Loaded Baked Potato Casserole
Loaded Baked Potato Casserole is PERFECT for game day, made with russet potatoes baked in a cheesy sauce with spices and onions, then topped with crispy bacon and served with sour cream.
Potatoes are a really easy, versatile, and fast side dish! Check out my Baked Potato Bar Ideas, and Cheesy Hamburger Potato Casserole for more!
Loaded Baked Potato Casserole
Loaded baked potato casserole is a really easy recipe made with russet potatoes mixed with onions and baked in a creamy sauce of pepper jack and cheddar cheese and spices, then topped with green onions and crispy bacon. You can serve this with extra toppings like sour cream, raw chopped onions, chopped tomatoes, or even chopped Instant Pot Broccoli. This is perfect for family game day, or for when you’re grilling steak or chicken and need a side dish. This is also a great addition to holiday meals!
What is a fully loaded baked potato?
A fully loaded baked potato is stuffed with all of the best potato toppings, which can include a mix of any of the following:
- Cheese
- Bacon
- Sour Cream
- Broccoli
- Chives or green onions
- Chili
- Beef, turkey, or chicken
- Butter
What do you eat with a loaded baked potato?
A loaded baked potato is typically served with a protein like steak or chicken. I also like to add extra veggies on the side, to balance out the richness of the cheese sauce. Try any of the following baked potato toppings on the side:
- Cooked broccoli or cauliflower
- Diced tomato
- Diced onion
- Chopped bell pepper
- Extra slices bacon (because why not).
Can you make this ahead of time?
Personally I think this is best on the day of. The sauce is similar to mac and cheese, so if you’ve ever reheated that the next day then that’s what you’ll have, except the potatoes do a little better than pasta.
If you’re going to make this ahead of time, let it cool and store in the refrigerator in an airtight container. When you’re ready to reheat, cover with tinfoil and heat at 375°F for about 10-15 minutes, or until warmed through.
Can you freeze this recipe?
You can make this ahead of time and freeze it. Let it cool completely in the baking dish, then store in an airtight container. When you’re ready to serve, take out of the freezer and let it defrost in the refrigerator the night before. Once it’s defrosted, cook in a preheated oven at 375°F for 20-30 minutes, or until warmed through.
What To Serve With This Recipe
Tips for Making Loaded Baked Potato Casserole
- If you want to add some heat, try adding 1/4 tsp of cayenne spice to the cheese sauce. You can also try adding some diced jalapeno in with the onion at the beginning.
- I used 2% milk in this recipe because that’s what I usually have in the house. You can also use skim or whole milk.
- If you want a twice baked potato casserole, bake the potatoes beforehand and remove the skin. Then use a potato masher in the casserole dish and mash all of the ingredients together into the potato mixture. Then bake for 15-20 minutes, just to melt the cheese. You don’t need to cover with foil for this method, because the potatoes are already cooked through.
- For more flavor, try adding a teaspoon garlic powder or even ranch seasoning to the sauce. You can also replace a cup of milk with chicken broth in the sauce.
- I use standard russet potatoes (baking potatoes) for this recipe because they hold up really well. You can also use gold or white potatoes, but you might get a smoother potato base instead of bites of potato.
- Make sure you cut your potatoes into smaller pieces that are all about even. If you cut them too large or uneven, this will increase the cook time.
- If you want a more complete meal, add some cooked cut up chicken breast or leftover chicken to the mixture before baking.
- I used regular thick-cut pieces of bacon for this recipe but you can also use turkey bacon or omit the bacon entirely if you’d prefer. The slices of bacon are more for flavor and presentation, but it’ll still be good if you’re vegetarian and don’t add them.
- You can play with the cheese mixture to change the flavor. I like sharp cheddar cheese, but you can also try any real cheese you’d like, such as monterey jack, gruyere, or swiss.
- I scrub potatoes and peel them for prep, but you can leave the potato skins on as long as you clean them well.
Loaded Baked Potato Casserole
Ingredients
- 10 medium russet potatoes , washed and peeled
- 1/4 cup green onions, chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped
For the Cheese Sauce
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 tbsp gluten free all-purpose flour
- 3 cups 2% milk
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- 3/4 cups pepper jack cheese, shredded
Toppings
- 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
- 6 slices cooked bacon (crispy), chopped
- 1/4 cup chives, chopped
Equipment
- baking dish
- sauce pan
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a large baking dish and set aside.
- Cut potatoes into 1/2-inch pieces. Try to keep them all about the same size. Add potatoes, onions, and green onions to the baking dish.
- In a saucepan, melt butter. Whisk in flour and cook 3-4 minutes, until flour starts to brown and begins to smell nutty, whisking continuously. Slowly whisk in milk and spices. Whisk often, every few seconds, until mixture begins to thicken.
- Once milk mixture thickens, add 1 cup of the shredded cheddar and all of the pepper jack. Mix together for about a minute, until cheese is melted. Pour over potatoes and carefully mix everything together. Top with remaining cheddar.
- Cover dish with tinfoil and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until potatoes are just softened. Remove the tinfoil and bake an additional 15 minutes, or until potatoes are completely fork-tender.
- If you want to brown the cheese more, broil for 1-2 minutes. Watch closely so it doesn't burn.
- Top with remaining bacon and green onions before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
We are a participant in both the RewardStyle and Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, which are affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com and through RewardStyle.
