Loaded Baked Potato Casserole

Ingredients

5

lb russet potatoes

4

tablespoons butter, softened

1

cup sour cream

3/4

cup half-and-half

1 1/2

teaspoons salt

1/2

teaspoon pepper

3

cups shredded Cheddar cheese (12 oz)

10

slices bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled

4

green onions, thinly sliced

Steps

• 1

  Heat oven to 400°F. Spray 3-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
• 2

  Place potatoes on cookie sheet; prick all over with fork. Bake 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes or until tender. Remove potatoes; reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Let potatoes cool until able to handle, about 15 minutes.
• 3

  Cut potatoes in half, and scoop out insides into large bowl. Add softened butter; mash with potato masher until most of the lumps are gone. Stir in sour cream, half-and-half, salt and pepper. Reserve 1 cup of the cheese, 3 tablespoons of the crumbled bacon and 1/4 cup of the sliced green onions for topping. Stir remaining cheese, bacon and green onions into potatoes.
• 4

  Spoon mixture into baking dish. Sprinkle reserved 1 cup cheese on top. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until top is slightly puffed and starting to brown around edges.
• 5

  Garnish with reserved crumbled bacon and green onions, and serve.