great potato side dishes

• Dill Potatoes
• Garlic Mashed Potatoes
• Roasted Sweet Potato Salad
• Grilled Potato Salad
• Spicy Spiralized Potatoes
• Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Figs

This twice baked mashed potatoes casserole is a sure thing when it comes to feeding a hungry crowd. You might want to make a double batch!