If you’ve ever had a twice-baked potato, then this is it in a deconstructed form, so to speak. This was a perfect side dish to any kind of barbecue and it’s a true crowd pleaser. People were diving in for seconds! I think that the mayonnaise adds a creaminess to the potato, so I wouldn’t skip it. Sour cream and green onions kicked up the flavor, and of course, who doesn’t love melted sharp cheddar cheese?
Last week, I was shopping for groceries at Whole Foods, and I realized that I hadn’t eaten lunch. My stomach was growling at me, and so I bought a twice-baked potato from their hot food bar. The potato was on the small side, and the melted cheese and broccoli looked really appealing.
When they cashier rang it up, I gasped. $8.00. Ouch! But, I was hungry and I have to say– it was one of the tastiest twice-baked potatoes I’ve ever eaten.
I made a mental note that I should make these at home– for a lot less than $8.00, thank you very much. I had family over for Craig’s Amazing Baby Back Ribs, and I couldn’t decide between making American Potato Salad or Twice-Baked Potatoes.
I absolutely adore baked potatoes. For years, I used to wrap russet potatoes in foil, and bake them that way. After all, that’s how my mom made them. However, we love crispy, seasoned potato skins. So, for the last few years I scrub my potatoes, pat them dry, sprinkle them with olive oil and Montreal Steak Seasoning. I place them in a cast-iron skillet and bake them at 400F for about an hour– or until a knife easily slips in and out.
What you end up with are potatoes that are crispy browned underneath, and the seasoning makes these taste just like Outback Steakhouse baked spuds (in my honest opinion).
Then an idea hit me– instead of cutting each potato in half, and scraping out the cooked potato…and adding my ingredients (which can be time/labor intensive) …
…why not cut them up (skin and all) and make one big fully-loaded baked potato casserole out of this?! Brilliant! Well, I was not alone, because there are plenty of recipes already posted. In a way, the ingredients are similar to my Loaded Baked Potato Soup. Fine, I’ll post one, too!
So, here I’ve added sour cream and mayonnaise, cooked bacon, plenty of green onion and sharp cheddar cheese.
I added some non-stick spray to a casserole dish, and spooned in all the mixed up ingredients.
A sprinkling of reserved chopped bacon, and extra cheese and this took about 20 minutes to put together. I covered it with foil and waited for our guests to arrive.
I baked the casserole at 350F for about 30 minutes, covered with the foil. Then, I removed the foil and baked the casserole for 10 additional minutes. Then, I added some reserved green onion on top.
Fully-Loaded Twice Baked Potato Casserole
Ingredients
- 8 medium Russet potatoes scrubbed and dried (russet potatoes recommended)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 to 2 tablespoons Montreal Steak Seasoning* or coarse salt and pepper
- 8 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded (I used 3 cups, total, reserving 1 cup)
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup sour cream
- 5 to 6 green onions sliced
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bake the potatoes:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Scrub the potatoes and pat dry. Drizzle olive oil over each potato and then season with Montreal Steak Seasoning (or salt & pepper).
- *Montreal Steak Seasoning is very easy to find at most any grocery store. We use it for just about everything and anything and it’s ideal to season potato skins.
- Place the potatoes on either a cast-iron skillet (my preference) or on a baking sheet. Do NOT wrap the potatoes in foil, or you won’t get the crispy potatoes skins that we love so much.
- Poke each potato, a few times, with the tines of a fork. Bake for about 45 minutes to an hour (until knife slides easily in and out).
- Set the baked potatoes aside to cool enough to handle.
- Make the casserole:
- Cut each potato in half, then quarters, then into bite-sized chunks. Don’t worry about perfectionism. (Leave the skins on, as they are delicious!)
- Whisk the sour cream and mayonnaise in a bowl, then add to the cut-up potatoes. Be sure to reserve some of the cheese, and 1/4 cup of the green onion and about 1/2 cup of the bacon. Add the remaining ingredients and gently fold to combine.
- Spray a casserole dish with non-stick spray and evenly distribute the baked potato mixture. Sprinkle the reserved bacon and cheddar cheese and cover with foil.
- Bake at 350°F for about 30 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Remove the foil and bake for 10 additional minutes until the cheese is completely melted and the casserole is nice and bubbly.
- Watch your guests go back for seconds!
Notes
It can be difficult to pass up the food bar at Whole Foods but it was tasty and you were inspired. This twice baked potato casserole is no doubt soulful and comforting.
Velva
Looks fabulous Debbie
Yum! I am not limited to one potato this way. Ha…..sounds delicious and I will definitely give it a try….
How did you know? One of my all time favorite sides, yours adds a few extra ingredients that I want to try. Thanks!!
As wonderful as Whole Foods can be, your $8 potato experience is the principal reason that I rarely visit their stores. Food is not a budgeted item in my home and I buy what I want. That said, I dislike getting [ugly word, deleted] and they are masters of the art. A very practical tip that I learned decades ago: never shop for groceries on an empty tummy. -The other Craig…
Love that this was inspired by a random Whole Foods meal! I sometimes take pictures of the ingredient lists on their salads and hot bar food for inspiration.
I love this idea. So much easier.
We don't have a Whole Foods in our area and knowing that a twice baked potato is $8.00 I'm kind of glad we don't. I'd much rather have a helping or two of your delicious sounding casserole.
All I can say is WOW. That looks so decadently delicious and I want to eat that whole casserole. I can't wait for an excuse to make this.
I love potatoes in every form and I'm definitely gonna put this potato casserole to use! Yum! Looks delicious!
That $8.00 baked potato must have been because they sell there prepared food by the pound. Just imagine how much lettuce salad you could get for $8.00. LOL. Your casserole looks delicious Debby and a great way to serve a crowd. Those ribs like mighty tasty too.