Twice Baked Potato Casserole

Everything we love about twice baked potatoes in casserole form. This crowd-pleasing side dish would make a great addition to your Father’s Day feast or 4th of July backyard BBQ.

We made the trip down to Santa Barbara over the weekend to retrieve our youngest and bring him home for his summer break. It always feels so good to get the college kids back in the nest for a little while. Just about 24 hours later, we were on our way to Urgent Care.

Let me set the scene.

It was 8:30 pm, my husband was at Master’s water polo practice, and Adam was at the park playing basketball. I had just finished my work for the day (hallelujah), changed into my beloved yoga pants and comfy socks (bliss) and was settling down on the couch, ready to hit Play on the most recent episode of The Bachelorette (not apologizing for my guilty pleasure).

In walks Adam – “Mom, I fractured my finger…wanna take me to Urgent Care?” And….he’s back!  

And, so am I. It’s amazing how fast you snap right back into that Mom role. Your inner Mom never leaves…she’s there, just under the surface, waiting to drive someone to Urgent Care at a moment’s notice. It’s such a frequent occurrence for the mother of 4 boys that I wrote a little bit about my thoughts on the experience HERE.

It all ended well. The finger was not fractured – just dislocated – and I watched with fascination as it was numbed up and “snapped” back into place. Ouch…but wow. I was back in relax mode, albeit much later that night, with the remote control in hand and the lovely shenanigans of The Bachelorette commenced. If you’re brave, you can check out the damage on my Instagram post.

So…back to the Twice Baked Potato Casserole. This is a dish for all seasons, for all occasions, and everyone loves it. Really. I mean, who doesn’t love chunks of tender baked potato in a creamy, cheesy sauce, topped with crispy bacon and green onions?

It all starts with – yep, baked potatoes. I highly recommend using Yukon Golds for their great texture and naturally creamy, buttery taste. I love ’em. You’re going to leave them unpeeled and slice them up…like so.

Chop them into bite-size pieces.

Place the chopped, baked potatoes in a large mixing bowl and add a mixture of sour cream, milk, garlic, seasoning salt, and black pepper (see the printable recipe below for precise amounts).

Toss the potatoes with the cream mixture until well combined and add some chopped green onion…

…and shredded sharp cheddar cheese.

Transfer the potato mixture to a casserole dish that you’ve coated with non-stick cooking spray, top with a little more shredded cheddar and crisp, chopped bacon. Cover the dish with foil and pop it in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes.

Garnish with more chopped green onion and you are ready to serve. For complete make-ahead directions, see the printable recipe below.

Here’s hoping that you are having a wonderful summer break, free of visits to Urgent Care, and full of LOTS of delicious food!

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Twice Baked Potato Casserole

Make a departure from traditional potato dishes with this creamy, cheesy potato casserole.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Servings 6 to 8 servings

Change the number in the box above to adjust serving size. Please note that size of cookware and cook time may vary.

Print

Ingredients

• 3-1/2 to 4 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
• 1 cup light sour cream
• 1 cup 2% reduced fat or whole milk
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1-1/2 teaspoons seasoning salt like Lawry's
• Fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 4 green onions chopped, divided
• 2-1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese divided
• 3 to 4 slices thick-sliced crisp cooked bacon chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a 13" x 9" baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Scrub potatoes and poke each one several times with a sharp knife. Place potatoes on a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes or until they are soft in the center when pierced with a knife. Remove from oven and allow to cool until they can be easily handled and then chop potatoes in bite-size pieces and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
3. In a separate bowl whisk together the sour cream, milk, garlic, seasoning salt, and black pepper. Pour the mixture over the potatoes and add 1/2 the green onions and 1-1/2 cups cheese. Use a large spoon to toss until the potatoes are completely coated with the sour cream mixture. Transfer to the prepared baking dish. Top with remaining cheese and chopped bacon.
4. Cover dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and cook for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly. Garnish with remaining green onions and serve.
5. Make-Ahead Instructions: Follow as directed but once you transfer the mixture to the baking dish, top with cheese and reserve bacon for later. Cover with foil and refrigerate. When ready to bake, remove from refrigerator and allow to sit out for 20 minutes or so to take the chill off, then top with bacon and continue as directed. Baking time may need to be longer if the dish is cold when going in the oven.

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