Bring a little comfort to your table with this warm, hearty loaded potato casserole. It turns classic twice-baked potatoes into a scoopable, family-sized side that is perfect for busy weeknights, holidays, or potlucks.
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Holly’s Recipe Highlights
- Flavor: Rich and comforting, this casserole combines creamy, buttery potatoes with sharp cheddar and smoky bacon for big flavor in every bite.
- Skill Level: Just slice the potatoes in half, bake, scoop, top, and bake again. So easy!
- Tools: A potato masher is a handy tool for getting perfectly mashed potatoes.
- Serving Suggestions: Leftover baked potatoes inspired me to make this recipe. And so, like all baked potatoes, it pairs so well with meatloaf, grilled steaks, and most holiday meals.
What You’ll Need
- Potato Base: Russet potatoes are ideal because they mash easily and create a light, fluffy texture. Yellow or red potatoes work too, and stay nice and creamy when cooked. For extra richness, mash the warm potatoes with butter, cream cheese, and sour cream.
- Mix-Ins: This is where all the loaded potato flavor comes in. Use sharp cheddar for a bolder flavor or mild cheddar for a creamier dish, and shred your own so it melts smoothly. Cook the bacon until crisp, then crumble some into the potatoes and save a little for the top. Stir in green onions, herbs, and your favorite seasonings for more flavor and a bit of color in every scoop.
- Toppings: Finish with more cheese, crispy bacon, and a sprinkle of green onions for a classic loaded potato look.
- Variations: Swap the cheddar for pepper jack for a spicy twist. Stir in roasted garlic, cooked ham, or leftover chicken to make it a meal.
From Potatoes to Casserole
- Scoop and mash baked potatoes with sour cream, cream cheese, butter, and warm milk/cream.
- Mix in cheese, bacon, green onions, parsley, and seasonings.
- Spread in a dish, add toppings, and bake (full recipe below).
Save, Store, Enjoy
Here’s the great thing about this dish: it can be made up to 2 days in advance. This makes it the perfect dish to serve for the holidays, and of course, it bakes up nice and bubbly!
Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven at 350°F or in the microwave in small portions. To freeze, assemble the casserole but skip baking; wrap tightly and place in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight and bake as directed.
Cozy Potato Favorites
Did you enjoy this Twice-Baked Potato Casserole? Leave a comment and rating below.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 medium baked potatoes
- ⅔ cup sour cream
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup salted butter
- ½ cup milk or cream, warmed
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 green onions thinly sliced
- 10 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
- salt and black pepper to taste
Toppings
- 1 green onion thinly sliced
- 2 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Cut baked potatoes in half lengthwise and use a spoon to scoop the potato flesh into a bowl.
- Mash the warm potatoes with a potato masher. Add sour cream, cream cheese, and butter. Continue mashing, adding milk/cream a little at a time until the potatoes have a creamy consistency.
- Stir in remaining ingredients (except toppings) and spread into a 2 quart casserole dish.
- Sprinkle with toppings and bake for 25-30 minutes or until cheese is melted and potatoes are hot.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Side Dish
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Making it now. Using my air fryer. Set at 350 an will check to see when its done. Used left over mashed potatoes. Wonderful idea. Was gonna throw them out when I came upon this recipe.
Really great side dish to the Prime Rib roast!
Would this be good to make plain? Without cheese or bacon just mash the potatoes with everything else and bake them? I have some picky eaters thanks
Yes, you can make this plain.
I make my potatoes with sour cream, butter, cream cheese, garlic and parsley all the time. I make them in my pressure cooker. They are so good
Awesome flavor even before baking!
Question: should dish be covered or uncovered when baking?
Thanks!
This is baked uncovered.
I am planning to make for this for Christmas dinner, however I noticed a couple of discrepancies while reading comments/ questions/ answers and the recipe card. Recipe card states 10 servings but in several of Holly’s replies she states 8 servings. Recipe card states baking in a 2 quart dish but in one of Holly’s replies she states that she uses a 9 x 13 pan ( which is equal to 3 quarts ) or a 3 quart baking dish. My question is whether the recipe yields the 3 qt capacity or the 2 qt capacity as I will have to adjust to feed the crew. Thank you and Happy Holidays :)
This yields 2qts/10 servings (the original recipe/comments were from 2014, the recipe has been updated since). Hope that helps!
yes, thank you :)
If I am making this a few days ahead, should I bake it and just reheat the day I plan on serving or can this be frozen?
Thank yo you so much!
Hi Brenda, you could reheat it or bake from frozen! If baking from frozen bake at approximately 350°F for about 45-55 minutes.
Hi Holly!
What a perfect name for the season at hand! I made the casserole above for Thanksgiving and I must tell you… it was gone in a flash!! Probably the best potato casserole recipe ever … only thing I did differently was to sautee some yellow onion and add to the mix. This will be on my table every holiday for sure. Have a wonderful Christmas with you and yours.
Thank you so much Doris, Merry Christmas to you and your family too. So glad you loved the recipe!
Everyone loved it! Made it for Thanksgiving and now I’m making it for Christmas
This looks and sounds delicious. However, I am not a big fan of sour cream. Does this have a medium to heavy sour cream taste? Is there a way to adjust the amount of sour cream?
You can reduce the sour cream and increase the butter, cream cheese and/or milk a bit to ensure your potatoes aren’t dry.
It’s so creamy and delicious!!! I didn’t put bacon in it to keep it friendly for all of my guests, but offered bacon for a topping. Everyone loved it!
Looking forward to making this
OMG….Delicious!!
YOUR RESCIPES ARE THE GREATEST. I’M 73 YEARS OLD AND HAVE BEEN BAKING AND COOKING SINCE I WAS SEVEN. MY WIFE ALSO LIKES TO COOK, BUT NOT NEARLY AS MUCH AS I DO. KEEP THE RECIPIES COMING.
THANKS MUCH
So glad you’ve loved them Rex!
absolutely wonderful
Can I use bacon bits in place of the bacon strips ?
That should work just fine!
Okay about how much do you think?? And when you say potato masher you mean the manual one not the electric one right ?
I would estimate about ⅓ cup or so. Yes, I use a hand masher (not an electric one). Enjoy!!
My daughter-in-law that does not cook made these for dinner. They invited my husband and I to eat with them. They were absolutely delicious! After that I am now making them. “YUMMY!”
Yummy!!!
Hi Holly, this is a question. I’ll review after I make them. Although I already know how they will taste, Delicious! I wanted to ask if you can use a mixer for the potatoes? Thanks so much.
You can use a mixer however if you mix too much, a mixer can cause the potatoes to become gummy in texture. If using a mixer, mix just until the potatoes are mashed.
I tried this once in the oven and it was great! Can i heat it in the crock pot?
What are the recommended reheating instructions if this is made the day before Thanksgiving? Or would you recommend baking the potatoes, putting it all together, covering & refrigerating and then just popping in the oven for the last step on Thanksgiving day?
I would suggest preparing the day before and baking the day of serving. Take the casserole out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before baking. You may need to add a few extra minutes cook time if it’s cold from the fridge.