This Smashed Bake is going to be a smashing success! Creamy, rich, fluffy mashed potatoes would already be a hit, but then it gets layered with all the good stuff: crispy bacon, melty sharp cheddar, and crisp scallions. Pile some sour cream on for extra tang and Smashed Bake is sure to be a smash-hit wherever it goes… especially with your tastebuds!
Ingredients
- 1 stick unsalted butter, divided
- 3 pounds russet potatoes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more, to taste
- 1 cup half-and-half or cream, plus more, to taste
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 5 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 2 medium scallions, sliced
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- sour cream, optional, to taste, for topping
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2 –Grease a 2 1/2-quart baking dish with 1 teaspoon of the butter.
Step 3 –Scrub the potatoes and cut them into 1 1/2-inch chunks. Do not peel them.
Step 4 –Place the potato chunks into a large pot and cover them with cold water.
Step 5 –Add enough of the extra salt to the water to make the water taste as seasoned as soup.
Step 6 –Bring the water to a boil and cook the potatoes until very tender and easy to pierce through with a knife, about 20 minutes.
Step 7 –Drain the potatoes in a colander.
Step 8 –In the same pot, add the remaining butter, 1 cup of the half-and-half, the cream cheese, the black pepper, and 1 teaspoon of the salt and cook over medium heat until the butter melts and the cream cheese softens, about 4 minutes.
Step 9 –Stir the sauce together until combined.
Step 10 –Place the potatoes back into the pot with the cream mixture and mash until partially mashed and very lumpy.
Step 11 –If the mixture seems dry, add some of the extra half-and-half as needed.
Step 12 –Taste for seasoning.
Step 13 –Transfer 1/2 of the smashed potatoes into the prepared baking dish.
Step 14 –Top the potato layer with 1/2 of the bacon, 1/2 of the scallions, and 1/2 of the cheddar cheese.
Step 15 –Season the layers with the black pepper.
Step 16 –Layer on the remaining potatoes and the remaining cheese.
Step 17 –Bake until the cheese is melted and the potatoes are hot, about 15-20 minutes.
Step 18 –Top with the remaining bacon, the remaining scallions, the black pepper, and the sour cream.
Step 19 –Serve.
