Twice Baked Potato Casserole
Forget the individual stuffed potatoes—we’re making a giant, shareable Twice Baked Potato Casserole!
This dish has everything you love about the classic: fluffy mashed potato goodness, rich creaminess, and plenty of sharp cheese. But what truly sets this casserole apart is the incredible crunchy, herbaceous topping.
We’re elevating the crust with a smart, zero-waste twist: a savory blend of toasted breadcrumbs, chopped fresh herbs (rosemary and thyme!), and the crispy, leftover potato skins themselves! Baking the skins and crumbling them into the topping adds an unexpected layer of texture and deep, earthy potato flavor you just can’t get otherwise.
This casserole is perfect for feeding a crowd, making it the ideal side dish for holidays, BBQs, or your next Sunday dinner. It delivers maximum flavor with minimum fuss.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
Ingredients
Ingredients for potatoes:
- 1/2 lb bacon, cooked & diced
- 6 lb russet potatoes
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 sticks salted butter, softened & sliced into cubes
- 1 c sour cream
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 c grated cheddar cheese
- 1 c grated white cheddar cheese
- 1 c whole milk
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, diced
- 2 tsp seasoned salt
- 3 green onions sliced
- salt & pepper to taste
Ingredients for topping:
- 4 c breadcrumbs
- leftover potato skins (don’t throw them away)
- 3 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
- 3 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
- 3 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400° F.
- Take out the butter, sour cream, cream cheese and milk and set them aside to get to room temperature.
- Scrub the potatoes clean. Wipe them dry and rub them with olive oil. Place them on a baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes, until they are soft.
- While the potatoes bake, cook the bacon in a large pan until fully cooked.
- Add 1 Tbsp butter to a heated pan on medium high heat and saute the onions until translucent and tender. Then add the garlic & cook for 30 seconds longer.
- Remove the potatoes from the oven and reduce heat to 350 degrees.
- Leave the skins on two of the potatoes and peel and save the remaining skins to use later in the topping. Cut each potato into thirds and add them to a large mixing bowl.
- Crumble the cooked bacon and set half aside for topping the casserole. Add the rest to the mixing bowl along with the butter, sour cream, 1/2 of grated cheeses, seasoned salt, sauteed onions & garlic and salt and pepper. Give it a rough mash.
- Add the milk gradually until desired consistency is obtained.
- Transfer to a greased 9 x 13 baking dish.
- Top with reserved bacon, diced green onion and additional shredded cheese.
- Bake, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted & bubbly.
- For topping, finely dice the thyme, rosemary & parsley. Use a food processor – crumble your breadcrumbs slightly & then add in your diced herbs and mix.
- Using your leftover potato skins, add 3 Tbsp olive oil and salt/pepper. Put onto a baking sheet & into a 350 degree oven and stir every 8 minutes until crispy. Chop them up and add to the breadcrumb topping mixture.
- Once topping is completed and potatoes are done you are ready to serve. Sprinkle as much of your topping onto your serving of potatoes. Enjoy!
Keywords: Potato, Twice Baked, Side Dish, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Holiday