Twice Baked Potato Casserole is what I bring when it’s my turn to feed a crowd, and I don’t want to spend the afternoon thinking about it. It’s the same cheesy, bacon-topped flavor as a real twice-baked potato, just spread into a casserole dish instead of stuffed into a dozen little skins.
You start with mashed potatoes, homemade, store-bought, or the leftover kind sitting in your fridge, and fold in some good stuff, like sour cream, cheese, and bacon; top with more cheese and bacon, and bake until it’s hot and bubbly.
This casserole is what I make almost every time now. The only time I still bother with individual twice-baked potatoes is when it’s just my husband and me, since a full casserole is too much for two.
It works for a random weekday, but Thanksgiving and Christmas are where it really earns its keep. It’s my favorite way to serve potatoes for the holidays, since I can make it ahead and it feeds everyone without needing to babysit yet another dish while the turkey rests.
If you’re worried reheated mashed potatoes will taste like reheated mashed potatoes, here they won’t. The cream cheese and sour cream make them taste fresh, and the cheese and bacon on top do the rest.
Below, I’ll walk through the freshly shredded cheddar trick that keeps the top from going grainy, plus how long to let it rest before you cut in. It’s an easy make-ahead side that’ll disappear fast wherever you bring it.
Looking for more easy casseroles that feed a crowd? Try my zucchini and squash casserole, broccoli rice casserole, or Cracker Barrel hashbrown casserole.
Ingredient Notes
For exact amounts needed see the recipe card below
- Mashed potatoes: Use whatever you’ve got, homemade with russets or Yukon Golds, refrigerated, or the tubs from the store. They all work the same way here.
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Butter
- Sour cream
- Cream cheese: Let it sit out until it’s truly soft before you mix it in, or you’ll get lumpy potatoes.
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Shredded sharp cheddar cheese: Sharp cheddar carries the most flavor, which matters since it’s sharing space with mild mashed potatoes.
- Bacon: Cook and crumble it before you start mixing. Turkey bacon works great.
- Green onions: Chives work well too.
How to Make Twice Baked Potato Casserole
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish so nothing sticks once the cheese starts bubbling over the edges.
- In a big mixing bowl, stir the mashed potatoes with the salt, pepper, melted butter, sour cream, cream cheese, garlic powder, and onion powder until smooth, with no streaks of cream cheese left.
- Fold in one and a half cups of the shredded cheddar, six slices of the crumbled bacon, and three tablespoons of the green onions, just until everything’s evenly distributed. Save the remaining cheese, bacon, and green onions for the top of the casserole.
- Spread the potato mixture into your prepared dish in an even layer, then scatter the remaining half cup of cheddar over the top, followed by the rest of the crumbled bacon.
- Bake it uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, until it’s hot all the way through and the cheese on top is melted and bubbly. If you want the top to actually crisp up and brown instead of just melting, slide it under the broiler for two to three minutes right at the end and watch it closely. It goes from golden to scorched fast.
- Scatter the remaining green onions over the top once it’s out of the oven, then let it sit for five to ten minutes before serving.
Serving Ideas
My favorite way to serve the casserole is next to a simple grilled steak or a roast chicken, something that doesn’t need much besides a good sear and some salt, since the casserole has so much flavor. A pile of steamed green beans or a simple salad on the side keeps the plate from feeling too heavy.
Twice-baked potato casserole also works as an appetizer if you scoop it into small cups, or serve it straight from the dish with a stack of little plates next to a bowl of extra bacon and green onions for topping. People treat it like a dip once the crackers come out.
For potlucks and cookouts, I put it next to something off the grill, like barbecue chicken or burgers, and let it stand in for the potato salad. Nobody’s ever asked where the potato salad went.
How to Store
Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. When you’re ready for more, reheat it covered in a 350-degree oven until it’s hot through, or microwave individual servings if you’re not feeding a crowd.
To freeze it, cover the baked casserole tightly and freeze it for up to two months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge before reheating, rather than going straight from freezer to oven, so it heats through evenly instead of staying cold in the middle.
Variations
This casserole takes well to changes, so here are five ways I’d switch it up depending on what I’m in the mood for.
- Ranch Loaded Potato Casserole: Stir a tablespoon of dry ranch seasoning into the potato mixture before it goes in the dish. It adds a tang that goes really well with the bacon.
- Jalapeño Popper Potato Casserole: Add diced jalapeños to the mix and swap half the cheddar for Pepper Jack for real heat.
- Broccoli Cheddar Potato Casserole: Fold in two cups of steamed, chopped broccoli before baking so you’ve got a vegetable built right in.
