If you love the combination of potatoes, cheese, and bacon, you’re going to love this easy Cheesy Potatoes Casserole with Bacon. Keep reading for the recipe.
Side Dishes Make the Meal!
We decided to barbecue tonight. I made the most delicious Butter Burgers you’ve ever tasted. (The whole family took a poll and decided it would be hard to eat a butter-free burger from now on. That’s how good they are.)
We needed some sides to go with the burgers and that’s where the idea for these cheesy potatoes came from.
We happened to have a huge bag of russet potatoes on hand, as well as cream cheese, bacon, and butter. (Are you noticing a butter theme here?)
A Cheesy, Delicious Potato Recipe!
We merged all of those things together into the most delicious (and simple) potato dish. It made a full 9×13-inch casserole dish, plenty for our family with a lot left over.
The good news about this dish is, the leftovers are fine in the fridge for a few days and easy to heat up in the microwave.
What are we waiting for? Let’s talk about what you’ll need to make these delicious potatoes.
Cheesy Potatoes Ingredients
You will find a full printable recipe card for this cheesy potato casserole at the bottom of this post but here’s a quick peek at what you’ll need. These are simple ingredients you might already have on hand.
- medium potatoes
- butter (salted or unsalted, your choice)
- heavy whipping cream (or milk)
- cream cheese
- shredded cheddar cheese
- bacon
- salt and pepper (to taste)
How to Make Cheesy Potatoes with Crispy Bacon
This dish comes together so easily and you don’t even have to turn on the oven. It’s a stovetop dish that you finish off in the microwave.
Cut your bacon and place it into a large skillet.
Cook bacon until done but not overly crispy. Drain on a paper towel and set aside.
Wash, peel and slice potatoes. (See photo for how I sliced mine).
Leave potato slices soaking in cool water until they’re all sliced.
Rinse and add fresh water to cover potatoes.
Add a teaspoon of salt to the water and bring to a boil. Boil the potatoes for about 10 minutes or until they’re mostly cooked (but not too soft. You still want a little bit of a “bite” to them.)
Make Your Sauce
While the potatoes are cooking, make your cheese sauce.
Cut up the cream cheese and put it in a microwave-safe bowl. (You’ll want to use a large bowl so you have plenty of room to stir.) Add a cup of heavy cream. Add half a stick of butter.
Place in microwave and heat in one-minute increments, checking it (and stirring) periodically.
When the cream cheese and butter have melted it’s time to add 4 ounces of the grated cheddar.
Heat it for about 30 second until it starts to melt. Stir well. Add more salt and pepper to taste.
Drain the potatoes and place them back in the pan.
Pour the cheese mixture over the potatoes and add the bacon.
Stir until it’s all well combined.
Transfer to a 9×13-inch pan.
Cover with the remaining cheese and place in microwave. Heat in one-minute increments (about 2 – 3 minutes total) until the cheese is melted. Cooking time may vary. This can also be heated in an oven instead of microwave.
Cover with foil until time to serve.
Serve and enjoy!
These potatoes can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container (or tightly covered in foil or plastic wrap). They will stay good for 3 – 4 days.
What to Expect from this Cheesy Potato Side Dish
They’re rich, they’re creamy, and they’re packed full of flavors. These are really the perfect cheesy bacon potatoes, the ultimate comfort food recipe. They’re so rich with protein that you could even serve this as your main dish.
I loved the addition of cream cheese. (We usually use Velveeta but I didn’t have any on hand, which is why I used cream cheese.)
The cream thickened and caused the cheese to cling to the potatoes in a really delicious sort of way. (If you want to thin yours down to make it more of a creamy sauce, make it with milk in place of heavy cream and even add a bit more than the recipe calls for.)
My favorite part was the little bite of bacon. (My bacon was thick and delicious.)
These potatoes were served alongside our delicious Butter Burgers and our Sweet and Savory Southwest Beans. Talk about the perfect side dish. This was a delicious meal and a simple, great recipe.
Make this Cheesy Bacon Potato Casserole Your Own
There are so many different ways you can change up this delicious side dish. Here are some fun suggestions:
Velveeta: I referred to this above. I usually use Velveeta (regular) in place of the cream cheese. Use the small box.
Sour Cream: This would be delicious stirred into the potatoes. You could even add it at the end or place a dollop on top of each serving.
