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Cheesy Mashed Potatoes with Bacon are a fast and easy side dish recipe the whole family will love. Only five ingredients and lightened up with Greek yogurt. But there is plenty of cheddar cheese and crumbled bacon to have everyone asking for seconds!
Ah, mashed potatoes. A classic side dish. The ultimate comfort food. That one dish that unites a family, even if they disagree about every other part of the meal.
Guess what. I don’t usually like them. *gasp*
I mean, unless they are sitting atop my Shepherd’s Pie recipe or packed with all kinds of other flavors like Caramelized Onion Mashed Potatoes.
Nope, I’d much rather save my carbs for a giant scoop of corn pudding. And when it comes to cheesy whipped sides, give me mashed cauliflower any day of the week.
But these are cheesy mashed potatoes. With bacon. And goodness gracious, I loved them. Plus, not only are they delicious, but you save time by leaving the skin on for a rustic homestyle side dish.
Quick. Easy. The perfect blend of creamy with some texture and plenty of cheesy, salty, smoky goodness.
Seriously, tater-lover or tater-hater, these need to on your menu soon!
Cheddar Bacon Mashed Potatoes Recipe
What is the best part about this recipe? The cheesy, bacon-y deliciousness? Or that they are not loaded with tons of cream and butter, making them a lighter, but still smooth and creamy side dish? I say both!
Especially since it is a super-fast side dish for everything from a busy weeknight dinner or a holiday meal.
How to make Cheesy Mashed Potatoes with Bacon
Just five main ingredients
- White or red potatoes – cut into 1/2-inch pieces.
- Sharp cheddar cheese – grated and divided.
- Greek yogurt – plain, you can use nonfat, light, or whole milk yogurt. You can also substitute sour cream.
- Milk
- Bacon – cooked till crispy and crumbled.
Plus salt and pepper, to taste.
And so easy to make
- Place the potatoes in a pot, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil. Cook until fork tender and drain.
- Mash the potatoes.
- Add cheese and cover to let the cheese melt.
- Add Greek yogurt, milk, salt and pepper, and stir everything together.
- Stir in the bacon.
- Transfer to a serving bowl and top with more cheese and bacon.
How do you make healthy mashed potatoes?
These aren’t loaded with a ton of butter and cream. Now don’t get me wrong. I actually do like a super-rich and creamy mashed potato recipe.
But instead, these have Greek yogurt and a little milk. It does lighten them up a bit. And the tangy flavor helps balance out the richness from the cheddar cheese and bacon.
You could even use sour cream so that they taste like a loaded baked potato.
How do you make easy mashed potatoes?
No need for special equipment or breaking out all the kitchen appliances. Just leave the skin on and use a basic hand potato masher.
This saves time because you don’t have to peel the potatoes or wash a lot of extra dishes. That makes these a total weeknight side dish option. No more saving mashed potatoes for Sunday dinner!
And it is not necessary to get rid of every lump. The small chunks and bits of tender skin make for nice homestyle, rustic mashed potatoes. Combined with the crispy pieces of bacon, it is a nice bit of texture to go along with the creamy, cheesy goodness.
What are the best potatoes for making mashed potatoes?
Most people will say Yukon gold or Russet potatoes are the best for mashing. And it is true that these varieties yield a super fluffy and creamy finished product.
But if you are leaving the skin on, like this recipe, you’ll want to go with a basic white or red potato. These have thinner skin that gets very soft when cooking. So it’s fine to leave it on.
If you prefer, you can choose to peel the potatoes, regardless of the type you choose.
Brianne’s Pro Tips:
- The texture I love is actually a happy side benefit of what makes these potatoes so easy – no need to peel the potatoes and no breaking out any special contraptions or appliances to mash them. Just use a basic potato masher.
- If you cut the potatoes into small cubes, they boil in way less than 20 minutes.
- After draining the potatoes, return them to the hot pot with the lid off to allow some of the excess moisture to evaporate.
- From beginning to end, these cheesy mashed potatoes take about 30 minutes to make. Most of that time is boiling so you can spend that time preparing the rest of your meal.
Make it a meal
What do you serve with cheesy mashed potatoes?
Let the potatoes boil while you prepare the rest of your quick and easy weeknight meal, like these quick and easy dinners:
- Honey Balsamic Marinated Flat Iron Steak
- Worcestershire Cubed Steaks
- BBQ Turkey Meatballs
- Honey Balsamic Steak Bites
Upgrade the basic mashers you serve with a classic Sunday dinner like one of the following:
They also make a perfect holiday side dish with:
- BBQ Rubbed Crockpot Turkey Breast
- Cranberry Garlic Crusted Prime Rib Roast
- Easy Crockpot Corned Beef
More potato recipes
- Oven-Roasted Cheesy Bacon Ranch Potatoes
- Broccoli and Cheddar Cheesy Baked Potatoes
- Shepherds Pie Loaded Baked Potato Dinner
- Cheddar Bacon Ranch Potato Salad
- Or skip the carbs and make Cheesy Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
Easy Cheddar Bacon Cheesy Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 pounds white or red potatoes cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 4 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese, (1 cup) – reserve about 1/4 cup for sprinkling on top, if desired
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup milk, any variety
- 2 slices cooked and crumbled bacon, reserve a small amount for sprinkling on top, if desired
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
Instructions
- Cover potatoes in a pot with cold water, and bring to a boil over medium heat.
- Cook for about 12-15 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender. Drain well and return potatoes to the pot, allowing some of the excess moisture to evaporate.
- Mash potatoes with a hand potato masher, leaving just a little chunky.
- Sprinkle the cheese over the hot potatoes and cover with a lid for a couple minutes to allow the heat to start to melt the cheese.
- Add the Greek yogurt, milk, salt, and pepper, and stir in with a spatula until smooth, then stir in the bacon.
- Transfer potatoes to a serving bowl, and top with reserved cheese and bacon, if desired.
Categories:
Enjoy!
Can I use butter or sour cream instead of yogurt? I don’t have any on hand.
You can definitely use sour cream!
Loving these potatoes! Can’t go wrong with cheddar and bacon. 🙂 In fact, they were voted most popular on Inspire Me Monday. Congrats! 🙂
oh so yummy these potatoes have it all our holiday potatoes have sour cream, butter, bacon and yes a bit of cheese as well I think I will try this recipe and see what they all think as well.
My hubby says brothers are very important-so it’s so great that you’re fostering that relationship! and I adoooore these potatoes, total comfort food!