Little S wanted mashed potatoes for Easter. Little S always wants mashed potatoes! I wanted something a little more formal. I was thinking twice baked potatoes but that was too much work for 15 people and I was already low on energy. So I googled potato casseroles. Low and behold a yummy looking twice baked potato casserole from The Pioneer Woman. Sure to be a winner.
A few adaptations. I was not feeding cowboys so we halved the recipe right away. It was a hot & humid day so I didn't want the oven on for hours baking potatoes - and Little S was already peeling potatoes before I realized they need to be baked not boiled. That was kind of a duh moment!
As the Queen of Make Do I forged ahead fearlessly. We boiled the potatoes, drained them and then followed the rest of the recipe pretty well. Didn't put peels in though since ours were raw. Also left the bacon as an add-on since my niece is a vegetarian.
The family reviews were amazing. Everyone loved it. Little S actually ate 2 bowls before it was even baked the second time. There was another mashed potato aficionado at lunch and he declared them amazing as well. So this recipe is a keeper for sure. I had to buy more potatoes so we can make it again since there were not enough leftovers!
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| Photo courtesy of The Food Network |
Ree's Baked Potato Casserole
1 pound thin bacon
16 russet potatoes
6 tablespoons canola oil
4 sticks (1 pound) salted butter, plus more for buttering baking dish
2 cups sour cream
2 cups grated Cheddar or Jack (or a mix of both), plus more for topping
2 cups whole milk
4 teaspoons seasoned salt
6 green onions, sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Cook the bacon in a saute pan until crispy; let cool and then crumble.
Scrub the potatoes, then place them on baking sheets. Rub the
potatoes with the canola oil and bake until tender, 45 minutes to 1
hour. Remove the potatoes and lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees
F.
Slice the butter into pats and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add
the bacon and sour cream. With a sharp knife, cut each potato in half
lengthwise and scrape out the insides into the mixing bowl. Tear up 3 of
the skins and throw them in. Smash the potatoes with a potato masher.
Add the cheese, milk, seasoned salt, green onions and some salt and
pepper and mix together well.
Butter a baking dish, and then spoon the mixture into the dish, top
with more grated cheese and bake until warmed through, 25 to 30 minutes.
Recipe courtesy of Ree Drummond
Read more at:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/twice-baked-potato-casserole.html
