About
This Smashed Bake is going to be a smashing success! Creamy, rich, fluffy mashed potatoes would already be a hit, but then it gets layered with all the good stuff: crispy bacon, melty sharp cheddar, and crisp scallions. Pile some sour cream on for extra tang and Smashed Bake is sure to be a smash-hit wherever it goes... especially with your tastebuds!
Ingredients
- 1 stick unsalted butter, divided
- 3 pounds russet potatoes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more, to taste
- 1 cup half-and-half or cream, plus more, to taste
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 5 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 2 medium scallions, sliced
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- sour cream, optional, to taste, for topping
Directions
Step 1 -Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2 -Grease a 2 1/2-quart baking dish with 1 teaspoon of the butter.
Step 3 -Scrub the potatoes and cut them into 1 1/2-inch chunks. Do not peel them.
Step 4 -Place the potato chunks into a large pot and cover them with cold water.
Step 5 -Add enough of the extra salt to the water to make the water taste as seasoned as soup.
Step 6 -Bring the water to a boil and cook the potatoes until very tender and easy to pierce through with a knife, about 20 minutes.
Step 7 -Drain the potatoes in a colander.
Step 8 -In the same pot, add the remaining butter, 1 cup of the half-and-half, the cream cheese, the black pepper, and 1 teaspoon of the salt and cook over medium heat until the butter melts and the cream cheese softens, about 4 minutes.
Step 9 -Stir the sauce together until combined.
Step 10 -Place the potatoes back into the pot with the cream mixture and mash until partially mashed and very lumpy.
Step 11 -If the mixture seems dry, add some of the extra half-and-half as needed.
Step 12 -Taste for seasoning.
Step 13 -Transfer 1/2 of the smashed potatoes into the prepared baking dish.
Step 14 -Top the potato layer with 1/2 of the bacon, 1/2 of the scallions, and 1/2 of the cheddar cheese.
Step 15 -Season the layers with the black pepper.
Step 16 -Layer on the remaining potatoes and the remaining cheese.
Step 17 -Bake until the cheese is melted and the potatoes are hot, about 15-20 minutes.
Step 18 -Top with the remaining bacon, the remaining scallions, the black pepper, and the sour cream.
Step 19 -Serve.
