Potatoes are truly the king of comfort food, wouldn’t you agree?! They are so versatile and taste so good! This Loaded Red Potato Bake is just another jewel in the crown of potato royalty. The tenderly cooked red potatoes are mashed to perfection and then layered with rich cheddar cheese and creamy sour cream… what is there not to love?! Oh wait, there is more to love! We forgot about the layer of crispy bacon that adds the perfect punch of flavor. How could we forget that?! Yum! Try this Loaded Red Potato Bake the next time a wave of comfort-finding food is needed. Now, who needs a potato hug?
Ingredients
- 16 small red potatoes, about 1.75 pounds
- 1/2 cup 2% milk
- 1/4 cup butter, cubed
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded, divided
- 1/2 cup bacon, cooked, crumbled
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives, minced
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2 –Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
Step 3 –In a 6-quart stockpot, add the red potatoes and enough water to cover the red potatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, and cook uncovered, until tender, about 15-20 minutes.
Step 4 –Drain the red potatoes and return them to the pot.
Step 5 –With a potato masher, mash the cooked potatoes until smooth.
Step 6 –Gradually add the milk, the butter, the black pepper, and the salt to the mashed potatoes, and continue to mash to combine.
Step 7 –Transfer the mashed potato mixture to the prepared baking dish.
Step 8 –Evenly sprinkle the mashed potato mixture with 1 cup of the shredded cheddar cheese and the bacon.
Step 9 –Evenly spread the sour cream on top of the cheese and bacon layer.
Step 10 –Evenly sprinkle the remaining shredded cheddar cheese and the chives on top of the sour cream layer.
Step 11 –Bake, uncovered, until it is heated through and the cheese is melted, about 20-25 minutes.
Step 12 –Plate and serve.
