Loaded mashed potatoes uses a handful of cheap, easy-to-find ingredients, these delicious mashed potatoes come together in less than an hour, making them perfect for busy weeknights.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, add the diced potatoes and cook for 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot.
Add the butter and heavy cream to the pot. Use a potato masher to mix in the butter and cream, ensuring the butter is completely melted and the potatoes are thoroughly mashed.
Add the cheese, bacon, and chives. Stir to combine.
Serve and enjoy!
Notes
These loaded mashed potatoes can be topped with salt and pepper as desired; however, we found that the salt from the butter and bacon was sufficient for our taste.
Boiling the potatoes makes them soft and tender, giving you a smooth mashed potato consistency.
If you do not have heavy cream, you can also use half and half.
I like to use microwavable bacon to cut down on prep time, but you can also fry up some fresh bacon if you would like. This will slightly enhance the bacon flavor in the mashed potatoes. If using fresh bacon, you can also add a little bit of bacon grease to add some extra flavor.
Either medium or sharp cheddar cheese works best. Mild cheddar was a bit too mild. We found the flavor got drowned out by the other flavors.
Leftover mashed potatoes can be stored in the fridge for up to 6 days and reheated in the microwave. Reheating times will depend on how much you are reheating, but I find it best to start with one minute and go from there.