Loaded Mashed Potatoes
You’re going to love these loaded mashed potatoes. Smooth and creamy mashed potatoes are always a crowd favorite but add crispy bacon, cheddar cheese, sour cream and chives and you have the ultimate comfort food side dish.
Ingredients Needed
- Potatoes. Use any floury potato suitable for baking/mashing. Russet potatoes, King Edward, Maris Piper, Yukon Gold potatoes, etc. are all good options.
- Butter.
- Salt and black pepper.
- Sour cream.
- Cheddar cheese. Use any good melting cheese, the more flavorful the better. Sharp cheddar, gruyere, Monterey Jack, Colby or Swiss cheese are all good options.
- Bacon.
- Chives. Green onion/spring onion can also be used.
How to make loaded mashed potatoes
Peel and slice the potatoes into large chunks then add to a large pot and add cold water. Season generously with salt then place potatoes over medium-high heat, bring to a boil and allow to cook until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain then add the butter, sour cream, salt and pepper and mash until smooth.
Cook the bacon until crisp and grate the cheese then stir into the mashed potatoes with a generous tablespoon of chives. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary then serve.
Can I make this ahead?
The loaded mashed potatoes can be made up to a day in advance and kept covered in the fridge until ready to serve. I would however suggest only adding the crispy bacon right before serving as it will go soft if added too far in advance. You could also make a loaded mashed potato casserole. Transfer the potatoes to a casserole dish/baking dish, add grated cheese and crumble bacon over the top. Cover with foil and refrigerate until you’re ready to bake until hot throughout. Any leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheated in the microwave.
Serving Suggestions
This loaded mashed potato recipe is great served with any main dish you would normally serve with mashed potatoes. It will be a fantastic Thanksgiving side dish as well. We love it with Parmesan crusted chicken, sirloin steak or broiled pork chops.
FAQ
There are a few tips that will ensure your mashed potatoes are the very best. I like cooking the potatoes whole – this way they stay super fluffy and don’t absorb as much water. Using a potato ricer will give you the smoothest mash. To add richness, I like using a combination of butter and milk or cream. Sour cream is also a delicious addition.
Either works well but cream will give you a much richer, more delicious end result.
A food mill or ricer will give you the smoothest mashed potatoes but using a potato masher or hand mixer works very well too.
Mashed Potato Recipes
Loaded Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 lb (1kg) potatoes
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 tbsp butter
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3 oz (100g) streaky bacon
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 tbsp chives chopped
Instructions
- Peel and slice the potatoes into large chunks then add to a large pot and add cold water.
- Season generously with salt then place potatoes over medium-high heat, bring to a boil and allow to cook until the potatoes are fork tender.
- Drain then add the butter, sour cream, salt and pepper and mash until smooth.
- Cook the bacon until crisp (I like doing this in an air fryer but you can bake the bacon or cook it in a large frying pan) then crumble/chop into small pieces.
- Stir the bacon and shredded cheese into the mashed potatoes with a generous tablespoon of chives. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary then serve.