There are two sneaky ingredients hiding in this casserole that make it so much better than regular mashed potatoes: bacon and cheddar cheese.
Ingredients
4 lb. medium sized russet potatoes, scrubbed
12 oz. bacon, divided
1/2 c. butter, melted
4 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1 c. warm milk
1/2 c. sour cream
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper
8 oz. cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 c. grated parmesan
1/4 c. chopped chives, divided
Direction
Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Prick each potato with a fork 3 to 4 times all over, then place on a sheet pan. Roast for 55 to 70 minutes until the potatoes are tender when pressed. Remove the potatoes from the oven and lower the temperature to 375ºF.
Meanwhile, working in two batches, cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until golden and crispy, 6 to 8 minutes. Let the cooked bacon drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Once cool, crumble or chop into small pieces.
In a large bowl, place the melted butter, cream cheese, warm milk, and sour cream. Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them in half lengthwise, and scrape the flesh out of the skins and into the bowl. Tear or chop up three of the potato skins and add them to the bowl. Use a potato mashed to mash everything together. Fold in the salt, pepper, half of the bacon, half of the cheddar cheese, parmesan, and half of the chives.
Grease a 3-quart casserole dish with butter. Transfer the potato mixture to the baking dish. Cover and bake for 35 minutes until the edges are bubbly. Top with the remaining bacon and cheese. Bake until warmed through and lightly golden on top, 15 to 20 minutes more. Let rest 10 minutes, top with the remaining chives, and serve.