Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes are creamy, cheesy and delicious. Baked potatoes are mashed and loaded up with cheese, butter, sour cream, bacon and onions. It’s the perfect side dish for any time of the year!
These cheesy mashed potatoes are an excellent comfort food recipe. All of the flavors of twice baked potatoes and loaded potato skins are combined with the creamy texture of mashed potatoes.
These mashed potatoes are cooked in a casserole dish so you can easily transport them for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. They also make a great side dish for any weeknight meal or dinner party.
If you’re a potato lover looking for a classic mashed potatoes recipe, try our Garlic Mashed Potatoes!
What are twice baked mashed potatoes?
If you love twice baked potatoes, then you’re going to really love these potatoes. They combine everything you love about creamy mashed potatoes with everything you love about loaded twice baked potatoes.
Potatoes are baked and them mashed with creamy cheese, sour cream and milk. Once the mashed potatoes are transferred to a baking dish, they are loaded up with crispy cooked bacon and more cheese. They are baked for the second time to create a loaded potato casserole.
If you have leftover baked potatoes, this is a great way to use them!
Ingredients You Need
You will need a few simple ingredients to make this recipe. You can find the exact ingredients quantities and detailed instructions in the recipe card.
- Baked Russet Potatoes: You will need baked potatoes for this recipe. I like to bake them a day or so before I prep this recipe. If you are planning to bake the potatoes on the same day as preparing this recipe, you will need additional time to do this. If you don’t have russet potatoes, you can substitute for Yukon gold potatoes.
- Cheddar Cheese: Use shredded sharp cheddar cheese. You can substitute with Colby, Jack or gouda cheese.
- Butter: Unsalted butter is best, but you can use salted if needed.
- Sour Cream: This is a classic ingredient to get creamy potatoes with tangy flavor.
- Milk: Use whole milk. You can substitute the milk with heavy cream, if needed.
- Bacon: You will need cooked chopped bacon. You can omit the bacon, if desired.
- Green Onions or Fresh Chives: You can use other fresh herbs like thyme or parsley, if desired.
- Salt and Black Pepper
How to Make Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes
There are a few steps for this baked potato casserole recipe, but each step comes together easily. The total time for this recipe does not include baking the potatoes, so you will need to do that ahead of time.
- Bake the potatoes: You will need to bake the potatoes before preparing this recipe. To bake a potato, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place potatoes on the prepared sheet. Poke the potatoes a few times with a fork and bake in the oven at 425° F for 50 to 60 minutes. The potatoes are done when they are fork tender.
- Prepare the oven: Once the potatoes are baked, preheat the oven to 350° F. Spray the inside of a casserole dish with cooking oil and set aside.
- Prepare the mashed potatoes: After the potatoes are baked and cooled, peel the skins off of the cooked potatoes. Scoop the flesh from the skins and place it in a large bowl. Add the butter and use a potato masher or potato ricer to mash the potatoes to your desired consistency.
- Add the mix-ins: Stir in the sour cream, milk, salt and pepper. Fold in 3/4 cup of the cheese.
- Layer into a casserole dish: Transfer the mashed potato mixture to the prepared baking dish.
- Add the cheese and bacon: Sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese on top along with the crispy bacon pieces.
- Bake: Place the casserole dish in the preheated oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until warmed through and the cheese has melted.
- Garnish with green onions and serve!
POTATO HACK: If you don’t want to bake the potatoes in advance, you can steam them in a large pot. It cuts down on the overall time since the potatoes steam faster than baking. To do this, peel and chop the potatoes. Then add the potatoes to a large saucepan, cover with cold water and bring the potatoes to a boil. Simmer until the potatoes are just fork tender, then drain well. Allow them to dry for a few minutes then continue with this recipe.
Recipe Tips
- Bake the potatoes in advance: This saves time while you are prepping this recipe. I like to bake them a day or so before preparing this dish.
- Making ahead: The great thing about this recipe is that you can assemble the entire thing in advance and bake prior to serving. After you add the remaining cheese and bacon, you will want to wrap the casserole dish with plastic wrap or foil. Store in the fridge for up to 1-2 days. When you are ready to serve, remove the casserole dish from the oven and bake at 350° F for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are heated through and the cheese is melted.
- Use a potato ricer for the creamiest potatoes: Restaurants typically use potato ricers to make creamy potatoes. You can also use a standard potato masher. Do not use a food processor or blender or the potatoes will be gummy. If you use an electric mixer, be careful not to over-mash the potatoes.
Storage
Store the leftover twice baked potato casserole in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, you can portion them out into the desired amount and reheat in the microwave. You can also reheat the entire dish in an oven preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake until the potatoes are warmed through.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can make this recipe the day before serving. This makes it the perfect potato side dish for a holiday dinner. Prepare the mashed potatoes the day before and bake prior to serving.
Yes, you can freeze twice baked mashed potatoes. To freeze, cool completely, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and foil. Place in the freezer and store for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm in the oven at 350°F until heated through.
Other Comfort Food Recipes
Classic comfort foods are my go-to recipes during the fall and winter season. They are a great addition to your holiday table. If you love comfort food, try some of our favorite side dishes and meals.
- Easy Creamed Kale
- Pan Seared Steak
- Fluffy Dinner Rolls
- Green Bean Casserole
- Spinach and Ricotta Pasta
- Candied Sweet Potatoes
Did you make this Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes recipe? Leave a recipe rating and review below.
Easy Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 6 medium russet potatoes, baked and warm (see note below)
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature
- 1/2 cup milk, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 2 green onions, chopped, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- (You will need to bake the potatoes and cook the bacon if you haven't already done so. This adds 1 hour to the cook time. Or follow the instructions below to steam the potatoes in 20 minutes.)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray the inside of a casserole dish with cooking oil and set aside.
- When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel the skins off if desired. Scoop the flesh from the skins and place it in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and use a potato masher or hand mixer to mash the potatoes to your desired consistency.
- Stir in the sour cream, milk, salt and pepper. Fold in 3/4 cup of the cheese, then transfer the mixture to the casserole dish.
- Sprinkle on the remaining cheese and cooked bacon pieces. Bake uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, until warmed through and the cheese has melted.
- Serve topped with green onions before serving, if desired.
This is a great side dishes for thanksgiving. Thank you for sharing that.
Potatoes in any form are a go-to of mine so I just knew I would love this recipe. It was so fantastic. and went great with our dinner tonight. I will be making this as a side dish often!