Loaded Bacon Cheddar Smashed Potatoes

These bacon cheddar loaded smashed potatoes start with crispy and buttery smashed potatoes topped with bacon, cheddar cheese, and green onions. These loaded smashed potatoes are the perfect side dish.

I am always looking for creative and delicious ways to use vegetables as side dishes. These loaded smashed potatoes with crispy bacon dipped in a sour cream cheddar dip may just reign supreme.

We served these alongside a tri-tip steak while watching college football and to say they were a huge hit is a complete understatement. Everyone loves these bacon loaded smashed potatoes!

My classic smashed potatoes recipe has been so popular on Modern Honey for years. This is just the elevated version with the addition of savory bacon and rich cheddar cheese.

Why you will love Loaded Smashed Potatoes:

These crispy loaded smashed potatoes have creamy centers and crispy edges which is the perfect type of potato, in my opinion.
Bacon and potatoes just go together like p,b, and j.
The sour cream cheddar dipping sauce just puts it all over the top.

Ingredients:

These loaded smashed potatoes are made with 7 simple ingredients.

Petite Yukon Gold or Fingerling Potatoes — I love to use small petite yukon gold potatoes because of their creamy texture.
Salted Butter
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
Bacon — I suggest using thick-cut bacon but you can use your favorite brand of bacon.
Cheddar Cheese — for easy melting, I suggest freshly grating the cheddar cheese.
Green Onions

Garlic Cheddar Sour Cream Dip Ingredients:

Sour Cream — use full-fat sour cream for the creamiest dip but you can use low-fat sour cream as well.
Cheddar Cheese (grated) — may also use Colby jack cheese instead.
Garlic — use fresh garlic or garlic powder.
Salt and Pepper — gives extra flavor to the sour cream dip.

Season your potatoes!

Potatoes soak up seasoning and simple salt and pepper will bring out the flavor of the potatoes so be generous.

Loaded Smashed Potatoes Instructions:

Start by using petite gold or fingerling potatoes. You want to use small potatoes to make it easy to smash them with the bottom of a glass. If they are too large, they will just fall apart. I prefer yukon gold potatoes because of their creamy texture and thin skins.
Place the potatoes in a large pot and fill with water. Place on high heat until boiling. Boil for about 20-25 minutes or until the potatoes are soft and fork-tender. You want them to be soft enough to smash! The larger the potatoes, the longer the cooking time.
While the potatoes are cooking, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with two pieces of aluminum foil. Spread out the bacon on the baking sheet. Bake for 20-24 minutes, depending on desired crispiness. Remove from the oven and place on paper towel to drain. Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees.

Loaded Bacon Cheddar Smashed Potatoes tossed in butter

Once the potatoes are fork tender, drain the water and place the potatoes in a colander to allow the steam to release for about 5 minutes. Get a large baking sheet ready. Place the potatoes on the baking sheet and press on each one with the bottom of a glass to “smash” them.

Loaded Bacon Cheddar Smashed Potatoes on baking sheet

Drizzle the potatoes with melted salted butter and extra-virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Bake in a 425-degree oven for about 35-45 minutes, depending on the level of desired crispiness, turning halfway through baking time.

With 5 minutes of baking time remaining, remove from the oven and sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Place the baking sheet back in the oven and allow the cheese to melt for about 5 minutes.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle with crumbled bacon and green onions.

Garlic Cheddar Sour Cream Dip:

In a small bowl, mix together sour cream, cheddar cheese, garlic, and pepper. Top the potatoes with the dip or dip the potatoes into the dip.

Substitutions and Variations:

Instead of sour cream, you may substitute Greek yogurt.

Instead of classic bacon, you can subsitute turkey bacon.

If you don’t like green onions, you may omit them.

Storage and Make Ahead:

These loaded smashed potatoes best eaten warm but can’t be reheated in the oven.

You may store in the refrigerator.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What type of potatoes should I use in this loaded smashed potato recipe?

I suggest a petite small Yukon Gold or yellow potatoes in this recipe because of their creamy texture. You may also use petite red potatoes or fingerling potatoes.

How will I know when the bacon smashed potatoes are done cooking?

You want to look for those crisp, golden edges. If you desire a crispier smashed potato, you will want to bake for a longer period of time.

Popular Potato Recipes:

These potato recipes are 5-star rated and the perfect side dish recipe.

Perfect Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Cheesy Potatoes Au Gratin

Loaded Mashed Potatoes

Oven Roasted Potatoes

What to serve with Loaded Smashed Potatoes:

If you are looking for what main dish to pair with these bacon cheddar loaded smashed potatoes, check out these popular main dish recipes…

The Best Chicken Marinade Recipe

Grilled Tri-Tip Steak Marinade

Garlic Butter Steak Bites

Honey Chicken

Bacon Cheddar Loaded Smashed Potatoes

By: Modern Honey® – www.modernhoney.com These bacon cheddar loaded smashed potatoes start with crispy and buttery smashed potatoes topped with bacon, cheddar cheese, and green onions. These loaded smashed potatoes are the perfect side dish. Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients

1.5 lbs Petite Yukon Gold or FIngerling Potatoes
3 Tablespoons Salted Butter (melted)
2 Tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Pepper
8 to 10 slices Bacon
2 cups Cheddar Cheese (freshly grated)
2 to 3 Green Onions

Garlic Cheddar Sour Cream Dip:

8 ounces Sour Cream
3/4 cup Cheddar Cheese (grated)
1 Garlic Clove, minced (or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder)
1/2 teaspoon Salt or Garlic Salt
1/4 teaspoon Pepper

Instructions

Start by using petite gold or fingerling potatoes. You want to use small potatoes to make it easy to smash them with the bottom of a glass. If they are too large, they will just fall apart. I prefer yukon gold potatoes because of their creamy texture and thin skins.
Place the potatoes in a large pot and fill with water. Place on high heat until boiling. Boil for about 20-25 minutes or until the potatoes are soft and fork-tender. You want them to be soft enough to smash! The larger the potatoes, the longer the cooking time. While the potatoes are cooking, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with two pieces of aluminum foil.
Spread out the bacon on the baking sheet. Bake for 20-24 minutes, depending on desired crispiness. Remove from the oven and place on paper towel to drain. Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees.
Once the potatoes are fork tender, drain the water and place the potatoes in a colander to allow the steam to release for about 5 minutes. Get a large baking sheet ready. Place the potatoes on the baking sheet and press on each one with the bottom of a glass to "smash" them.
Drizzle the potatoes with melted salted butter and extra-virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Bake in a 425-degree oven for about 35-45 minutes, depending on the level of desired crispiness, turning halfway through baking time.
With 5 minutes of baking time remaining, remove from the oven and sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Place the baking sheet back in the oven and allow the cheese to melt for about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with crumbled bacon and green onions.

Garlic Cheddar Sour Cream Dip:

In a small bowl, mix together sour cream, cheddar cheese, garlic, and pepper. Top the potatoes with the dip or dip the potatoes into the dip.

Notes

What type of potatoes should I use in loaded smashed potatoes?I suggest a petite small Yukon Gold or yellow potatoes in this recipe because of their creamy texture. You may also use petite red potatoes or fingerling potatoes.

Nutrition

Calories: 424kcal
Carbohydrates: 18g
Protein: 15g
Fat: 33g
Saturated Fat: 15g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g
Monounsaturated Fat: 11g
Trans Fat: 0.2g
Cholesterol: 75mg
Sodium: 753mg
Potassium: 504mg
Fiber: 2g
Sugar: 1g
Vitamin A: 654IU
Vitamin C: 18mg
Calcium: 330mg
Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.