I will share a secret with you, my friends. I am not a huge fan of leftovers. There are very few that I absolutely love “as-is”, but most of the time I like to reimagine them into a new and tasty dish whenever I can.
Recreating a meal from leftovers doesn’t have to take a lot of time and effort. Leftovers from taco night? Make a fantastic spicy taco soup. Chicken and veggies? Combine them with some rice and cheese for a quick, weeknight casserole. Easy peasy. One of my favorite leftover foods? Baked potatoes.
I like to lightly coat big, beautiful Russet potatoes with olive oil and sea salt and bake them in a 400-degree oven for about an hour. So simple and so delicious. Oftentimes, I will turn them into mashed potatoes or potato soup the next day. But this time, I wanted something just a little different than my usual go-to recipes.
Bacon and Swiss are one of the tastiest combos I have ever had, no matter what it’s on. I knew they would be the perfect addition to my leftover baked potatoes. Using just a few spices and simple “pantry staples” I was able to throw this together in under 10 minutes.
This casserole was everything I wanted it to be. The Swiss cheese provided a sweet nuttiness, while the cheddar added a tangy sharpness. Like icing on a cake, the savory bacon just brought it all together. This casserole is the perfect “company’s coming over” side dish and it is sure to impress! I like to serve this with a traditional homemade meatloaf or crispy fried chicken.
Ingredients
8-10 baked Russet potatoes
8 ounces sour cream
¼ cup softened butter
½ cup milk (I used 2%)
2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese
10-12 strips cooked & crumbled bacon
1 ½ teaspoons onion powder
1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Begin by peeling most of the skin off of the potatoes and placing them into a large mixing bowl. Next, add sour cream, cheeses, and milk.
Use a potato masher or mixer to combine ingredients and mash potatoes until slightly creamy while leaving some larger pieces of potato. Add bacon and spices, then gently stir to combine.
Scoop the mixture into a 3-quart baking dish and spread evenly. Cover with Swiss cheese if preferred, then bake for 45 minutes or until heated through. Top with additional Swiss cheese and bake for 10 more minutes or until cheese is melted.
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