Loaded Twice Baked Potato Casserole

Loaded Twice Baked Potato Casserole is a super creamy casserole made with tender potatoes, loads of cheddar cheese, and delicious crispy bacon. This side dish is worth the time to make it with sour cream, green onion topping, and can easily be loaded with more of your favorite potato toppings – talk about a comfort food!

Loaded Twice Baked Potato Casserole

Twice baked potatoes are so aptly named because they are cooked twice – leaving them savory, soft, and creamy. They key to this casserole is to simply pre-prep your potatoes before adding flavorful ingredients like butter, sour cream, seasoning and loads of cheese, and then piling high with the good stuff- bacon!  I love a regular loaded baked potato, but this casserole is so filling that its a meal in and of itself!

• 2-2.5 lbs baked potatoes
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup whole whipping cream
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 lb bacon, cooked and cut into cubes

Simple Casserole Variations: Feel free to add a layer of seasoned beef on the bottom of this loaded baked potato casserole to not only add some protein, but turn this ultimate side dish into a main dish (think loaded baked potato Shepard’s pie!) 

Microwave Prep Potatoes

Before getting started, you need to prep the potatoes so they are already soft and scoop-able. You can boil, instant pot, oven bake or microwave -whatever you are most comfortable with. 

Personally, I wash/scrub potatoes, cut them in half, and poke holes in the skin with a fork. Place on a microwave safe plate. I microwave for 5 minutes and then flip over and continue to microwave for an additional five minutes or until soft. My dad has this trick where he pokes holes in them and puts them in a zip lock baggie, leaving just the edge open. He does 1-2 potatoes at a time for about 8 minutes, until you can run a knife into them. Again, they get really hot so no matter how you prep your potatoes, make sure you be careful. 

If you are pressed for time, you CAN use instant potatoes or frozen steamed potatoes. They do not have the same homemade taste as doing the russet potatoes by hand, but its still a solid dish. 

Twice Baked Potato Casserole

Preheat oven to 400 and spray a 2-1/2 quart casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. 

Prep your potatoes (see note on potatoes). 

Scoop the insides out of the potato and place into a mixing bowl.

Discard the potato skins.

Add butter, sour cream, cream, one cup of cheese and spices. Mix well.

 

Spoon potato casserole into prepared dish. Sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese and top with bacon.

NOTE ABOUT BACON: When it comes to using bacon as as topping, it can get frustrating to get the right crisp. I now use my Ninja Foodi to Air Fry my bacon in about 10 minutes, which allows me to really use a lot of extra bacon without having to stand over a hot splattering skillet. If you have never made bacon that way, I recommend it!!! 

Bake baked potato casserole for 10-15 minutes or until heated through and bubbly around the edges.

 

 

Casseroles

There is nothing better or more filling than casserole recipes. If you need a few more to serve up as side dishes, try: 

• Cauliflower Au Gratin Casserole
• Zucchini Tomato Casserole
• Apple Cinnamon Bread Pudding
• Broccoli and Ham Casserole
• Blueberry French Toast Casserole
• Cinnamon Roll French Toast Casserole
• Sausage Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole

 

Loaded Twice Baked Potato Casserole

Yield: 10

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Loaded Twice Baked Potato Casserole is a super creamy casserole made with tender potatoes, loads of cheddar cheese, and delicious crispy bacon - ultimate comfort food and perfect side dish to serve up for holiday meals.

Print

Ingredients

• 2.5 lbs baked potatoes
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup whole whipping cream
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 lb bacon, cooked and cut up

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 and spray a 2-1/2 quart casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
2. Before getting started on your casserole assembly, you need to soften your potatoes. You can use the microwave (info listed in article), pressure cooker or oven bake. Your potatoes need to be soft enough to scoop out insides.
3. Scoop the insides out of the potato and place into a mixing bowl. Discard the skins.
4. Add butter, sour cream, whole whipping cream, one cup of cheese and spices. Mix well.
5. Spoon twice baked potato mixture into prepared dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and top with lots of bacon.
6. Bake casserole for 10-15 minutes or until heated through and bubbly around the edges.

Notes

Can you prep Loaded Baked Potato Casserole Ahead of Time? 

Yes! You can make your loaded baked potato casserole ahead of time and put in the fridge, sealed up well with foil, until time to bake. Please note that cooking times may vary when you are coming straight from a super cold fridge and you may need additional cooking time to warm.

Can you crock pot Twice Baked Potato Casserole?

You can! Just assemble all your ingredients in the crock pot and warm on low for 2 hours or until warm. Add layer of extra cheese and melt before serving. Because potatoes do so well in a crock pot, this recipe makes an amazing hearty and comfort dish for a party, holiday, or to feed a crowd. 

Can you use Instant Potatoes for Twice Baked Potato Casserole?

Yes, you can. I do not know the exact measurements to make this translation but will be updating in the future.

Can you substitute milk for whole whipping cream?

Yes.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 435Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 58mgSodium: 787mgCarbohydrates: 45gFiber: 5gSugar: 3gProtein: 19g

Nutritional information is automatically calculated with ingredients and serving size and may not be accurate. Please always double check with your own nutritional apps as well.