I cannot stress enough how absolutely phenomenal this Twice Baked Potato Casserole is! It is perfect as a side dish for dinner any night of the week. And it is also the perfect dish to take to parties! But be warned. If you take this to a party, be prepared to pass out the recipe! And depending on the size of the party, you may want to double the recipe I am posting here.
Twice baked potatoes are always a hit and there are so many ways to make them. And I am a potato lover so I will take them any way I can get them! When I make this twice-baked potato casserole, I could honestly just call it a meal and be done. The creaminess of the potatoes, the smokiness of the bacon and the zip from the ranch dressing mix, as well as the cheese all combine to make this the ultimate dish! I just really don’t know what else I can say other than YUM!!!!! And you NEED to make this!
And if you are a potato lover like me, here are some other dishes I am sure you will love!
Creamy Chicken, Sausage and Potato Stew
Cheesy Chicken Bacon and Ranch Casserole
What Ingredients are needed?
- 6 Russet Potates, medium to large size
- 1 lb of bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 1 capful or 1 packet of Ranch Dressing Seasoning Mix
- 1 tbs of black pepper
- 4 tbs of butter
- 5-6 minced garlic cloves
- 1 cup of sour cream
- 16 oz of sharp cheddar cheese, divided in half
- 2-3 Chopped green onions for garnish, if desired
Can I use a different kind of potato?
You can use any type of potato, but since Russets are generally what are used for baked potatoes, I recommend using them. Yellow potatoes would be my second option.
Can I boil the potatoes instead of baking them?
You absolutely can! I prefer to bake them because the consistency remains more like that of a baked potato. Peel them and boil them just until fork tender and they will still turn out great.
I don’t like Ranch, do I have to use it?
My philosophy with cooking is that recipes are meant to be modified. If you don’t like something, there is absolutely no reason to use it. You can season it any way you like! There are an endless array of spices in every store. Get as creative as you want or just simply use salt and pepper if you prefer.
What can I substitute for the sour cream?
Greek yogurt or mayonnaise are both great substitutes for the sour cream!
How to Make them:
Start by washing and drying your potatoes. Give them all a few good pokes with a fork. Put on a baking sheet and bake at 400 for 45 minutes to an hour or until soft.
When they are done I like to slice them open and squeeze them open a bit to speed up the cooling process.
Once they are cool enough to handle, scoop out as much of the insides as you can into a large mixing bowl. Don’t worry about getting some skin in there. (If I had it my way, I would leave the skins on, but my family doesn’t like that!)
I just very gently crumble them up with a fork or spoon to keep a chunky consistency. If you want them creamier, use a potato masher to mash them up.
Time to add in the rest of our ingredients:
Add your 4 tbs of melted butter, the ranch seasoning, the minced garlic, black pepper, sour cream, 1/2 the cheese and all but 3 slices of the bacon. Gently mix everything together.
Give it a taste and determine if it needs any more seasoning, such as salt or pepper. SELF-CONTROL will be needed here as it is already delicious at this point!
Spread into a 9×13 baking dish and bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes.
Take it out of the oven, and cover with the rest of the cheese and bacon. Bake for another 10-15 minutes until the cheese is melted.
As I said before, this dish really does go well with pretty much anything! If you are into meal prepping, this could be divided up into 6-8 servings and will make a great lunch!
If you do make this recipe, please leave a comment and a rating. I love hearing from you and it helps so much! Thank you!
Twice Baked Potato Casserole
Ingredients
- 6 Medium to large sized Russet Potatoes
- 4 tbs Butter, melted
- 5-6 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 1 oz Ranch Seasoning Mix
- 1 Cup Sour Cream
- 16 oz Sharp Cheddar, grated divided in half
- 1 lb Bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 2-3 Chopped Green Onions for garnish if desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Wash and dry your potatoes and poke several holes in them with a fork. Place on a cookie sheet and bake 45-60 minutes or until soft. When they are finished, cut slits down the middle and open them slightly to speed up the cooling process.
- When they are cool enough to handle, scoop the insides into a large mixing bowl. (Don't worry about getting a few skins in there.)
- Add the melted butter, garlic, ranch seasoning, black pepper, sour cream, 1/2 the cheese and all but 3 slices of the bacon.
- Gently mix until all of the ingredients are incorporated.
- Spread into a 9×13 baking dish and bake for 10 minutes. Remove and top with the rest of the cheese and bacon. Bake an additional 10-15 minutes or until cheese is completely melted. Garnish with the green onions if desired.
