Baked Potato Casserole
The amount of bacon used depends on the size of the baking dish being used. Also, it depends upon how bacon-y you prefer baked potatoes; you may omit the bacon all together! Plan to cook an entire package of bacon, saving any leftovers to use for a BLT sandwich or for breakfast the next day. When adding the egg yolks into the warm potatoes be sure to constantly stir the potatoes to prevent the yolks from scrambling. Weighing the potatoes is critical; whether it’s at Market Street in the produce department or at home. Estimating the weight of potatoes for this recipe will affect the overall outcome. You will need to purchase four pounds of potatoes, because once the potatoes are peeled, there will be three pounds of cookable potatoes remaining.
Ingredients
- 4 lbs Russet potatoes
- 3 cloves of garlic, peels removed
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 3/4 cup half and half
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 2 egg yolks, whisked
- 1/2 cup sour cream, or more to taste
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped chives or scallions, plus more for topping
- 1 package bacon, cooked and chopped
Instructions
- Heat an oven to 350 degrees F. Peel and slice the potatoes. Discard the potato peels. You should now have approximately three pounds of cookable potatoes.
- Fill a large pan with water, bring to a boil and add the potatoes and garlic. Cook the potatoes until they are pierceable with a fork, about 30 minutes. Strain the water from the potatoes, add kosher salt to the potatoes and mash.
- Meanwhile, while the potatoes are cooking, combine the cream and butter into a small saucepan. Warm over low heat. Once melted, set aside.
- Pour the butter mixture into the mashed potatoes. Mash and stir to incorporate. Stir in the egg yolks, mixing the potatoes quickly and constantly to prevent the yolks from scrambling. Add the sour cream, cheese and chopped chives to the potatoes. Stir, taste and adjust the seasoning. If the potatoes seem dry, add more half and half and butter.
- Place the potatoes into a baking dish and top with the cooked chopped bacon. Place into the oven and bake for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are golden brown. Remove from the oven and top with chopped chives. Serve warm.
