This deliciously flavorful mashed potato recipe is going to change how you serve up the normally bland mashed potatoes you have on your holiday table!
These potatoes are loaded with cheese, sour cream, bacon, green onions and so much more. And the best part about them? Making them in the Instant Pot cuts down on cooking time and saves you that cherished stovetop space for other side dishes you need to prep.
Each bite is LOADED
Have you ever wanted to make a dish that everyone will love? I mean, who hasn’t right? We all aim to please everyone who sits at the holiday dinner table, but we know it is an almost impossible task.
That was until you stumbled on my cheesy mashed potatoes recipe 🙂 Every bite you get with these potatoes is loaded with something else, and will keep all of your guests praising your cooking skills. They don’t need to know how easy they were to make though, that will be our little secret.
Ingredients for Cheesy Mashed Potatoes
The ingredients couldn’t be simpler for these potatoes, and you can add in or leave out anything you like!
- yellow potatoes
I prefer the yellow potatoes versus a white potato or russet potato. Because they are a medium starch potato they are better for mashing and hold up to the addition of the rest of the ingredients.
- vegetable bouillon cube
You can definitely use regular bouillon as well but I like to use the cubes or paste so I can adjust the flavor to our preferences.
- water
- garlic
- milk
- bacon
- cheddar cheese
- green onions
- sour cream
- butter
- salt and pepper
Tools you may need
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- Instant Pot
- Potato Masher – I like one with a sturdy handle and single surface for mashing. You don’t need anything fancy!
- Chefs Knife
- Cutting Board
- Cheese Grater – two reasons I recommended this one; first of all I like the rubber handle for gripping as it makes it easier to ensure it doesn’t tip when I am shredding the cheese. Also, I like that it has the container you can attach to catch the cheese so it doesn’t go all over the counter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can make the potatoes ahead of time and reheat them when ready to serve. Be sure to save some of the green onions and bacon for garnish once they are reheated to make them look fancy. I wouldn’t make them any sooner than the day before you want to enjoy them, to ensure they taste as good as possible!
Reheating the mashed potatoes is easy; simply pop them into a microwave safe bowl and heat on medium heat in 1 minute intervals. Stir after each minute as there will be hot and cold spots. You can add additional butter to the potato mixture to keep it from drying out during the reheating process.
The options for your leftover loaded potatoes are endless – but one of my favorite ways to enjoy them is to give them a pan fry to get them nice and crispy and enjoy them with some bacon or ham as a nice hearty breakfast.
You can also use them in my Pierogi Casserole which is an easy to make weeknight dinner that your entire family will devour!
Serve Mashed Potatoes with
- Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
- Slow Cooker Sesame Chicken
- Easy Roasted Chicken
- Herbed Carrots and Green Beans
- Perfect Roast Beef
How to Make Loaded Mashed Potatoes in the Instant Pot
Prepare bacon to desired crispiness – I like to roast mine in the oven on a foil lined baking sheet. Set the oven to 375F and bake for about 20 minutes.
Prep all other ingredients; wash and chop the potatoes, slice green onion, peel and chop garlic, shred the cheddar cheese and measure out milk and sour cream.
Add potatoes, garlic, bouillon and 1 cup of water to InstantPot and set it to high for 20 minutes to cook. Once it is finished do a quick release for the pressure (being very careful here as the steam is HOT).
Drain off any excess water from the potatoes and do a light mash (you don’t want to over mash the potatoes before adding the mix-ins. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to stir in the milk, sour cream, butter and salt/pepper.
Add 3/4 of the prepared toppings to the potatoes (cheese, crumbled bacon, green onions) and stir to combine. Reserve some for topping the final dish.
Add potatoes to a serving bowl and top with remaining mix-ins.
Instant Pot Loaded Cheesy Mashed Potatoes
These mashed potatoes are loaded with cheese, sour cream, bacon, green onions and so much more, and they are done in the Instant Pot to save you time!
Ingredients
- 10-12 white potatoes, washed and chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 cup water
- 1 vegetable bouillon cube
- 1/3 cup milk (2% is fine)
- 1/2 cup sour cream (I prefer full fat)
- 2 tablespoons butter (salted or unsalted is fine)
- 6 strips cooked bacon, crumbled
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 bunch green onions, washed and sliced thin
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prep ingredients; wash and chop the potatoes, slice green onion, peel and chop garlic, shred the cheddar cheese and measure out milk and sour cream.
- Add potatoes, garlic, bouillon and 1 cup of water to InstantPot and set it to high for 20 minutes to cook. Once it is finished do a quick release for the pressure (being very careful here as the steam is HOT).
- Drain off any excess water from the potatoes and do a light mash (you don't want to over mash the potatoes before adding the mix-ins.
- Use a wooden spoon or spatula to stir in the milk, sour cream, butter and salt/pepper.
- Add 3/4 of the prepared toppings to the potatoes (cheese, crumbled bacon, green onions) and stir to combine. Reserve some for topping the final dish.
- Add potatoes to a serving bowl and top with remaining mix-ins.