The best words to ever be uttered: Make-Ahead Recipes. These Mashed Potatoes with Bacon and Cheddar are perfect to make the day before Thanksgiving and heat up on the day of!
My game plan for big holiday feasts never changes; I always make as much food as possible before the day we are celebrating said holiday, so I’m not a complete disaster the day of. No one wants to see Mom with flour down her front, gravy in her hair, and screaming frantically that her rolls are burning and the stuffing is on fire. (These events may be exaggerated in order to sell my cause.)
I want to be able to enjoy the holidays and celebrate with everyone else and not be over-the-top stressed out. My game plan always includes lots of carefully timed recipes and this year, I had to share one of my favorite make-ahead recipes: Mashed Potatoes with Bacon and Cheddar.
It does seem strange to make mashed potatoes beforehand, but honestly, if you’re doing homemade mashed potatoes for a crowd, it’s SO time-consuming to peel pounds and pounds of potatoes when there are so many other things to make. This recipe can be made the day before up to the point where you would bake and then cover them, and then place them in the fridge for the following day.
On the day of the holiday, the only thing left to do is let the potatoes sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes and then bake for 30 minutes like you would had you made them the day of.
(Print)
What you need:
- 5 lb. russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 10 slices bacon
- 8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup minced chives
- 2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. pepper
Directions:
- Place potatoes in a stockpot and add cold water to cover the potatoes by 2 inches.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to simmer.
- Cook for about 20 minutes or until fork tender. Drain, then place back in pan. Cover and set aside.
- While potatoes are cooking, cook bacon on a griddle or in a skillet until crisp. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Cool, then crumble.
- Mash potatoes in pan to desired texture and then add cream cheese, butter, and sour cream. Stir until combined.
- Add chives, 2 cups cheddar cheese, half of the bacon, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir well.
- Pour potatoes into a greased baking dish and top with remaining 1/2 cup cheddar.
- Bake in a preheated 350F degree oven for about 30 minutes.
- Remove from oven and top with remaining bacon. Serve immediately.
- *Note: If refrigerated, let sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes, then bake in oven.
Recipe from Sippity Sup.
