This is the Twice Baked Potato Casserole. Unfortunately, I don’t have a picture of the Mashed Potato Casserole, but it looks just about like this only with lots of yummy, melted cheddar cheese on top.
Well, ladies and gentlemen, this is a 2 for 1 post. Two wonderful ways to make a casserole that has all the yummy associated with Twice Baked Potatoes. (See my recipe already on this site that produces a real twice baked potato.) But for ease of preparation and a shorter prep time, please consider the two recipes below as fabulous alternatives.
The first recipe Twice Baked Potato Casserole, mine, because after all – ladies first, offers a bit more texture than Jim’s because my recipe includes the baked potato skins.
The second recipe, Mashed Potato Casserole, from Jim, our dear friend and amazing cook, starts with mashed potatoes. Then both recipes go from there with all the flavors and textures that make twice baked potatoes one of the most wonderful ways to lift the lowly potato from average to incredible. Because both recipes contain a lot of flavor boosts. In both cases from bacon (and who doesn’t love bacon), cheese (and who – never mind – everyone loves cheese), and other additives that although not at the top of the list of healthy ingredients, nevertheless are what make life worth living. And don’t we all need an excuse to be bad occasionally. And if these recipes don’t fit that category, then I’m simply not as hip as I think I am! (And I do think I’m pretty hip when it comes to comfort food!) (Maybe not new age comfort food. But then, who gives a flying fig about chicken and waffles or smashburger tacos, etc. etc. For me, I want the pleasure of eating the likes of chicken pot pie, pot roast, and chili.) Anyway, enough about my being old and set in my ways!
Next time you think a twice baked potato would be the perfect dish to serve, then consider one of these recipes. Both can be made ahead, which is fabulous, especially if you are entertaining guests. Make either one of these dishes the day before and life is good.
Well, that’s enough about food for now. It’s almost Thanksgiving, and although I am not hosting (Jim and Margo are), I have signed up to bring a green bean casserole (a new recipe I am trying), Brandied Cranberries (recipe on site), and Sour Cream and Chive Crescent Rolls (recipe also on site). So, today is cranberry sauce making day. And I decided to bring two different cranberry sauces to the feast. If the second one works, Cranberry Sauce with Grand Marnier (a French, orange-flavored liqueur that combines cognac with bitter orange) and Cinnamon, I will be posting it in the near future. Or maybe even later today is all goes as anticipated.
So, to all – Happy Thanksgiving. And for those of you who are still trying to cope with the results of the last election, let it go for now. Be thankful for your family, your friends, your community, and for the ability to put good and nutritious food on your table. Some of us who have been cooking for years forget that cooking requires skill, patience, and a lot of time. Take pride in your efforts. If you feel good about yourself, it will help others feel good about themselves too. It’s like laughter. It’s contagious.
But before I go, a bit about the book I just finished. First of all, it was a good read. A marvelous job by the defense team who must be commended for their thoroughness and belief in the innocence of the accused. The author is Michael Gilbert, and the name of the book is Death Has Deep Roots: A Second World War Mystery.
Now the first thing you should know is that I hate war stories or movies. But this novel didn’t include gory details, so I was able to read this for the shear pleasure of finding the accused innocent.
And as the description of the story is told on Amazon, “At the Central Criminal Court, an eager crowd awaits the trial of Victoria Lamartine, an active participant in the Resistance during the war. She is now employed at the Family Hotel in Soho, where Major Eric Thoseby has been found murdered. The cause of death? A stabbing reminiscent of techniques developed by the Maquisards*. While the crime is committed in England, its roots are buried in a vividly depicted wartime France. Thoseby is believed to have fathered Lamartine’s child, and the prosecution insist that his death is revenge for his abandonment of Lamartine and her arrest by the Gestapo. A last-minute change in Lamartine’s defense counsel grants solicitor Nap Rumbold just eight days to prove her innocence, with the highest of stakes should he fail. The proceedings of the courtroom are interspersed with Rumbold’s perilous quest for evidence, which is aided by his old wartime comrades.”
