Introduction
There are all kinds of recipes out there for potatoes and casseroles, and potato casseroles. One of the best recipes belongs to Paula Deen with her Twice Baked Potato Casserole. One of the greatest things about this casserole, besides its amazing taste, is that it’s great to make ahead and to bring to potlucks. Learn all about this amazing recipe, as well as a couple of other top recipes, and more, in this post!
Cheddar and Bacon Twice Baked Potatoes
One of Paula Deen’s best-known recipes is her twice-baked potatoes. These are so delicious because of their rich creamy flavor paired with salt and cheese. These twice-baked potatoes are completely delicious. I gave them a try the other night for dinner and was surprised at how easy they were to make. Here are the ingredients you will need, in order to make them.
Ingredients
8 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
6 large russet potatoes
Olive oil
Kosher salt
4 ounces grated sharp Cheddar 1 cup
4 green onions
1/2 cup sour cream
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
To make, simply preheat your oven to 375°F
Place your potatoes on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt, or seasoning salt. Bake your potatoes for 1 hour or until completely cooked through. I prefer to wrap my potatoes in foil when baking or place them into a baking dish with a lid. Make sure you cover with something so that they don’t turn out too dry. Once cooked all the way through, remove from oven and turn your oven temperature down to 350F.
Allow for your potatoes to cool for a few moments. Once cooled enough to handle, cut each potato in half, down the center. Next take a small knife, such as a paring knife, and cut a canoe shape out of the center of each potato. Place potato you cut out into a mixing bowl. Leave ¼ inch shell around the edges of your potato.
In the mixing bowl where your discarded potato fillings have been placed, mash together with sour cream, butter, green onions, cheese, and finally fold in bacon pieces.
Potato Casserole
Another similar, yet different recipe that is one of Paula Deen’s most loved recipes is her potato casserole. It is a simple recipe that works well as a main dish or a side dish, depending on your choice. To make this potato casserole you will need the following ingredients.
Ingredients
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
1 small sliced thin bell pepper
1 small sliced thin onion
to taste Paula Deen’s House Seasoning
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups mashed potatoes
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
4 medium cooked potatoes
6 slices cooked crisp bacon
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. In a prepared casserole dish, spread your mashed potatoes across the bottom of your dish. Layer in sour cream across the top of your potatoes. Layer your sautéed onion and bell peppers on top of your sour cream. Sprinkle ½ cup of shredded cheese across the top. Place sliced potatoes in a layer across the top, then top with remaining cheese. Bake for 20-30 minutes. Crumble your bacon and sprinkle across the top.
Twice Baked Potato Casserole
Twice-baked potato casserole has several variations depending on what recipe you are looking at. Most include baked potatoes that have been mashed and additional items to enhance the flavors, such as peppers, green onions, cheese, sour cream, or cream cheese. They are then baked again and served.
This Paula Deen Twice Baked Potato Casserole recipe is a bit different than your average recipe, and it is soooo good! The following recipe is great for a main dish if you are looking for a simple dinner, or great as a side dish. One of the benefits of this recipe is that you can make it ahead and then do the final baking just before you are ready to eat.
This dish is also great for potlucks or large gatherings. You can make it ahead of time and bake it before taking it to your gathering. If you wrap it in a towel or store it in a heat-retaining carrier, this potato casserole makes a wonderful passing dish.
Paula Deen’s Twice Baked Potato Casserole
Paula Deen Twice Baked Potato Casserole is made by combining her recipe for twice-baked potatoes and potato casserole. When these two are combined, you get delicious twice-baked potato casserole. To make this recipe, you will want to bake half of your potatoes until they are cooked through, and the remaining half will get boiled and turned into mashed potatoes. Your mashed potatoes will be prepared the same as the inside of twice-baked potatoes. You will then layer your prepared mashed potatoes with slices of baked potatoes, top it with shredded cheese and bacon and bake. The result is delicious! You have got to give this recipe a try.
Ingredients
8 slices bacon
8 large potatoes
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Seasoning salt
1 ½ cup grated sharp Cheddar
4 green onions
2/3 cup sour cream
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
Freshly ground black pepper
Parsley
Equipment Needed
Foil
Baking Spray
Potato Masher
Directions
To prepare this Paula Deen Twice Baked Potato Casserole, follow the instructions below.
Step 1: Bake Your Potatoes
Preheat your oven to 375°F. To begin we are going to prepare half of your potatoes for baking. You can use either a baking dish with a lid or wrap your potatoes individually in foil.
