Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Looking for a new way to serve mashed potatoes? Get ready to savor the richness of mashed potatoes like never before! We're making twice baked mashed potatoes with bacon, green onions, and cheese! So delicious and easy to make!

Recipe Price: $7.68 | Per Serving: $0.96 | Makes: 8 servings

A casserole dish of twice baked mashed potatoes on the table in a dish and drizzled with sour cream.

I know I’m in the minority when I say this, but I don’t love mashed potatoes. They just don’t have enough texture or acidity for me. But in this recipe, we’re adding texture in the form of crumbled bacon and a crispy cheesy topping. The bacon and cheese also bring some umami richness, while the Greek yogurt brings a mild tang that brightens the whole dish. And now I'm on board!

Want more potatoes? How about these roasted potatoes and these crispy baked sweet potato fries?

Jump to:

What are Twice Baked Mash Potatoes?
Why You'll Love This Mashed Potato Recipe
Ingredients
Dietary Modifications and Variations
How to Make Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes
How to Store
How to Serve
Expert Tips
FAQs
More Side Dish Recipes
Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes

What are Twice Baked Mash Potatoes?

These potatoes are a play on twice baked potato skins! Instead of baking the potatoes, stuffing the seasoned filling back in the potato skins, and then baking again -- we're adding the same classic flavors to mashed potatoes and then baking them in the oven.

Why You'll Love This Mashed Potato Recipe

Family-Friendly Potato Recipe: This dish is one the whole family is going to eat and love every bite.
Perfect for Holidays and Weeknight Dinners: Replace your boring old spuds with some easy twice baked mashed potatoes for a sure-fire hit!
Easy to Make: It's not much more work to make these twice baked loaded mashed potatoes but they really jazz up your meals!

Ingredients

All you are going to need are some fresh potatoes and a handful of other easy ingredients to make a great-tasting potato side dish. Here's a look at the highlights but you can find the full list in the recipe card further down the page.

Yukon gold potatoes: These make the fluffiest and creamiest mashed potatoes. If you don't have them, Russet potatoes will also work well for mashing.
Butter: I prefer using salted butter but you can also make using unsalted butter and simply add a bit more salt if it's needed.
Greek yogurt or sour cream: Adds a bit of tang and flavor to these baked loaded mashed potatoes. I find the yogurt adds more tanginess but you can use either!
Cheddar cheese: Sharp cheddar is best because it has more of a flavor punch. You can also use other types of cheese if you prefer.
Green onions: Add some subtle onion flavor that's not overpowering.
Bacon: Adds smoky, salty flavor and some texture to the potatoes. We're only using 4 slices here, but believe me, it is enough to infuse every bite!

Dietary Modifications and Variations

Paleo: No! It's not! You'd have to leave out all the dairy so you are probably better off finding a less involved dairy-free mashed potato recipe.
Vegetarian: No, it's not vegetarian either but you can leave out the bacon to make it vegetarian.
Spicy: Swap the cheddar cheese for pepper jack cheese to give it a bit of heat!
Use Leftover Mashed Potatoes: You can - and should - make this with leftover mashed potatoes! Instead of using 2 pounds of raw potatoes, you can use about 5 cups of leftover mashed potatoes. You will not need to add the butter or the salt but you can keep the remaining recipe the same. You may have to warm the leftover potatoes a bit in the microwave so they're soft enough to mix with the other ingredients.

How to Make Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes

The active time for making this twice baked mash potato recipe is pretty minimal. Here's a look at the steps involved to make them.

Cut the potatoes into even-sized cubes, and peel the garlic.
Cook potatoes, garlic, and about ½ teaspoon of fine salt in a large pot of water until tender. The potatoes are ready when a fork easily goes through the potatoes.

Adding water to a pot of potatoes to make mashed potatoes.

Cook the bacon until it is crispy and then drain it on a paper towel. Crumble it up into small pieces and chop up the green onions.
Drain the potatoes and then return them to the pot with the butter.

Mash the potatoes well with a fork, potato ricer, potato masher, or even the back of a spoon. (Watch Zac break our potato masher here! 🤣)
Add the Greek yogurt (or sour cream), shredded cheddar, sliced green onions, crumbled bacon, salt and pepper to the potatoes. Don't forget to save some for adding to the top of the potatoes after they cook.

All the ingredients added to the pot to make twice baked mash potatoes.

Spread the potato mixture into a glass baking dish.
Top with the reserved cheese.

Cheese sprinkled over the top of the mashed potato casserole.

Bake the loaded mashed potatoes uncovered for about 30-35 minutes. Let it cool and then drizzle the top with some yogurt and sprinkle the reserved bacon and sliced green onions to garnish.

The mashed potato casserole on the table after baking with bacon, sour cream, and green onions in small bowls.

How to Store

Leftovers: Store cooled twice baked garlic mashed potatoes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
Freeze: If you have a large batch of mashed potatoes leftover these can be frozen for up to three months. Thaw them out overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Reheat: You can reheat the potatoes in a saucepan or in the microwave. You might want to add a bit more milk if they seem a bit dry. Another option is to return them to a baking dish, cover them with foil, and reheat them in the oven. Add a bit more cheese on top if you want.
Make Ahead: I recommend making this all the way through getting it into the baking dish. Then just bake this on the day you’re planning to serve it.

How to Serve

These loaded mashed potatoes make a terrific side dish for holidays but also work well for simple family dinners. Here are a few serving ideas for inspiration.

For holidays you can enjoy them with other favorites such as this Tahini Kale Salad, Fig Baked Brie, and Seared Scallops.
They also go great with easy dinners like Slow Cooker Whole Chicken or Sheet Pan Pork Tenderloin.
Add on a few other sides such as Roasted Delicata Squash, Roasted Vegetable Salad, or Pistachio Carrots for a full meal.

Expert Tips

Don't skip salting your water when boiling the potatoes.

Twice baked mashed potatoes pack some protein. While this recipe is a starchy side dish with plenty of fat, it also contains 11-13 grams of protein per serving! That’s thanks to the cheese and Greek yogurt.

Cook and cool your potatoes for more resistant starch! Resistant starch is a type of starch that functions very similarly to fiber in the body. We have numerous studies that have found that resistant starch is produced when certain foods, such as white potatoes, are cooled to room temperature after cooking. That makes this a great make-ahead dish!

Mashing the potatoes. You can mash them as much or as little as you want for a chunkier consistency. I have been mashing potatoes with a ladle or a slotted spoon because we broke our masher last year during this Thanksgiving Live! Some people like to use a stand mixer, but if you mix too long, certain types of potatoes will get gooey.

FAQs

Is it better to make potatoes for mashed potatoes?

It's always best to use freshly cooked potatoes to make mashed potatoes. They will mash easier when they are warm and the final results will taste better too.

Is it better to leave the skin on the potatoes?

Yes, so join team no-peeling! As is true with most foods, a significant portion of nutrition is found in the skin. In fact, about 25% of the potassium, and more than 50% of the iron in a potato is found in the skin! However, if you’re not on board with skin-in mashed potatoes, I recommend you turn the skins into crispy potato skin chips! You can also add these as a topping for additional texture.