Loaded Baked Potato Casserole is super easy to make and it’s piled up with all the good stuff: bacon, cheddar cheese, and sour cream.
» You might like these 10 Unique Ways to Make Scalloped Potatoes and 23 Delicious Potato Main Dish Recipes.
I always have potatoes on hand and I can’t count the number of times I’ve stood looking at the bag of potatoes wondering what I could make with them that wasn’t just “potatoes”.
Don’t get me wrong, I love these crispy potatoes and these smashed potatoes, but there comes a time when potatoes really need to be dressed up. That time is now. We’re putting all the good stuff in this loaded baked potato casserole.
Ingredients for Loaded Baked Potato Casserole
You can use any potato you have on hand, although drier potatoes like russets work the best. If you have large baking potatoes, or even small baby red potatoes, you can make this casserole.
Other ingredients you’ll need come from the refrigerator:
- Bacon – Use your favorite bacon. It really helps build flavor and adds saltiness.
- Milk
- Butter – You can use unsalted, or salted butter, as you wish.
- Cheese – I use white cheddar, but you can use yellow cheddar, if you want. A medium to sharp cheese adds great flavor to the dish.
- Sour cream – Sour cream adds a rich creaminess with it’s customary tangy flavor.
- Green onions – This is optional but they make a great garnish and add a nice flavor to the finished casserole.
The one thing I might not have on hand all the time is sour cream. If you don’t happen to have sour cream, you can leave it out. Just add a bit more milk and butter to take its place.
How to Make Loaded Baked Potato Casserole
Preheat the oven to 400° F. Measure out the butter, sour cream, and milk and allow the ingredients to reach room temperature while the potatoes are cooking.
Scrub the potatoes clean. Dry them and rub with olive oil. Place them on a baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes, or until tender. You can also cook the potatoes in the Instant Pot.
While the potatoes bake, cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat. Flip the strips over periodically until evenly cooked. Remove them to a plate with a paper towel to soak up the grease.
Remove the potatoes from the oven. Leave the skins on two of the potatoes. Peel the rest.
Lower the heat to 350° F.
In a large bowl, crush the potatoes. Crumble the bacon and add 3/4 of it to the bowl. Add the butter, sour cream, milk, 1/2 the grated cheese, and salt and pepper to the bowl. Stir until well combined. Don’t over crush the potatoes. Mixture should still contain some pieces of potato.
Add the potatoes to a greased baking dish. Top the casserole with the reserved shredded cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Top with sliced reserved bacon and green onions for garnish.
Adjustments
There are many ways you can adjust this casserole. It really comes down to personal preference. For instance, I like my casserole to be a bit drier, with chunks of potato left in. Many other recipes I’ve seen for this dish call for the potatoes to be completely mashed, or for there to be a lot more wet ingredients, so the potatoes are really saturated.
The good news is that you can adjust these things in the recipe, based on how you like it. If you want to mash the potatoes more, or add more milk and butter, you can really adjust any element.
Optional Ingredients
This recipe is tasty just the way it is but there are always different flavor combinations to explore. These are some additional ingredients you could add.
- Garlic powder
- Roasted garlic – Roasting it in the oven brings out a natural sweetness that would be amazing in this dish.
- Different cheeses – Try adding Gruyere, Monterey Jack, pepper jack, Blue cheese, or feta.
- Chicken – Trying adding cooked chicken for some extra protein.
Speeding Up the Process
If you have an Instant Pot or pressure cooker, you can really speed up the making of this dish by cooking the baked potatoes in the Instant Pot. Follow the easy instruction in that linked article. It takes just 15 minutes (plus 15 more minutes for pressure build and release) to make them.
Freezing Leftovers
If you have leftover, you can freeze them. Just make sure to store them in an airtight container so the potatoes don’t become freezer burnt. They’ll keep well, if packed away from air, for up to a month. When you take them out, reheat them in the microwave or oven, for best results.
Tips and Notes
- Russet potatoes or large baking potatoes work well for this recipe, but you can also use Yukon gold potatoes or even baby red potatoes. Whatever you have on hand.
- If you are out of sour cream try adding more milk and butter or add cream cheese. It adds a wonderful flavor to potatoes.
- You can make this casserole ahead of time and refrigerator or freeze until you are ready to eat it. Mix it all together in the casserole dish and wrap it up. Refrigerate for 2-3 day or freeze for 3 months.
Other Potato Recipes to Try
- Air Fryer Potato Wedges
- Honey Sriracha Roast Potatoes
- The Best Crispy Roast Potatoes You’ll Ever Eat
- Air Fryer Hasselback Potatoes
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Loaded Baked Potato Casserole
Ingredients
- 4 strips bacon
- 4 large russet potatoes
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons salted butter softened and cubed
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/3 cup milk preferably 2% or whole
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese divided
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 green onion sliced
- ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Measure out the butter, sour cream, and milk and allow the ingredients to reach room temperature while the potatoes are cooking.
- Scrub the potatoes clean. Dry them and rub with olive oil. Place them on a baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes, or until tender. You can also cook the potatoes in the Instant Pot.
- While the potatoes bake, cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat. Flip the strips over periodically until evenly cooked. Remove them to a plate with a paper towel to soak up the grease.
- Remove the potatoes from the oven. Lower the heat to 350 degrees F.
- Leave the skins on two of the potatoes. Peel the rest.
- In a large bowl, crush the potatoes. Crumble the bacon and add 3/4 of it to the bowl. Add the butter, sour cream, milk, 1/2 the grated cheese, and salt and pepper to the bowl.
- Stir until well combined. Don’t over crush the potatoes. Mixture should still contain some pieces of potato.
- Add the potatoes to a greased baking dish. Top the casserole with the reserved shredded cheese.
- Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Top with sliced reserved bacon and green onions for garnish.
Notes
- Russet potatoes or large baking potatoes work well for this recipe, but you can also use Yukon gold potatoes or even baby red potatoes. Whatever you have on hand.
- You can freeze left overs of this recipe for later.
Nutrition
Other Potato Main Dish Recipes To Try
- Pulled Pork Gnocchi
- Meatballs & Mashed Potatoes
- Rich & Delicious Instant Pot Stew
- Instant Pot Potato Leek Soup
- Pulled Pork Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
- Creamy & Delicious Gnocchi Carbonara
Click for Even More Potato Main Dish Recipes
🥧 If you’re interested in more great recipes, I share all my favorite Instant Pot recipes over at A Pressure Cooker Kitchen, air fryer recipes at Air Fry Anytime, and cocktails and drinks at Savored Sips. Check it out today!
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Laura is a home cook who loves making new recipes and finding new favorite things to eat, whether at home or abroad. She also runs a popular travel blog and spends a lot of her time traveling for food.