Description
This Spooky Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole is a perfect Halloween-side dish, combining creamy mashed potatoes with crispy bacon, melted cheddar cheese, and a fun sour cream spider web topping. It is a comforting, crowd-pleasing casserole that can be prepared ahead and baked fresh for a festive touch to your spooky celebrations.
Ingredients
Scale
Potatoes & Seasoning
- 2 lbs. Idaho® potatoes
- 1 Tablespoon salt (for boiling potatoes)
- Additional salt and pepper to taste
Dairy
- 4 Tablespoons butter
- 3/4 – 1 cup milk or half and half
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 4 ounces cheddar or colby jack cheese, shredded
Other
- 8 slices bacon
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit to prepare for baking the casserole later.
- Cook Potatoes: Peel and chop the potatoes into medium-sized chunks. Bring a large pot of water to a simmer on the stovetop, add 1 tablespoon salt, then add the potatoes. Bring the water to a boil and boil the potatoes for 20-25 minutes until easily pierced with a fork but not falling apart.
- Cook Bacon: While potatoes cook, fry the bacon slices on the stovetop until crispy. Remove bacon onto a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess grease. Once cool, crumble the bacon and set aside.
- Mash Potatoes: Drain the cooked potatoes in a colander, then return them to the pot. Place the pot back on low heat and mash the potatoes using a potato masher, allowing steam to escape. Continue mashing until smooth with no lumps.
- Add Butter and Milk: Turn off the heat and add 4 tablespoons of butter and 1/2 cup of milk or half and half to the mashed potatoes. Gradually mash and incorporate additional milk until the desired creamy consistency is reached (between 3/4 to 1 cup total). Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Assemble Casserole: Spread the mashed potatoes evenly into a 9-inch deep dish pie dish. Sprinkle shredded cheese over the top, then evenly distribute the crumbled bacon.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 20-30 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove from oven and let cool for 10-15 minutes before decorating.
- Create Spider Web: Fill a small zip-lock bag with sour cream and cut a tiny hole in one corner. Twist the bag above the sour cream and gently squeeze to pipe the sour cream. Draw four straight lines intersecting at the center of the casserole like a pie cut (creating an X and a T). Then draw three concentric circles connecting these lines to form a spider web pattern.
- Finish and Serve: Top the web with a fake spider or one made from olives. Serve warm. This dish can be made ahead, refrigerated, then baked and decorated on the day of serving.
Notes
- You can adjust the milk or half and half quantity depending on the desired potato consistency.
- Using Idaho® potatoes ensures a fluffy mash perfect for casseroles.
- To save time, bacon can be cooked in advance and refrigerated until use.
- The sour cream spider web adds a festive visual, but can be omitted if preferred.
- Prepare the casserole ahead and bake fresh to keep the dish warm and cheesy for serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 of casserole (approx. 1 cup)
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 550mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 9g
- Cholesterol: 55mg
