My twice baked mashed potatoes recipe is rich, creamy deliciousness, y'all. Oven-baked spuds, cooled to the touch before the falling-apart flesh is removed from the skins. While the potatoes bake, uncured turkey bacon is cooked and crumbled, and the Cajun trinity veggies and garlic are browned on the stove. Then, two types of cheeses, sour cream, milk, and south Louisiana spices are added to the mix for one final stir that ties the whole dish together. A roughly 30-minute baking time completes the dish, going from the oven to the dinner table in mere minutes. Yep and yay...
Serve these twice baked mashed potatoes when you want to make a stellar side dish impression for your friends and family.
Sometimes You Just Really Need the Side Dish to Flavor Pop, Y'all...
I admit that I often spend too much time obsessing over my main dishes. And don't always give enough thought to a side or two that could really help bring the whole meal over the top.
But, when I do decide to go all out on a side, it's generally because I want to make my dinner or holiday events guests feel super duper special. Like a sort of thank you for taking the time to come over and visit. And to share the relaxed time with me after I've done all of the cooking work. It just makes me feel good to see others really enjoy my food, y'all. And I'm sure most of y'all love to get that food-loving feeling, as well.
So, I'm happy to report that these twice baked mashed potatoes are just that sort of feel-good side. They're super high on flavor and boast a consistency that I can best explain as fancy wedding food. Like they look all humble and gracious, but floor you at first bite with their sophisticated mix of flavors and textures.
Yep, these twice baked mashed potatoes require a bit of planning and prep to pull off. But, the smoky gouda cheese, the crisp uncured turkey bacon, and the surprise Cajun trinity veggies and garlic really make a stellar first impression. And then as you bite and bite on, the 'specialness' of the dish starts to really take center stage on the plate. So the question is not if you are going to finish your food, but of how many bites of this baked mashed potato casserole you can fit in your mouth without making a bit of a spectacle of yourself. Indeed.
The skillet goes from the oven to the serving table in just a few minutes.
How to Make Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes
Start by baking the potatoes in your oven or microwave.
Bake the potatoes up to one day early to make prepping the dish a much easier and effortless endeavor.
Let them cool. Then, scoop out the flesh from the skins with a spoon.
The bigger the potatoes are, the easier it is to scoop out the flesh with a spoon.
Now, use a potato masher to mash the potatoes in a large bowl.
The baked potatoes mash easily in just a few minutes.
While the potatoes are baking, fry the uncured turkey bacon in a tablespoon or two of oil. There is very little fat in this type of turkey bacon. So, keep an eye out for burning throughout the approximately 8 to 10-minute cooking process. (Add more oil or butter, if necessary).
Uncured turkey bacon lends the finishing flavor touch to this dish.
Transfer the cooked bacon to a paper-towel line plate. When cooled, use your hands to crumble the turkey bacon into very small pieces. Then, brown the finely chopped Cajun trinity veggies in the pan. (Use more oil or butter if necessary).
The raw Cajun trinity veggies pick up the flavors of the turkey bacon and oil throughout the quick browning process.
When browned, add the garlic to skillet and cook for one additional minute. Remove the veggies from the pan and let cool to the touch.
Once the trinity and garlic is browned, all you have to do is grab the remaining ingredients and bake the dish.
Now, gather all of the ingredients together so that you don't forget anything.
The final stage of the twice baked mashed potatoes begins when all of the ingredients are prepped and ready for the oven.
And, pour them all into a large glass bowl.
Pouring all of the ingredients into a large bowl gives you plenty of room to incorporate all of the different flavors and textures of the dish easily.
Next, use a hand mixer to incorporate all of the ingredients together.
Beat the mixture for about one minute to incorporate all of the ingredients perfectly.
Finally, transfer the contents to a very well-greased 10-inch cast iron skillet or baking dish, and bake until done.
The thick mixture bakes into light, fluffy perfection in the oven.
And that's it, y'all.
The first thing you notice about these twice baked mashed potatoes is their amazing consistency. Not too dense or too runny, this dish is really in a class by itself in terms of texture. Then, you feel the luscious smoked gouda and cream cheese linger on your tongue. And for the remaining blissful bites the pops of Cajun trinity veggies, garlic, and turkey bacon surprise and delight you til the very end.
Oh, there's nothing like a good side, y'all. And this is definitely one that you can use to make special occasions, family dinners, and holiday parties all that much more special.
Share these twice baked mashed potatoes with those who always bring something fun, unique, and refreshing to your table. And see y'all on the yum side...
There are endless main dish possibilities that go deliciously with this dish, including chicken, beef, and seafood.
Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3 pounds russet potatoes
- 1 to 2 tablespoons butter or oil, more as needed, see recipe instructions
- 4 uncured turkey bacon strips
- 2 tablespoons each very finely chopped onion, green bell peppers, and celery stalks
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- ¾ cup evaporated milk
- 3 tablespoons softened butter
- 1 tablespoon chopped green onions
- 1 7-ounce package smoked Gouda cheese, rind removed and shredded
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ¾ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
- ¼ teaspoon dried paprika
- salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bake the potatoes in the oven or the microwave.
- While the potatoes are baking, cook the uncured turkey bacon in the 1 or 2 teaspoons of butter oil in a pan or skillet. (Start with the one tablespoon, then use more as needed. Go up to three tablespoons, if necessary, to cook the turkey bacon evenly without burning any of it.)
- Transfer the cooked turkey bacon from the pan to a paper-towel topped plate.
- When cool to the touch, use your hands to crumble it into very small pieces.
- Brown the finely chopped onion, bell pepper, and celery in the turkey bacon drippings, about five minutes. (Add more oil or butter to avoid burning the veggies, if necessary).
- When the veggies are browned, add the minced garlic, and cook for one additional minute.
- Transfer the browned veggies and garlic to a bowl.
- When the potatoes are baked, let them cool to the touch. Then, remove the skin and pour the potato flesh into a large bowl. Mash with a potato masher.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Add the cooked turkey bacon, veggies and garlic, and all of the other remaining ingredients to the bowl.
- Process the mixture using a hand-held mixer for about 45 seconds to 1 minute, or until all of the ingredients are well combined.
- Pour the mixture into a well-greased 10-inch cast iron skillet or baking dish.
- Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the top browns nicely.
- Remove the skillet from the oven. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
The information shown is an estimate provided by a third-party, online computer-generated nutrition calculator, not a registered dietitian or certified nutritionist. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods and individual portion sizes, along with other factors.
See our full nutrition disclaimer here.
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