Mashed Potato Casserole is an outrageously scrumptious but extremely sensible technique to make mashed potato forward of time! A layer of cheese and bacon prevents the mash from drying out because it reheats within the oven, whereas reworking this humble aspect into one thing extra-devilish and decadent. Oh the facility of cheese (plus bacon)!
Make it recent, or assemble forward and reheat when required. Serve rather than plain ole’ mash.
Make-ahead mashed potato
With the vacations quick approaching, I believed it might be well timed to share my favorite technique to make mashed potato forward of time.
The factor with make-ahead mash is that you just can not merely reheat it within the microwave or oven. You would possibly assume a splash of milk and good stir is all it takes to revive it. However I can let you know that’s the trail to a mouthful of gluey horridness.
Whereas there are nifty methods to reheat chilly mashed potato efficiently*, a giant dish of creamy Mashed Potato Casserole takes the prize for essentially the most foolproof-yet-show-stopping means I do know! It additionally wins the prize for the bottom effort on the day-of since you actually simply pop the pre-assembled dish into the oven. It’s a win-win, 10/10 – nothing may very well be extra becoming to your vacation feast menu!!
* How I reheat plain mashed potato: Chilly mash in scorching cream (recipe right here, however notice it’s extra work on the day) or in heavy obligation piping luggage submerged in boiling water, a trick caterers use (see my demo right here on Instagram).
Is there such a factor as an excessive amount of bacon??
Confession: I believe I used to be somewhat heavy-handed with the bacon within the photographs whereas being a tad brief on the stuff for the recipe video!! So the recipe card as written is a contented medium. 😊
However really, wanting on the picture under, it does look fairly engaging with nearly full bacon protection on the floor. And … is there even such a factor as an excessive amount of bacon?? (Yeah nah)
What you want for Mashed Potato Casserole
Right here’s what you might want to make Mashed Potato Casserole:
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Potato – Floury and all-rounder potatoes work greatest to attain a fluffy but creamy mash with out fussing with potato ricers and different devices.
– Australia: a budget dirt-brushed potatoes offered in every single place (referred to as Sebago) are ideally suited
– US: Russet
– UK: Maris Piper -
Milk – Our liquid to loosen the potato as much as type mash. If making forward, we add further (see How To Make part for extra).
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Bitter cream – I desire utilizing bitter cream moderately than cream in mashed potato casserole as a result of the slight tang makes a pleasant counterpoint to all the opposite richness happening right here (butter, cheese, bacon). It doesn’t make it bitter within the least. It form of provides creaminess into the mash with out including cloying richness. Does that is sensible??
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Butter – Mash with out butter just isn’t mash. #strongopinions!
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Cheese – I exploit a mixture: Mozzarella for wonderful melty-cheesy-stretchines. Then Pink Leicester for flavour (it’s savoury and a bit sharp, like aged cheddar), and so as to add a beautiful orange hue to the mash floor. Should you’re within the States, your orange cheddar is right right here.
In any other case, use any melting cheese you want (colby and Monterey Jack are different private favourites). Should you choose to make use of mozzarella as your predominant cheese, add a handful of parmesan for flavour as a result of mozzarella alone is definitely fairly bland and lacks saltiness.
Shred your individual – One in all my 5 non-negotiable guidelines acknowledged loudly on the primary web page of my cookbook is, “All the time shred your individual cheese”! Retailer-bought pre-shredded cheese is coated in anti-caking brokers which forestall it from melting in addition to freshly-grated. I exploit a regular field grater for the work.
Pack your cups of cheese – For consistency I desire weight over quantity to measure cheese. So I’ll weigh a hunk of cheese earlier than grating it. However if you’re utilizing cup measures, remember to pack your cups tightly when measuring the shredded cheese in any other case you may be brief. No person desires to be brief on cheese, ever! -
Bacon – For sprinkling over the casserole floor. Be aware: I all the time use streaky bacon. As a result of fats = flavour! Additionally, fatty bacon crisps up and hues higher, with out drying out.
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Inexperienced onion – For a contact of oniony freshness and color.
