I took all the goodness of a loaded baked potato and turned it into the mashed potato dish of your dreams. Meet my Loaded Mashed Potatoes recipe! You would never guess there was a whole head of cauliflower in there too! This is comfort food at it’s finest.
My boys (husband included) love when I make loaded baked potatoes with all the fixings. We usually have a spread of green onions, cheddar cheese, sour cream, and crispy bacon.. Naturally, the idea to combine all of those into a cheesy baked mashed potato, was inevitable! This recipe is SO GOOD and very low maintenance. It’s a great make ahead dish for any occasion big or small, and a total show stopper if you have guests over. The boys basically crowned my mom of the year when I fed them this haha!
We love potatoes in my house. From Crispy Oven Fries, or Rosemary Fries, to my creamy Garlicky Kale Mash, or delicious Maple Hasselback Sweet Potatoes. Now this new recipe has topped the charts!
Serve this recipe alongside a roasted chicken or turkey, for a new twist on a classic mash.
Jump to RecipeHow to Make Loaded Mashed Potatoes
One of the best parts about this recipe is you can use it as a guide and easily adjust to your preferences. Simply fold in your favourite toppings into your mashed potatoes and voilà! You just made Loaded Mashed Potatoes my friends.
This recipe actually uses a sneaky entire head of cauliflower! Picky eaters won’t notice, but the addition should make you feel extra good. You can of course skip this part but I loved the addition. Puréeing it in the food processor made it smooth and creamy when added to the potatoes!
What Tools To Use for Mashing Potatoes
If you like your potatoes ultra-smooth, pass them through a ricer! For a less perfect texture or to keep some lumps, simply use a potato masher or a couple forks. Don’t put your potatoes in a blender as it will release too much starch, creating a gluey sticky mess. I have learned the hard way here!
What Kind of Potatoes Should I Use
Choosing the proper potatoes is important. After-all it is the star pf the show! I prefer to use Russet potatoes, which give you a creamy mash. Yukon Golds work well too, and have a more golden colour to them. I would steer clear of red skin potatoes for a mash as they are a bit waxier and don’t break down as well.
Loaded Mashed Potatoes
I took all the goodness of a loaded baked potato and turned it into the mashed potato dish of your dreams. Meet my Loaded Mashed Potatoes recipe! You would never guess there was a whole head of cauliflower in there too! This is comfort food at it's finest.
Ingredients
- 3 pounds russet potatoes peeled and cut in half
- 1 head cauliflower ends trimmed and roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup softened butter
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and smashed
- 6 slices bacon
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese or more to taste
- 2 green onions, sliced
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Prepare the Potatoes
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Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes, reduce to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork, about 20-30 minutes. Drain once cooked and mash with a ricer or potato masher until smooth. Prepare the cauliflower while the potatoes are cooking.
Prepare the Cauliflower
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While the potatoes are cooking, place a steamer insert into a large saucepan and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Bring the water to a boil. Add the cauliflower, cover, and steam until tender, about 15 minutes. You can alternately chop up the cauliflower and boil it in a saucepan if you don't have a steamer basket.
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Once steamed, drain the cauliflower and transfer it to a food processor. Add the softened butter and garlic cloves and blend on high until smooth.
Prepare the Bacon
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While the cauliflower and potatoes cook, dice the bacon. In a medium frying pan on medium heat, cook the bacon for about 10 minutes or until it is crispy and cooked through, stirring occasionally. Remove from pan and set aside.
Assemble the Loaded Mashed Potaoes
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Preheat the oven to broil. Combine the mashed potatoes and pureed cauliflower in a large bowl and stir together. Add the sour cream, half of the cheddar cheese, and half of the green onions. Stir to combine and add salt and pepper to taste.
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Transfer the mashed potato mixture into an oven safe baking dish(s) (9×9" or similar size), top with the remaining cheese and broil until the top is melted and golden. Garnish with the extra crispy bacon bits and remaining green onions before serving.
These were scrumptious potatoes! The cheesy top is akin to homemade Mac n’ cheese, a nice crusty topping to the creamy potatoes. I didn’t add bacon as I’m vegan and adjusted the salt as necessary. Used parsley as that’s what we had from the farmer’s market—love that it’s easily adaptable!
Hi Andrea! Thank you for taking the time to review this recipe! So happy you enjoyed xx
Another delicious recipe. I’m single so I halved the recipe and it was a success. Loved the cauliflower puree in the recipe. Yummy!!