Fully Loaded Mashed Potatoes with Bacon and Cheese
If there was ever a rich, decadent, and comforting side dish recipe that your whole family will devour, these loaded mashed potatoes with bacon, cheddar cheese, butter, sour cream, and heavy cream is the one! Easy to make, and ready in less than a half hour, they’re a perfect recipe for entertaining because they’re no-hassle, no-fuss, and loaded with everything fabulous. Whether you’re making these bacon mashed potatoes as a side dish for Thanksgiving, Christmas dinner, or as a family dinner recipe on busy weeknights, everyone will be happy and content. It’s hard to go wrong when there’s bacon and cheddar cheese involved!
Ingredients in Bacon Mashed Potatoes
For this comfort food side dish that will have everyone ooh’ing and ahh’ing, you’ll need just a few common fridge and pantry ingredients:
Red potatoes Salted butter Heavy cream Garlic Sour cream Cooked bacon Shredded cheddar cheese Salt Freshly ground black pepper Chives or green onions, optional for garnishing
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Mashed Potatoes with Bacon & Cheese
These cheesy bacon mashed potatoes are so fast and easy to make! I’ve given detailed step-by-step instructions in the recipe card below, but here’s a quick overview of how the mashed potatoes with cheese and bacon are made.
How to Mash Potatoes for Mashed Potatoes
When mashing the potatoes, I strongly recommend a good old-fashioned potato masher for the best mashed potato consistency and texture. For those who prefer smoother mashed potatoes with less texture, then this smooth potato masher is your ticket. To make them even smoother, then look for a potato ricer. It’s more work because you have to run the potatoes through it, batch by batch, and I don’t really love the consistency of mashed potatoes pureed down to baby food consistency, but some people do. I do not use a handheld electric mixer or stand mixer to mash the potatoes. It will overmix them rapidly and you’ll be left with gummy potatoes.
Make-Ahead Instructions
These loaded bacon cheddar mashed potatoes can be made in advance. I suggest up to 48 hours in advance, but do what you think is best. You’ll want to add some additional cream or some milk to them to help loosen them up when reheating. See my tips below for baking them in a casserole dish if you plan on making this tasty side dish in advance.
Make-Ahead Casserole-Style Mashed Potatoes
Rather than making the recipe exactly as written, you can also make the loaded mashed potatoes in a casserole dish, with cheese sprinkled on top. This route is especially helpful if you want to prep the potatoes in advance.
How to Store Bacon Cheddar Mashed Potatoes
These buttery, creamy bacon and cheese mashed potatoes will keep airtight in the fridge for up to a week and in the freezer for up to 4 months.
How to Reheat Mashed Potatoes
For mashed potatoes that have just been in the fridge, I recommend reheating them gently in a kettle on the stove over low heat until warm or reheat them carefully in the microwave. Again, likely you will want to add a splash of milk or cream since they’ve probably thickened up and reheating will only cause them to become even thicker.
Tips for the Best Cheesy Bacon Mashed Potatoes
A half pound of bacon is about 6 slices. I used regular bacon although thick cut bacon can be used. Use whatever type of bacon you love since it does play a starring role in the loaded bacon cheddar mashed potatoes. You can always add more bacon and more cheese to the recipe. Either incorporate them within the mashed potatoes, or garish with extra cheddar cheese and bacon. No one will complain!
What to Serve with Cheddar and Bacon Mashed Potatoes
These mashed potatoes with cheese and bacon go well with just about an holiday entree or protein you can think of!
Slow Cooker Chicken Marsala French Onion Pork Chops Grilled Chimichurri Salmon Creamy Dijon Parmesan Chicken Garlic Butter Chicken Instant Pot Beef Tips Oven Roasted Turkey Pineapple Glazed Ham
More Easy Mashed Potato Recipes:
Slow Cooker Browned Butter Mashed Potatoes – Creamy and decadent from the herbed browned butter, these EASY mashed potatoes are a family favorite side dish! Tried this recipe? Leave a review! Consider leaving a 5 star rating if you’ve made and loved one of my recipes! BEST Mashed Potatoes Recipe — Buttery, creamy, PERFECT mashed potatoes that rival your favorite restaurant’s version but EASY and ready in 45 minutes!! Parmesan and Herb Roasted Potatoes — These herb roasted potatoes are sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and are made with seasonings you already have on hand. So easy to prep, and crazy delicious! Crispy Parmesan Ranch Roasted Potatoes – The BEST roasted potatoes you’ll ever eat!! Tender potatoes seasoned with ranch mix and topped with a CRISPY Parmesan breadcrumb topping! So DELICIOUS you don’t even need a main course!! Classic Marshmallow Sweet Potato Casserole – An EASY recipe for the BEST classic marshmallow sweet potato casserole with pecans! It’ll be on repeat for your Thanksgiving, Christmas, and holiday celebrations every year! Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping — This is the BEST sweet potato casserole ever!! The sweet potatoes are tender and creamy, while the streusel topping adds a delightful buttery crunch thanks to the pecans! Savory Sweet Potato Casserole – If you thought sweet potato casserole couldn’t get any better, wait until you taste it topped with candied bacon and pecans! Twice Baked Marshmallow Sweet Potatoes – Sweet, creamy, decadent, and reminiscent of sweet potato casserole but individually portioned! FAST and EASY enough for family dinners or make them for more formal holiday celebrations! Honey-Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Honey-Cinnamon Dip – The honey glaze and the creamy cinnamon dip make these potatoes irresistible!!