*A guerrilla fighter in the French underground in World War II.
So, check it out. Mr. C. and I both thoroughly enjoyed this book.
And as always, peace and love to all. (And don’t miss the picture of Miles at the bottom of this post.)
TWICE BAKED POTATO CASSEROLE (serves 3-4)
2 lg. russet potatoes, washed and dried
2 tsp. veggie oil
½ c. diced lean, thick bacon (or more if you’re a bacon lover)
¼ c. (½ stick) unsalted butter
¾ c. sour cream
½ tsp. seasoned salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 c. grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 egg, beaten
¼ c. whole milk, or more if needed
2-3 green onions, thinly sliced, divided
paprika
Rub the potatoes with canola oil. Place them on a baking sheet and bake for 60-65 minutes in a pre-heated 400-degree oven until soft.
While the potatoes are baking, fry the bacon in a large frying pan until it is crispy brown. When cooked, remove from heat and set the pan and bacon aside.
Remove the potatoes from the oven and decrease the heat to 375-degrees.
When cool enough to touch, cut the potatoes into small chunks (skin and all). (If you don’t like the skin, take it off. But remember, the skin contains a lot of fiber.)
Add the butter, sour cream, seasoned salt, and pepper to the frying pan along with the cooked bacon. Give the whole mess a good stir. Then add the potato chunks, cheddar cheese, and beaten egg. Add the milk gradually, stirring in between additions, until desired consistency is obtained. (You want the consistency to be fairly wet. Not soggy, but the baked potato chunks will absorb quite a bit of liquid when being made hot in the oven.) Taste the mixture and adjust seasonings if needed. Then stir in ¾ of the green onion.
Transfer to a lightly greased 9-inch or equivalent sized baking dish.
Lightly sprinkle with paprika.
Bake uncovered for 35 or 40 minutes or until bubbly around the edges and heated through.
Remove from oven and top with remaining sliced green onions. Serve immediately.
Please Note: This casserole can be made ahead and refrigerated until about an hour before you plan to bake it.
MASHED POTATO CASSEROLE (serves 8)
4 lbs. russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 lb. thick, meaty bacon, diced
½ white onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
12 T. (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temp, cut into 12 pieces, plus more for greasing the casserole dish
½ c. half & half
½ c. chicken broth
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
4 lg. eggs, whisked
1 bunch green onion, finely chopped
¼ c. finely chopped chives
2 c. grated sharp cheddar cheese, or more as desired
½ c. finely grated Parmesan cheese, or more as needed
smoked paprika
Using a large pan, cover the potatoes with water and bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the potatoes for about 20 minutes or until they are tender.
Meanwhile, cook the bacon till good and crisp in a large frying pan. Add the white onion and sauté until tender. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Remove the pan from heat and whisk in the butter, half & half, chicken broth, and Dijon mustard. Remove about a cup of the mixture to a separate bowl and temper the eggs by quickly beating them into the bacon mixture one at a time making sure each egg is incorporated before adding the next egg.
Drain the potatoes and either mash them in the bowl of your stand mixer or with a potato masher in the pan in which the potatoes were cooked. (Jim uses the potato masher method.)
Slowly, add the bacon mixture to the mashed potatoes and stir until everything is well blended and creamy.
Stir in the green onions and chives.
Transfer to a buttered casserole dish that has been coated, including the sides of the pan, with the finely grated Parmesan cheese.
Sprinkle the cheddar cheese evenly over the casserole. Then sprinkle lightly with smoked paprika.
Bake in a pre-heated 375-degree oven for 30-40 minutes or until hot.
Remove from oven and let sit for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Please note: this casserole can be made ahead. Refrigerate until bringing to room temperature before baking.
A few posts back I included a picture of Max, our other orange kitty sleeping on the decorative pillows on our guest bed. Well, not to be outdone, Miles decided to have his picture taken in the guest room sink. What? How can a cold sink possibly be comfortable? If anything can truthfully be said about this handsome boy, it is that he enjoys sleeping around! We never know where we are going to find him!