These Bacon Ranch Mashed Potatoes are outrageously creamy and decadent. Loaded with crisp bits of bacon, cream cheese, sour cream and ranch seasoning, they are sure to be a hit!
Whoever said, "Nothing tastes better than skinny" has never tried my Bacon Ranch Mashed Potatoes. They taste like a mixture of happiness, unicorns, and rainbows... If you've never tried unicorns, they are divine!
This decadent side dish was born from leftover ingredients I had lying around after creating my Smothered Cheddar Bacon Ranch Chicken Breasts. I am not sure which recipe I like better. I am kind of a sucker for anything "bacon ranch" flavored.
This recipe contains layers of flavor that really shines in the final dish. It starts with using russet potatoes. Russets yield much lighter, and fluffier mashed potatoes than their more waxy counterparts. However, the "secret sauce" in this concoction is certainly the cream cheese and sour cream blended with ranch seasoning. This adds a richness that is intoxicatingly satisfying.
Finally, we incorporate just enough bacon to allow the flavor to shine through without dominating the dish. Some mashed potato recipes incorporate butter into the final product, but instead, I blend in a tablespoon of bacon drippings. This really helps the smoky bacon flavor permeate each creamy bite.
Oftentimes, people will simply cook the potatoes, mash them in a bowl, and then serve them. However, if you are willing to take one extra step, your efforts will be richly rewarded. As a final step, my Bacon Ranch Mashed Potatoes are baked in the oven for an hour. Not only does this yield a mouthwateringly crisp crust on top of the potatoes, but the dry heat of the oven really helps lighten the potatoes and improves the texture dramatically.
This recipe fits perfectly into a two-quart baking dish.
Bacon Ranch Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 lbs russet potatoes (peeled)
- 1/2 lb bacon
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 oz packet ranch seasoning
- 1 tbsp bacon drippings (optional)
- salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- While water is heating cook bacon in a skillet until crisp, then remove from drippings and set aside. Reserve 1 tbsp of drippings.
- Peel and cube potatoes.
- Place potatoes in cold water and bring to a boil. Boil for 15 minutes, or until easily pierced with a fork. Remove from water.
- Warm the cream cheese and mix with sour cream, bacon drippings, and ranch seasoning.
- Chop bacon into bits and add to the cream cheese mixture.
- Mash potatoes and add cream cheese mixture and milk. Taste for salt and adjust as needed.
- Place mashed potatoes in a 2 quart baking dish and place in the oven for 1 hour.
- Remove from oven, let cool slightly, and serve.
Notes
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Yola
This was even better than I expected it to be!!!