Need a comfy side dish? Make the cheesy Mashed Potato Casserole with Roasted Garlic that my kids go nuts for. It’s very make-ahead and as easy as can be. Served with gravy or without, it’s a tasty and comforting side dish perfectly at home alongside Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast, Spicy Grilled Tri Tip, or Slow Cooker Ham.
Leftovers are delicious fried into mashed potato cakes, topped on a Shepherd’s Pie, or stirred into Thursday Night Soup. You can even serve this Mashed Potato Casserole for breakfast alongside Turkey Sausage and fried eggs. This is a great side dish for ham.
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I’ve been making mashed potatoes for my kids since they were really little. It was probably one of their first foods, now that I think of it. So easy to feed to babies and if you make it thick and lumpy, it is, indeed, a finger food.
Imagine my surprise when my kids started going nuts over a small tweak I made to my regular mashed potatoes recipe. One night I was pretty much making it on the fly, just going about my business.
I blended in cream to make it smoother and stirred in some roasted garlic and shredded cheese for extra flavor. Since the main dish wasn’t ready yet, I slid it into the oven to bake while I finished dinner.
And the crowd went wild! The kids likened it to a potato dish we get at a favorite restaurant. Translation: high praise.
And Cheesy Mashed Potato Casserole with Roasted Garlic was born.
Why Make This
It is the bomb dot com. This Mashed Potato Casserole really is the best ever. Last Thanksgiving there were complaints when there was none leftover. I’m making two pans this year as it’s the best of kid-friendly Thanksgiving side dishes.
It’s super easy. If you use the instant pot to cook the potatoes, Mashed Potato Casserole is really a hands-free recipe. The pressure cooker gets the potatoes so tender they mash almost on command. Pair this potato dish with Chicken and Gravy for a quick and easy dinner.
You can freeze Mashed Potato Casserole. Talk about having a secret weapon in a vault. A batch of this in reserve is like money in the bank.
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make Mashed Potato Casserole:
potatoes – Russets are usually the most affordable potato, but you can also use Yukon Gold potatoes for an extra buttery texture in your Mashed Potato Casserole.
cream cheese – You can use full fat or light cream cheese in this dish. Both work really well as does Boursin or other spready cheese if you need to use them up.
whipping cream – Real cream adds richness to Mashed Potato Casserole, but it’s also more expensive. Feel free to substitute half and half, milk, or even evaporated milk to reduce the costs.
roasted garlic – Roasted garlic takes just a few minutes to prep but it adds so much flavor! If you’re in a pinch, you can substitute fresh garlic cloves to the pot of potatoes when you’re cooking them or stir in garlic powder when you’re mashing them.
cheddar cheese – Cheddar adds great flavor, but so do other cheeses. Feel free to use what you have to boost the flavor.
seasonings – Salt and pepper generously to bring out the flavor of the other ingredients.
butter – A few pats of butter atop the Mashed Potato Casserole help the top to brown lightly.
Variations
You can totally customize this casserole to you and your family’s liking. Here are some things you can add to the casserole or sprinkle on top in the end:
- chopped cooked bacon
- sautéed mushrooms
- green onions or chives
- caramelized onions
- diced jalapenos
- a different cheese (try goat cheese, Swiss, or pepper jack!)
- crispy fried onions, buttered bread crumbs, or crushed cornflakes for a topping
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s how to make Cheesy Mashed Potato Casserole with Roasted Garlic:
Prepare the pan. Spray a large baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
1. Cook the potatoes. You can cook the potatoes quickly for 10 minutes manual in an electric pressure cooker or boil them on the stovetop for about 20 minutes. Once very tender, drain off the excess water. With a potato masher, mash the potatoes until very fine.
2. Add the cream cheese and continue mashing until the cream cheese is fully incorporated. Stir in enough of the cream to achieve a smooth, but still spoonable texture.
3. Add garlic and cheese. Stir in the roasted garlic pieces and cheddar cheese (if using). Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Bake the casserole. Spoon the mashed potatoes into the prepared dish. Dot the potatoes with the butter and bake for 30 minutes.
Freezing Instructions
Mashed Potato Casserole is one of the two best ways to freeze potatoes. Simply assemble the casserole, cover, and chill in the fridge until very cold. Then slide it into the freezer and store for up to 2 months.
To serve: thaw it completely in the refrigerator and proceed with the baking instructions.
FAQs
You absolutely can. I love making it ahead of time during the hectic holiday times. The casserole can be wrapped, chilled, and frozen before baking. And then when ready to serve, thaw overnight in the refrigerator before proceeding with the baking step.
Prepare the mashed potato casserole but do not bake. Wrap, label, and chill in the fridge. Store in the freezer until a day or two before baking. Thaw completely under refrigeration and bake according to the recipe instructions.
To take this mashed potato casserole over the top, prepare it as directed. In a small bowl combine 1 cup crushed cornflakes mixed with 2 tablespoons melted butter. Sprinkle this over the top of the mashed potatoes and bake.
Recipe Costs
Knowing how much it costs you to prepare a recipe can help you decide if it’s the type of recipe to make regularly or one you might want to save for special occasions. Let’s crunch some numbers and see how this recipe pencils out.
- potatoes – $2.00
- cream cheese – $1.00
- whipping cream – $1.00
- roasted garlic – $0.25
- cheddar cheese – $0.50
- seasonings – $0.02
- butter – $0.13
While your costs may vary depending on where and how you shop, you can expect to pay about $4.90 for a large Mashed Potato Casserole, about $0.41/serving.