Foil Method: tear your foil into pieces that are just large enough to cover your potatoes. Spray each sheet with baking spray, drizzle a little bit of olive oil on each potato as you are wrapping it, and sprinkle the potato with seasoning salt. Poke a hole in your potato so that it does not explode and wrap securely in foil.
Baking Dish: spray your baking dish with baking spray, place your potatoes into the dish, and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with seasoning salt. Cover dish with a lid, or foil.
Place into your oven and bake for at least 1 hour, or until potatoes are baked through completely. You can tell if they are completely cooked by sticking a knife or fork into the center and making sure it goes in easily.
Once your potatoes have been cooked through completely, remove them from the oven and allow for them to cool. Then slice into pieces about ¼ to ½ inch thick.
Step 2: Make Mashed Potatoes
Cut your remaining half of the potatoes into quarters and place them in a pan. Cover the potatoes in water, and place over medium-high heat until they begin to boil. Allow for potatoes to simmer until they are completely cooked through. You can tell when they are finished by inserting a knife or fork into the potato. If they are soft, then they are finished cooking.
Drain the water from your potatoes and add sour cream. Mash them until the potatoes are smooth. Add shredded cheddar cheese, butter, salt, bacon bits, and pepper to taste. Fold together until your ingredients are mixed. You may also fold in some green onions if desired. Now it is time to assemble your casserole.
Step 3: Create Casserole
In a casserole dish, spray the bottom with baking spray. Then start your first layer, by placing a scoop of mashed potatoes into the bottom and leveling them out. Next, take slices of baked potatoes and place one layer on top of your potatoes. Sprinkle cheese and parsley on top of sliced potatoes.
Next, add mashed potatoes again to create your second layer of mashed potatoes. Then add sliced potatoes. If you have additional ingredients, you may create more layers. When you are finished adding layers, top with shredded cheddar cheese, bacon bits, and some of your green onions.
Bake your assembled casserole at 350°F for 25-30 minutes, just until the edges begin to turn golden. If you would like your cheese a bit crispier, you can try turning your broiler on low for a few minutes, until your cheese is done to your liking. Be sure to keep a close eye on it, if you choose to do this because it can easily burn.
Remove from oven, top with remaining green onions, and serve while hot. Enjoy!
Tips
Here are a few tips that will help your casserole turn out to be amazing!
Make sure potatoes are fully cooked, when you are baking and boiling them. This will prevent your final casserole from being undercooked and contain potatoes that are still crunchy. When you are expecting a nice soft potato, it is not fun to bite into it and discover it’s still crunchy.
If desired, you could bake the potatoes that you are going to mash, they do not have to be boiled. This would streamline the process for you if you have other things you would prefer to be doing instead of watching the potatoes so that they do not boil over.
The second baking is mostly just to warm the casserole all the way through, it will not need to bake super long. The second baking is also nice to brown the cheese around the edges a little bit. However, be careful not to burn it by baking the casserole too long.
If you desire to make this casserole ahead of time, it is a great idea to bake the potatoes and create the mashed potatoes, then fully assemble the casserole. I would however recommend that you not bake it a second time until you are ready to serve it.
Storage
In The Fridge
After the potatoes have been baked, you can store them in the fridge, until the casserole is assembled. Once your casserole has been put together completely, it can also be kept in the fridge until you are ready to bake it, or after it has been baked completely. It is best if eaten before day three, however it may be stored in the fridge between three to five days. After day three, be sure to check it over good before tasting. If there is something off, such as the casserole’s color, smell, or looks, don’t eat it. Just pitch it.
In The Freezer
The twice-baked potato casserole may also be frozen if there are too many leftovers. While the consistency may be altered a bit after freezing, Paula Dean’s Twice Baked Potato Casserole may be frozen for up to three months. It is however best while it is fresh. If you think there will be too many leftovers, you could always try making less than the recipe calls for.
Variations:
There are many different variations of the twice-baked potato casserole recipe. A few of the more common ones are below.
Emeril’s Twice Baked Potato Casserole
Paula Deen’s Twice Baked Shrimp Stuffed Potatoes
Loaded Twice-Baked Potatoes
Although there are many different ways to make a similar casserole, my favorite is Paula Deen’s Twice Baked Potato Casserole. You should give it a try and let us know what you think! Also, feel free to add your own twist to it, if you want to tweak the recipe and make it your own.
Notes
This Paula Deen Twice Baked Potato Casserole is a delicious dish that makes for a great passing dish at any occasion. No matter if it is a summer potluck or Thanksgiving dinner, you can’t go wrong when you include this dish in your menu.
Have you tried this recipe? Comment below and let us know what you think!
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