Learn how to make Mashed Potato Casserole
No rocket science right here. We make mash, unfold it right into a casserole dish, prime with cheese, bacon after which cease right here if making forward. Lastly, on the day of your do, bake it!
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Lower potatoes – Peel and lower the potatoes into even sized items.
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Boil till comfortable – Place the potatoes in chilly salted water, then convey it as much as a boil and cook dinner till comfortable. They need to disintegrate while you jab it with a fork. This may take 12 to fifteen minutes relying on how robust your range is and the effectivity of your pot.
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Mash – Drain the potatoes effectively in a colander and pour them again into the empty pot. Mash with the butter, milk, bitter cream and salt.
MAKE-AHEAD ADJUSTMENT – If you’re making this dish with the intention of serving it the subsequent day, then add an additional 2/3 cup milk. The mash will appear too unfastened, however that is intentional. It’s to think about the truth that mashed potato corporations up when refrigerated in a single day. So as soon as reheated, it has the identical consistency as when it’s freshly made!
Potato masher – I like to make use of a potato masher that is sort of a spherical disc with holes in it, as pictured above. It’s the quickest and only software for a {smooth} mash with out utilizing a potato ricer (which I reserve only for Paris Mash, when searching for that next-level-luxe, ultra-smooth, 3-Michelin-restaurant end result!).
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Unfold in a casserole dish.
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High with the cheeses and bacon. (Sure you eagle-eyed spotters, I used to be brief on bacon for these pictures 😂)
For make forward – At this stage, the assembled dish will be popped within the fridge for as much as 3 days. Simply take it out of the fridge 2 hours forward so it has time to de-chill. This may make it reheat quicker and extra evenly within the oven. -
Cowl with foil then bake for 20 minutes at 200°C / 400°F (180°C fan), if freshly made. Add an additional quarter-hour should you’re reheating a make-ahead casserole you ready the day earlier than.
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Uncover – Take away from the oven and bake for an extra 10 minutes till bubbly and golden.
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Voila, able to serve! Crack by way of that molten cheese floor and marvel at how creamy the mash beneath is!
Learn how to serve Mashed Potato Casserole
It is a dish designed to be a aspect. (I do know we will all image it moonlighting as a standalone dish after a giant night time on the turps or a surprising day at work, nevertheless it’s meant to take the place of conventional plain mashed potato, I swear.) As a result of really, although this has cheese and bacon on it, beneath is all creamy plain mashed potato.
So place it on the desk or on the buffet alongside the mains and let everyone dig in and assist themselves! Attempt to get in first although. As a result of full effectively the primary in line are going to take greater than their fair proportion of that cheese bacon topping – and we all know full effectively we additionally can not blame them….. – Nagi x
Watch the right way to make it
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Mashed Potato Casserole
Potatoes, Aspect Dish
Western
Servings10 – 12
Faucet or hover to scale
Substances
- 1.75kg/ 3.5 lb potatoes (Sebago (Aus), Russet (US), Maris Piper / King Edwards (UK)(Be aware 1)
- 1 tbsp cooking / kosher salt , for cooking potatoes
- 2/3 cup milk (ideally full fats/complete milk however lite okay)
- 2/3 cup EXTRA milk , for make-ahead choice solely (Be aware 2)
- 75g / 5 tbsp unsalted butter , lower into 1cm / 1/2″ cubes
- 1/2 cup bitter cream (or yogurt), full fats greatest
- 1 1/2 cups (tightly packed) mozzarella , freshly shredded (Be aware 3)
- 1 cup (tightly packed) Pink Leicester, cheddar or different flavoured cheese(Be aware 3)
- 1 tsp cooking/kosher salt , or to style
- 200g / 6 oz bacon (streaky), chopped (Be aware 4)
- 1/4 cup inexperienced onion , finely sliced
Directions
Cook dinner bacon:
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Place bacon in a chilly non-stick pan over medium warmth (no oil). Because the pan heats up the bacon fats will soften. When you see some melted bacon fats, flip the warmth as much as medium excessive and stir for 3 minute or till golden.
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Drain on paper towels.
Mash:
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Potatoes – Peel then lower into 3cm /1″ chunks.
