Twice-baked potato casserole

Don't throw out the peels when making this excellent potato bake – this thrifty recipe uses them to create a delicious crisp topping for the casserole.

Credit: Mary Makes It Easy

• serves

  4

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  45 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 1.15 kg (2 ½ lbs) baking potatoes, such as Russets
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled
• Kosher salt
• ½ cup (125 ml) buttermilk or cream
• ½ cup (125 ml) sour cream
• ½ cup (125 ml) cream cheese
• 2 tbsp + 1 tsp butter
• 8 slices (rashers) bacon, cooked crisp, rendering reserved
• 5 green onions
• 1½ cups (170 g) grated cheddar cheese
• 1½ tbsp (30 ml) olive oil or reserved bacon fat
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Heat your oven to 200°C (400°F) and lightly grease a 23 cm (9 inch) square casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Scrub and dry the potatoes well. Using a vegetable peeler or a paring knife, peel the potatoes, setting peels aside for later, and cut the potatoes into quarters. Place into a large saucepan and cover with cold tap water. Add in the garlic, season well with salt, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook the potatoes until tender, about 15 to 20 minutes, then drain and return the potatoes and garlic to the pot.
3. Add the buttermilk or cream, sour cream, cream cheese, and butter into the potatoes and place a lid on the pan to allow the butter to melt and cream cheese to soften. Using a hand mixer, beat the potatoes just until smooth.
4. Finely chop 6 slices of bacon and thinly slice 4 green onions. Add into the potatoes along with ½ cup of cheddar cheese. Stir well to combine and season to taste with more salt if needed. Transfer the potatoes to the prepared casserole dish and bake the for 10 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, toss the reserved potato peels onto a sheet pan and drizzle with the olive oil or reserved bacon fat. Season well with salt and pepper and, using your hands, toss very well to combine and evenly coat. Spread the peels into a single layer.
6. Remove the potatoes from the oven, top with the remaining cheddar cheese, and return to the oven along with the pan of potato peels for 15 to 20 minutes or until the potatoes are golden around the edges and the peels are crisp.
7. Roughly chop the remaining bacon and slice the remaining green onion. Allow the potatoes to cool slightly before topping with the bacon, green onion, and crispy potato peels.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.