Make ahead Creamy Mashed Potato with Bacon and Cheese
Make ahead recipes are not new but they are popular for a good reason. Let's take a look at how you can make the creamiest most incredible mashed potato with bacon and cheese a day or two in advance and enjoy them as much as if they were made today.
Ingredients
- 1 kg potato 2 lb
- 150 ml milk 5 fl oz
- 100 ml cream 3.5 fl oz
- 50 gm butter, chopped 1.8oz
- 300 gm sour cream 10.50oz
- 200 gm bacon 7 oz
- 20 ml olive oil 1 tablsp
- 30 gm parmesan, grated 1 oz
- 5 gm salt, flaked sea salt
- extra salt and white pepper to taste
Instructions
Things you can get helpers to do......
- a. Oven temperature 200 C/ 390 F. b. Prepare a dish. It could be a 20 x17 cm (8x7in) approx. Or if you have a round or square casserole with a lid this will be ideal too! c. Bacon will be cooked and cooled in this recipe so cutting bacon and even cooking and cooling while the potatoes are cooking, d. Cut up butter and leave it to come to room temperature for easy meltinge. Grate the cheese
- Put the even sized cut and peeled potatoes into a pot and just cover with cold water. salt the water well. Cook the potatoes until soft when a fork is inserted. Drain well to get rid of all water. A sieve is best. Extra water is not wanted here (no flavour and makes potatoes sloppy and hard to rice)
- Use a ricer to smash the potato. Add the butter and mix in until melted. Add the cream and milk and 100 gm of sour cream and mix well. The potatoes will be soft and easy to stir.
- Pour into a dish approximately 20 x 17 cm (8 x 7 in) or a dish approximately this with a lid if you have one. Spread the potato flat and sit for a couple of minutes to cool a bit. Spread the remaining sour cream over the top of the potatoes by putting puddles of it all over and spreading it with a flat knife
- Cut the bacon into small pieces and saute it in the olive oil. Drain and cool and sprinkle over the top of the potatoes and cover with grated cheese. Now you can set the potatoes aside, covered for up to 3 days.
To reheat the Potatoes
- Wrap the potatoes in foil. Make sure the foil is tented and doesn't touch the cheese. Set the oven to 200C / 390F. Bake the parcel for 50 minutes. Uncover and bake a further 10 minutes to melt and colour the cheese at the top
Notes
Never let potatoes get cold before mashing them. The starches start to change, it is impossible to make creamy fluffy mash from cold potatoes. Always have everything ready when you are draining and ricing the potatoes. You can even warm the milk and cream to make sure they are absorbed by the potato more evenly.
Potatoes will take more salt than you think. Even though you will later add cheese and bacon, make sure the potatoes taste like they are seasoned very well before finishing with the toppings. I always use flaked sea salt as it has a very gentle salt flavour and I use up to 2 teaspoons. If you have everyday table salt be cautioned that this will be MUCH stronger and you will need to add and stir and taste a few times.
You may be surprised to know that the best mashed potato is one that has enough seasoning. This makes more difference than all the butter and cream you may add. Salt and a bit of white pepper will bring out the potato flavour
You can use other cheese. I use parmesan for its lovely slightly salty flavour. You could also use pecorino, a cheese that is very similar in flavour and texture but a sheeps milk base. You could use cheddar or mozzarella if you like but I don't want a stretchy cheesy texture for this dish. It's all about the potato! Parmesan and Pecorino cheeses are less oily and fatty and won't leave an oily pool of cheese when baked.
Use real Parmesan and not the pretend version made in Australia. It will make 100% difference and it is not as expensive as you may think (try Aldi for a good value Italian one)
The recipe serves approximately 6. To feed more people double or triple the recipe. If you have a bigger dish
You can leave off the bacon if you would like a vegetarian option. Sprinkle over chopped parsley or chives