Ranch Mashed Potato Casserole
Hot dang it is muggy uggy down here along the Gulf Coast. Geez... you'd think it was July already for pete's sake. I was tryin' to get some pics of a few flowers earlier and had to keep wiping the lens and viewfinder between every shot because it kept foggin' up! All I can say is thank the Lord for central air conditioning.How I grew up in a house the same size as this one, with 5 people livin' in it and only one window unit is beyond me. And rain? We got about 2 tablespoons of rain again. I know people north of us are gettin' some bad storms, but we sure could use a good rainstorm down here to give me a break on watering veggie plants, flowers and grass!
For dinner tonight, I had it pretty easy though, so guess I can't complain too much. We had one of those charbroiled beef patties with onion gravy dinner entrees in the freezer, and I thought a mashed potato casserole would go along nicely. If you should be lucky enough to have some leftovers, give these Tater Cakes a try too.
Here's how to make it.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter or spray a 2-quart casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.
Mix together the mashed potatoes, cream cheese, butter, sour cream, eggs, Ranch dressing and seasoning mix, garlic powder, onion powder and Cajun seasoning. (Hey, nobody said anything about this being low fat although I have used lower fat cream cheese, milk and half and half with this recipe - moderation y'all!) I just used my KitchenAid mixer on low to blend it all together.
Add the milk and cream; blend in. Add 1 cup of the cheese and gently fold in.
Pour into prepared casserole dish and bake uncovered at 350 degrees F for 35 to 40 minutes or until lightly browned on top.
Sprinkle with remaining cheese and scatter the fried onions all around the outside edge. Add a dusting of Cajun seasoning and paprika.
Return to the oven for about 5 minutes, or just until cheese is melted and onion has browned.
Recipe: Ranch Mashed Potato Casserole
©From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish
Prep time: 10 min |Cook time: 45 min | Yield: About 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
Optional Toppings:
- 4 cups of boiled, unseasoned mashed potatoes (about 5 medium sized potatoes)
- 1 (8 ounce) block of cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) of butter
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1/3 cup of sour cream
- 1 package of Ranch dressing and seasoning mix
- 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon of onion powder (omit if using onion topping)
- 1/4 teaspoon of Creole or Cajun seasoning, or to taste, optional
- 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt, or to taste
- 1/2 cup of milk
- 1/2 cup of heavy cream
- 1-1/2 cups of shredded cheddar, divided
- 1 cup of French fried onion bits
- Dust of Creole or Cajun seasoning and paprika
Instructions
- Additional butter, sliced on top of casserole
- Sliced green onion
- Cooked and crumbled bacon
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter or spray a 2-quart casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.
Mix together the mashed potatoes, cream cheese, butter, sour cream, eggs, Ranch, garlic powder, onion powder and Cajun seasoning. Add the milk and cream; blend in. Add 1 cup of the cheese and gently fold in. Pour into prepared casserole dish and bake uncovered at 350 degrees F for 35 to 40 minutes or until lightly browned on top. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and scatter the fried onions all around the outside edge. Add a dusting of Cajun seasoning and paprika. Return to the oven for about 5 minutes, or just until cheese is melted and onion is browned.
Tip: The potatoes blend easier if they are warm.
Cook's Notes: May substitute leftover mashed potatoes; simply adjust seasonings as needed, depending on what you used.
Source: http://deepsouthdish.com
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©Deep South Dish
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