- Steakhouse Potato Casserole: Scatter crispy fried onions over the top for the last five minutes of baking instead of relying on cheese and bacon alone for crunch.
- BBQ Loaded Potato Casserole: Pile shredded barbecue chicken or pulled pork on top right before serving and turn the whole thing into more of a meal.
Tips & Tricks
Be sure to check out the step by step instructions
- Shred your own cheese if you can. Freshly grated cheddar melts down smoother and creamier than the pre-shredded bags, which have a starchy coating that keeps them from melting cleanly. It’s a small thing that makes the top noticeably better.
- Taste your mashed potatoes before you add the full teaspoon of salt. Store-bought tubs and leftover potatoes are often already seasoned, so start with less and add more once everything’s mixed. It’s a lot easier to add salt than to fix a casserole that came out too salty.
- If you want it more loaded, pile on more bacon or more cheese. There’s no real trick; it’s a straightforward way to make it richer without changing anything else about the method.
Reader Questions
Any mashed potatoes work, homemade with russets or Yukon Golds, the kind from a tub in the dairy aisle, or leftovers from last night’s dinner. Yukon Golds give you a slightly creamier result than russets straight out of the bag, but once you add all the extra add-ins, you probably won’t even notice the difference.
Greek yogurt swaps in at the same amount and keeps the texture just as creamy, with a slightly tangier bite.
No, turkey bacon works if that’s what you keep on hand, though it won’t crisp up quite as much once it’s crumbled in. If you want to skip bacon completely, add a little extra cheese.
Sure. Monterey Jack, Colby Jack, or a Mexican blend all melt well here and can be swapped in at the same amount. Stick with something that melts smoothly rather than a harder cheese like Parmesan, which won’t give you that same gooey top.
Yes, you can mix and assemble the whole casserole, cover it, and keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to bake. Just plan on adding a few extra minutes to the bake time since it’ll be going into the oven cold instead of fresh off the counter.
This usually comes down to mashed potatoes that were thin to start with, since the casserole can only be as thick as what went into the bowl. Give it the full rest time after baking too, since it firms up as it sits and cuts much cleaner than straight out of the oven.
Scalloped potatoes start with sliced raw potatoes baked in a cream sauce, and funeral potatoes usually start with frozen hash browns and a can of soup. This one starts from potatoes that are already mashed and cooked, so it comes together faster and gives you that loaded-baked-potato flavor instead of a sauce-based one.
Yes, though I’d rather make two separate 9×13 dishes than cram double the amount into one bigger pan. It bakes more evenly that way, and you won’t be stuck guessing a new bake time for an odd-sized dish.
Did You Make This? Leave a Star Rating!
Twice Baked Potato Casserole
Ingredients
- 8 cups prepared mashed potatoes
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup butter melted
- 1 cup sour cream
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese divided
- 8 slices bacon cooked and crumbled, divided
- ¼ cup sliced green onions divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Add the prepared mashed potatoes to a large mixing bowl.8 cups prepared mashed potatoes
- Stir in the salt, black pepper, melted butter, sour cream, cream cheese, garlic powder, and onion powder until smooth and creamy.1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ cup butter, 1 cup sour cream, 4 ounces cream cheese, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder
- Fold in 1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese, 6 slices crumbled bacon, and 3 tablespoons sliced green onions until evenly combined.2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, 8 slices bacon, ¼ cup sliced green onions
- Spread the potato mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish.
- Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese evenly over the top.
- Top with the remaining crumbled bacon.
- Bake uncovered for 25–30 minutes, or until the casserole is hot throughout and the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Sprinkle with the remaining sliced green onions before serving.
- If you’d like a golden, slightly crispy top, broil for 2–3 minutes just before serving.
Notes
- Shred your own cheese if you can. Freshly grated cheddar melts down smoother and creamier than the pre-shredded bags, which have a starchy coating that keeps them from melting cleanly. It’s a small thing that makes the top noticeably better.
- Taste your mashed potatoes before you add the full teaspoon of salt. Store-bought tubs and leftover potatoes are often already seasoned, so start with less and add more once everything’s mixed. It’s a lot easier to add salt than to fix a casserole that came out too salty.
- If you want it more loaded, pile on more bacon or more cheese. There’s no real trick; it’s a straightforward way to make it richer without changing anything else about the method.
- This is easy to make ahead of time. You can mix and assemble the whole casserole, cover it, and keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to bake. Just plan on adding a few extra minutes to the bake time since it’ll be going into the oven cold instead of fresh off the counter.
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition facts are estimates.