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Boil – Place in a big pot and canopy with water so it’s 10cm / 4” above the potatoes. Add 1 tablespoon salt. Deliver to a boil over excessive warmth then cut back warmth so it’s simmering quickly. Cook dinner quarter-hour or till potatoes are very comfortable (jab with fork to check, they need to disintegrate).
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Drain effectively, then return into pot. Depart for 1 minute, shaking pot from time to time, to encourage evaporation of water.
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Mash – Add milk (together with EXTRA milk if making-ahead), butter, bitter cream and 1 tsp salt. Mash till {smooth}. (Don’t use meals processor, blender or beater, makes it gluey!)
Assemble:
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Unfold the potato in a 2 litre / 2 quart baking dish (Be aware 5). Easy the floor.
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Sprinkle – Sprinkle potato with the cheeses, then bacon.
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Bake lined – Cowl loosely with foil. Bake 20 minutes lined (if freshly made) or 35 minutes (make-ahead choice).
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Bake uncovered – Take away foil then bake an extra 10 minutes till the cheese is bubbly and golden.
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Serve – Sprinkle with inexperienced onion then serve! It stays heat for a superb 20 minutes due to that protecting layer of cheese. Oh, the powers of cheese!
Recipe Notes:
2. Further milk for make-ahead choice makes the mash looser to think about that mash corporations up when refrigerated. That is the quantity required in order that the reheated dish finally ends up with the identical consistency as when it was freshly made!
3. Cheeses – Mozzarella for wonderful melting qualities, plus Pink Leicester or US cheddar for color and flavour (sub with different cheese of selection like colby, gruyere, Swiss, tasty).
SHRED YOUR OWN for one of the best end result! Retailer-bought pre-shredded is coated with anti-caking brokers so it doesn’t soften as effectively.
PACK your cups tightly when measuring shredded cheese, else you’ll be brief. And no one desires to be brief on cheese, ever!
4. Bacon – It’s worthwhile to use streaky/fatty bacon to make use of this no-oil methodology of cooking bacon. Should you use lean bacon, you will have to preheat oil. I do know which choice I desire! 🙂
5. Dish – A 2 litre / 2 quart baking dish is the best dimension, will probably be stuffed to the brim. A 23 x 33cm / 9 x 13″ dish (3L/3 qt) works tremendous too – will probably be stuffed about 2/3 of the best way up.
6. Make-head – Retains for 3 days within the fridge, raw, totally assembled aside from the inexperienced onion. You’ll want to take it out of the fridge 2 hours previous to reheating to take the coolness out of the it so it reheats extra evenly.
Freezing – A former crew member reported wonderful outcomes freezing the assembled dish, thawing then reheating. However I by no means tried it myself – I’ll come again and replace if (no, when!) I do.
Leftovers will maintain for 3 days, however the mash gained’t be as creamy. Think about using it to make mashed potato desserts as a substitute!
7. Vitamin per serving assuming 12 servings, as half of a bigger banquet.
Vitamin Info:
Energy: 333cal (17%)Carbohydrates: 26g (9%)Protein: 11g (22%)Fats: 21g (32%)Saturated Fats: 11g (69%)Polyunsaturated Fats: 2gMonounsaturated Fats: 6gTrans Fats: 0.2gLdl cholesterol: 54mg (18%)Sodium: 1057mg (46%)Potassium: 668mg (19%)Fiber: 3g (13%)Sugar: 3g (3%)Vitamin A: 478IU (10%)Vitamin C: 27mg (33%)Calcium: 200mg (20%)Iron: 1mg (6%)
Lifetime of Dozer
Individuals have been questioning how Jeff is, our pleasant native who lives at my native canine park (Bayview, in Sydney’s northern seashores), an official RecipeTin style tester. He’s doing effectively! That is how I begin each weekend – espresso for Jeff, a ham and cheese croissant for his canine Cubby (typically Jeff will get a chew) and Dozer, ready for scraps – till he provides up and gallops right down to the seaside to affix his mates within the water!
Photograph captured by Kevin of Unleashed Northern Seashores, a neighborhood photographer. Great present concept: voucher for a personal pooch picture shoot!