Easy Creamy Loaded Mashed Potatoes

Name: Creamy Loaded Mashed Potatoes
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Grain-Free
Ingredients: 8 medium-large potatoes (about 2 pounds); 1 TB unsalted butter; 5.3 oz smoked bacon or pancetta lardons (we use Butcher Box meat); 7 oz sour cream; 1 tsp onion powder; 1 tsp garlic powder; Sea salt; Freshly ground black pepper; 5.3 oz cheddar cheese, grated; 5 green onions, thinly sliced (green and white parts kept separate)

This loaded mashed potatoes recipe will take boring potatoes to the next level. It’s full of flavor and is simple to throw together for an easy side dish.

We have taken the comforting, crowd-pleasing idea of creamy mashed potatoes up a notch by adding even more indulgence! This is sure to be a family favorite and a potluck pleaser!

Chef Tips:

Be sure to purchase smoked bacon lardons (pork belly or fatty bacon) or pancetta, as the unsmoked kind won’t deliver the big flavors needed. If you can’t source lardons, chop up smoked, streaky bacon. I find putting it in the freezer for 30 minutes makes chopping smaller much easier!
Select an extra-mature, strong cheddar cheese (or even Gruyere) for maximum flavor!
We place the mash under the grill to melt and gratin the cheese layer on top, but you could also make this dish ahead of time. It would then require longer in the oven (around 30-35 minutes in a 400°F / 180°C oven to reheat sufficiently).

Serves 6 as a side dish

Creamy Loaded Mashed Potatoes

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

This loaded mashed potatoes recipe will take boring potatoes to the next level. It’s full of flavor and is simple to throw together for an easy side dish.

Ingredients

8 medium-large potatoes (about 2 pounds)
1 TB unsalted butter
5.3 oz smoked bacon or pancetta lardons (we use Butcher Box meat)
7 oz sour cream
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
5.3 oz cheddar cheese, grated
5 green onions, thinly sliced (green and white parts kept separate)

Instructions

Peel the potatoes, and then cut them into chunks. Keep the peeled potatoes in a large bowl of cold water while you are doing so.
Fill a large stockpot with salted water and boil the potato chunks until completely tender.
Meanwhile, cook up the bacon lardons until they start slightly crisping up. Once done, set aside. At the same time, preheat the oven to broil
Once the potato chunks are tender, drain in a colander, then return to the same pan used to boil them (wiped dry).
Add the sour cream, onion powder, and garlic powder and use a potato masher to mash the mixture well (it need not be super smooth – lumpy potato mash is great!)
Stir in most of the grated cheese, most of the cooked bacon, and all the white parts of the sliced salad onion.
Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and mix well to combine.
Pour the mixture into a suitably sized baking dish and sprinkle on the remaining bacon and remaining cheese.
Place under the broiler until the cheese bubbles and turns golden (depending on your oven settings, this could take anything between 3-15 minutes, so keep your eye on it!). The mixture will still be quite warm, so it won’t need very long in the oven to reheat, we only need to melt the cheese on the top layer.
To serve, season with a little more freshly ground black pepper, then garnish with the green ends of the sliced green onions.