Onion: You can add onion to this dish if you like. Dice half an onion and cook it with the bacon. It would be really pretty dice green onions on top as a garnish (and to add flavor).
Sausage in place of bacon: If you prefer you can use Jimmy Dean sausage.
Cheesy Bacon Ranch Potatoes: Add a cup of ranch dip to the cheesy mixture. This would add a ton of flavor and creaminess.
Add Soup! Want to make this dish even creamier? Add cream of chicken soup, or even a full can of cheddar cheese soup to the recipe.
Questions People are Asking about Cheesy Potatoes
Does it matter what kind of potatoes I use?
Not really. You can use russet potatoes, red potatoes, gold potatoes (yukon golds), or any kind you like! You can even use hash browns if you like. (I plan to try this next time, myself!)
Can I make this dish in a slow cooker?
Absolutely! You’ll probably want to cook the potatoes in advance but you could bring it all together (and even serve it) in the slow cooker (or the Instant Pot on slow cook mode).
Should I cover the baking dish with aluminum foil while baking?
I didn’t because I was afraid the cheese would stick to the foil.
Is this the same things as loaded baked potato casserole?
It’s similar but baked potato casserole often calls for mashed (or finely diced) potatoes, as well as sour cream, green onions, bacon, and cheese. (You could easily use this recipe to mimic baked potatoes!)
Can I cook my bacon on a baking sheet?
Absolutely. This is a favorite way to cook bacon without the mess of a skillet.
Other Side Dishes from Backyard Texas Grill
This is one of the best recipes for cheesy potatoes but if you’re in the mood for something different, we’ve got you covered for other side dishes, appetizers, and non-meat dishes. Here are some of our favorites:
Savory Southern Corn Dip: This is a personal favorite, good as an appetizer or a side dish.
Sautéed Apples: These are delicious and perfect with pork dishes like our Breakfast Fatty our St. Louis Style Ribs.
Southwest Beans: These sweet and spicy beans are perfect with (literally) any barbecued meat.
Check out this Jailhouse Rice from South Your Mouth. It would be great with these burgers.
Looking for a great dessert to eat with these delicious potatoes? Check out our Amazing Cast-Iron Dump Cake on the Grill!
See this recipe at:
About the Man Behind the Grill
Zach Morrow was born and raised in Texas and has always had a passion for great barbecue.
He’s at home behind the grill and loves to feed his friends and family home-cooked favorites as often as he can.
Zach especially loves trying new things and is excited to share his knowledge for Backyard Texas Grill.
Cheesy Potatoes with Bacon
8 - 10 medium potatoes
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter (salted or unsalted, your choice)
1 cup heavy whipping cream (or milk)
1 block (8 oz) cream cheese
8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
1 package bacon
salt and pepper (to taste)
Ingredients
Instructions
- Cut your bacon and place it into the skillet.
- Cook until done but not crispy. Drain on paper towels and set aside.
- Wash, peel and slice potatoes. (See photo for how I sliced mine).
Leave sliced potatoes soaking in cool water until they're all sliced. - Rinse and add fresh water to cover potatoes.
- Add a teaspoon of salt to the water and bring to a boil. Boil the potatoes for about 10 minutes or until they're mostly cooked (but not too soft. You still want a little bit of a "bite" to them.)
- Make Your Sauce: While the potatoes are cooking, make your cheese sauce. Cut up the cream cheese and put it in a microwave-safe bowl. Add a cup of heavy cream. Add half a stick of butter.
- Place in microwave and heat in one-minute increments, checking it (and stirring) periodically.
- When the cream cheese and butter have melted it's time to add 4 ounces of the grated cheddar.
- Heat it for about 30 second until it starts to melt. Stir well. Add more salt and pepper to taste.
- Drain the potatoes and place them back in the pan.
- Pour the cheese mixture over the potatoes and add the bacon.
Stir until it's all well combined. - Transfer to a 9x13-inch pan.
- Cover with the remaining cheese and place in microwave. Heat in one-minute increments (about 2 - 3 minutes total) until the cheese is melted.
Cover with foil until time to serve. - Serve and enjoy! These potatoes can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container (or tightly covered in foil or plastic wrap). They will stay good for 3 - 4 days.