Who doesn’t love a hot baked potato stuffed with melted cheese, crisp bacon, and green onions? This dinner recipe bakes those flavors into one fantastic loaded potato casserole.


Follow us on Pinterest >> Tip Hero

We know “casserole” can be a divisive term (especially if you were treated to Mom’s gloppy clean-out-the-fridge creations growing up). But we promise, there are neither tuna nor noodles involved in this recipe! And if you’re not a casserole person, we think this is going to be the one to change your mind.

In theory, anything that your family loves to pile on baked potatoes could go into this casserole. Chopped broccoli florets, crumbled bleu cheese, taco meat instead of bacon, fresh-snipped chives, even a dollop of sour cream on top–load it up! We went with the classics, though: shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese, bits of bacon, green onions, and half and half to bring it all together and make the potatoes extra creamy.

Bacon? Check. Potatoes? Check. Are you thinking what we’re thinking? Don’t let anybody tell you this casserole “isn’t breakfast food“–because if you bring this to a brunch, we’ll bet your friends will be passing around the recipe faster than a hot potato.

Loaded Potato Casserole


Makes 8 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours

Ingredients

  • 2½ pounds russet potatoes, sliced into ⅛-inch-thick slices
  • 1½ cups shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese
  • ½ pound cooked (but not crisp) bacon, chopped
  • ½ cup sliced green onions
  • 1¼ cups half and half
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more for sprinkling on the layers (to taste)
  • Your favorite chopped fresh herbs to garnish (optional)
Loaded potato casserole servingTipHero

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F/190°C.
  2. Butter an 8-inch square baking dish and set it aside.
  3. Use a mandoline slicer to slice the potatoes into ⅛-inch-thick slices.
  4. Layer one-third of the potato slices in the buttered dish, overlapping them slightly. Season the potatoes with pepper.
  5. Sprinkle one third of the cheese, one-third of the chopped bacon, and one-third of the sliced green onions on top of the potatoes.
  6. Repeat the layering process again with another one-third of the potatoes, pepper, cheese, bacon and green onions.
  7. Repeat the layering process a final time, leaving off the last third of the green onions.
  8. Season the half and half with 2 teaspoons of salt and ¾ teaspoon of ground black pepper. Stir to combine.
  9. Pour the seasoned half and half over the top of the potatoes.
  10. Cover the pan loosely with foil and bake it for 30 minutes.
  11. Remove the foil and bake for another 45 to 60 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked and the top has browned a little.
  12. Allow the dish to rest for 15-20 minutes before serving.
  13. Garnish with the remaining sliced green onions and chopped herbs, if you’re using them.

Chef’s Tip

  • Think square casseroles are for squares? You can also bake this in 9½-inch-deep round pie pan, or any similarly sized baking dish.
  • If you don’t have a mandoline slicer, slice the potatoes as thin as you can with a sharp knife.
Loaded Potato Casserole hero shotTipHero

What casseroles did you eat as a kid? And what casseroles do you feed your kids now? Let us know if this grown-up loaded potato casserole opened the doors to a whole new casserole chapter of your life!

Recipe adapted from galonamission.com.