How to make this good and cheap:
Here are some of the strategies you can use to make this recipe more economical:
- Stock up on ingredients when they are on sale. When I find regular kitchen staples on sale, I buy a lot. I’m currently using a price book to track prices and that’s saving me money. Shopping the sales helps me to save money on my groceries every week. For this recipe, keeping an eye on the price of potatoes, cream cheese, cream, and butter can help keep the price down. Hint: potatoes often go on great sale in March and November, so keep your eyes open!
- Don’t use heavy cream. If the cost is cream is prohibitive, use milk, half and half, or evaporated milk instead.
- Buying in bulk – It’s rare that I would buy a small container of cream. I buy the half gallon at Costco which is a little cheaper than elsewhere.
More Great Side Dishes
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Cheesy Mashed Potato Casserole
Equipment
- Electric pressure cooker
- heavy stockpot
- potato masher
- glass measuring cup
- 9×13-inch baking dish
Ingredients
- 5 lb russet potatoes peeled and cubed
- 1 8-ounce package cream cheese
- 1 cup whipping cream or milk
- 1 head roasted garlic removed from the skins OR 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 oz cheddar cheese (shredded) (½ cup)
- salt
- black pepper
- 2 tablespoon butter
Instructions
- In a large pot of salted water, bring the potatoes to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes or until very tender. Drain completely. Return the pot of potatoes to the heat for a few seconds, stirring, to allow any excess water to evaporate.
- With a potato masher, mash the potatoes until very fine. Add the cream cheese and continue mashing until the cream cheese is fully incorporated. Stir in enough of the cream to achieve a smooth, but still spoonable texture.
- Stir in the roasted garlic pieces and cheddar cheese (if using). Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Spray a large baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Spoon the mashed potatoes into the prepared dish. Dot the potatoes with the butter and bake for 30 minutes. Serve hot.
Notes
- chopped cooked bacon
- sautéed mushrooms
- green onions or chives
- caramelized onions
- diced jalapenos
- a different cheese (try goat cheese, Swiss, or pepper jack!)
- crispy fried onions, buttered bread crumbs, or crushed cornflakes for a crunchy topping
Nutrition
This post was originally published on March 5, 2017. It has been updated for content and clarity.
lazyme
I made 1/2 of the recipe and had some for dinner. Then I froze the rest for next weekend. I can’t wait to see how well it works to freeze them. They were great fresh. Thanks for sharing
Jessica Fisher
Glad you liked it!
Anne
How far ahead can you make this without freezing it? 2 days before, or is that too long to have it in the fridge before baking?
Jessica Fisher
It’s going to be good 4 days total in the fridge. You could make it Sunday to serve on Thursday, but if you want to enjoy leftovers, I’d do 1 to 2 days in advance.
Sherry
We enjoyed these potatoes last night as a little pre-Thanksgiving goodness! Thanks!
Jessica Fisher
Pre-party! I love it!
Tiffany V
I haven’t baked it yet but just the mashed potatoes alone were delicious! The roasted garlic really added to the flavor. I did use sour cream instead of cream cheese because it was what I had on hand but they are tasty none the less. I love the different variations this side can take on too. Tonight is extra cheese and green onions but I’m thinking carmalized onions next time.
Jessica Fisher
Sour cream is a great sub. And the cheese and green onions sound delish! Can’t wait to hear how you switch it up next time.
Ann
Oh my goodness. This tastes so good and it hasn’t even gone in the oven for a crispy crust. It’s sitting in the fridge cooling. I’ll freeze it and get it out the night before our Thanksgiving meal. I cut the recipe down for our small family (okay, plus leftovers) and made sure the casserole dish will fit in our toaster oven.
It’s great to know that if everything else goes south, at least the potatoes will be great!
Jessica Fisher
Yay!
Kathleen
I make mine similar to this sort of like Pioneer Woman’s but without the baking. I will try this next time. By the way, in reading your November ramble you mentioned having vertigo. Have they tried the Epley maneuver on you? I get this now and then and the maneuver has helped. There is also another one called the somersault maneuver that I am going to try.
Jessica Fisher
I started PT two weeks ago. Lots of different maneuvers to get things back where they’re supposed to be. One caution before you try new things: my PT said that certain exercises will make it worse, depending on which canals have issues and the type of vertigo it is. Maybe check before you experiment!
Christine
Saw this in your letter and made it today for tomorrow. Thanks! Merry Christmas.
Jessica Fisher
Hope you enjoyed it as much as we do! Happy New Year!
Trish
wow, this looks and sounds great!! it is closely related to a dish called ‘make ahead mashed potatoes’ my darling mother made during the holidays. My mom, bless her, was not a cook, and just managed to follow recipes over the years to feed her 8 children, but I have no fond food memories from my childhood. Mom found the recipe for this potato dish, and she loved that she could have it prepared and ready to go except for popping it in the oven, for holiday gatherings. I must say that there was no roasted garlic in mom’s dish – that would have been beyond her culinary efforts. In all fairness to my mom, she grew up the child of two Irish immigrants who started a restaurant in Georgetown when mom was 10. Her parents had lofty aspirations for my mom, and they didn’t involve learning to cook. But mom was fabulous anyway!!!!
Jessica Fisher
Sounds like you had a great mom. 🙂