Monday, February 18, 2013

Mashed Potato Casserole - Best Ever - Hands Down!



This weekend my daughter, Rebecca, wanted to make something "different" to go with our BBQ.  Hey!  If someone wants to cook for me, and I don't have to leave my house?  Bring it on!

Rebecca tried this super delicious recipe.  It was wonderful!!  Her dad is very, very picky.  In fact, we made a plain baked potato for him just in case he didn't like it.  But like it?  He did!  He loved it.  He raced home after work on Monday, to gobble down the leftovers.

We halved this recipe.  We also varied from the original recipe in that we used instant mashed potatoes.  We made them using water and milk as called for on the box, and omitted the milk from the recipe here.  We also only made half of this recipe since there were only three of us eating.  Half of this recipe would easily feed a family of four, unless you want leftovers and it's so delicious that you might want to make the whole shabang!  You are going to want leftovers!

This would be great for dinner parties and potlucks!

Here's how we made Mashed Potato Casserole AT HOME MY WAY:

Mashed Potato Casserole

Ingredients
  • 5 1/2 cups mashed potatoes (around 6-7 large baking potatoes) (or equivalent of prepared instant mashed potatoes)
  • 1/2 cup milk (omit the milk if you are using instant potatoes and if you used milk plus water according to box directions)
  • 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
  • 2 teaspoons dried parsley (we omitted)
  • 1 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 8 slices bacon crispy cooked and crumbled  (we used those real bacon bits and just sprinkled some in - not the whole package)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven 350 degrees.
  2. Peel, quarter, and boil potatoes for 15-20 minutes or until soft. Drain potatoes and and beat with a mixer until smooth. Add milk, cream cheese, sour cream, parsley (we did not use parsley), and garlic salt. Beat at a medium-high speed until nice and creamy. Add salt to taste keeping in mind that the cheese and bacon will add a little salt later.
  3. Spoon into a  sprayed 9x13 baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Top with cheddar cheese and bacon. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until cheese melts.
  4. Serves 12 people.
 
Enjoy!
 
Gina