Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes are deliciously rich and creamy comfort food at its best!
I have loaded up this twice-baked potato casserole with 3 kinds of cheese – plus I’ll show you how to get oozy gooey cheese in every bite!
My super easy twice baked mashed potatoes recipe is the perfect side dish for your holiday table or just dinner tonight.
Potatoes are one of my food weaknesses (I have a few). I don’t mind if they are roasted, stuffed, mashed, or made into soup…I’m not fussy…I just love potatoes.
For added creaminess, I have included sour cream as well as the usual butter which also gives an extra depth of flavour to your mash.
Why you will love this twice baked potato casserole
- An easy way to flavour up your usual weeknight mash recipe.
- Can be made ahead.
- Potatoes are awesome!
What you need to make this recipe
*Please see the recipe card below for exact ingredient quantities and detailed instructions
- potatoes – I used Sebago
- cream cheese
- sour cream
- parmesan
- garlic powder
- salt
- unsalted butter – can substitute with salted butter and vary the amount of additional salt
- milk
- cheddar cheese
- chives – optional garnish
*Please see the recipe card below for exact ingredient quantities and detailed instructions
How to make twice baked mashed potatoes
- Place mashed potatoes into a large bowl along with cream cheese and mix to combine.
- Add butter.
- Add sour cream, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and salt then mix to combine.
- Gradually add milk until you reach the consistency you want.
- Just prior to baking, quickly add half the cheddar cheese and mix lightly to combine.
- Spoon mash into a baking dish, sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese then place in the oven to bake.
Top tips for the best result
- Chop your potatoes into even-sized pieces, this will help them to cook evenly.
- Allowing the drained potato to steam dry a little before you mash it helps to dry out any excess water remaining on the potato which can lead to a wet mash.
- When adding your milk, only add a little at a time until you reach the creamy texture you are looking for.
- Mixing in half of the grated cheddar right before baking is what is going to give us little pockets of melty gooey stretchy cheese throughout the dish – yum!
How to get a smooth fluffy mash
- Make sure to cook the potatoes in a large pot to allow enough room for the water to circulate well around the (even-sized) pieces of potato so they all cook evenly.
- Make sure that your potato is cooked until it is tender, but not waterlogged. If the potato isn’t cooked through properly you will have little chunks of undercooked potato after you mash it. If it’s overcooked the mash will be watery.
- Use a potato ricer (looks like a big garlic press) instead of a potato masher. This will give you a finer, smoother texture to your mash.
- Please don’t use a food processor or blender to mash the potatoes – they will overwork the potatoes which in turn will release too much starch which will make your mash gluey and sticky.
- Fancy restaurants pass their cooked potato through a drum sieve, you can replicate this at home with a fine mesh sieve.
Making ahead
Make the recipe up to the end of step 7 in the recipe card (after you have added the milk but before the first addition of cheddar cheese).
Allow this potato mixture to cool completely before adding the cheddar cheese to the mixture.
Spoon the mash into your casserole dish, sprinkle over the remaining cheese then cover in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
When you are ready to finish the dish, take it out of the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature then bake.
How to freeze
- To freeze in the serving dish follow the steps above for Making Ahead, then wrap well and place in the freezer (instead of the fridge). Allow to thaw fully before placing in the oven to bake.
- Alternatively – make potatoes up until the end of step 7, allow to cool then freeze in a suitable container. Then to bake, allow to thaw fully then proceed with the recipe as written from step 8 in the recipe.
Storage
Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
Variations
- Add some fresh herbs like thyme or parsley.
- Sprinkle some cooked and chopped bacon on top.
Frequently asked questions
More potato side dishes
Warm Potato Salad – creamy potatoes paired with bacon and leek, bathed in a tangy mustard garlic dressing, finished with chopped parsley.
Spinach and Herb Mash – fluffy and creamy mashed potatoes, loaded up with baby spinach, fresh herbs and feta cheese – the complete side dish.
Mustard Butter Mashed Potatoes – rich potato mash swirled with a decadent ribbon of garlic and mustard butter.
Other recipes you may enjoy
Slow Cooker Roast Lamb Shoulder – succulent, melt-in-your-mouth roast lamb with rosemary that is so tender that it literally falls away from the bone. This is our Christmas dinner dish here at home!
Garlic Butter Sauce – the ultimate fast and tasty 5 min sauce made with melted butter, garlic, parsley and lemon juice. This easy sauce goes with everything!
