18 oz container chive and onion cream cheesesoftened
18 ozcontainer sour cream
1/2cupsalted buttersoftened
10.4-ozpackage dry Buttermilk Ranch Dressing mix
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2lbbaconcooked and crumbled
2cupsshredded sharp cheddar cheesedivided
1/2cupthinly sliced green onionplus 2 Tbsp for garnishing
Instructions
Place unpeeled whole potatoes in a 6 quart slow cooker. Pour chicken broth on top. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or until fork tender. (Tip: Cut any larger potatoes in half so they're all similar size)
Do not drain. Using an electric hand mixer or a potato masher, mash the potatoes with the broth until chunky smooth. (Use a mixer for a smoother texture and a potato masher for a chunky texture.)
Add cream cheese, sour cream, butter, Ranch dressing mix and black pepper to taste. Whip until fully incorporated.
Add 1 cup cheese, bacon and green onion. reserving 2 Tbsp each crumbled bacon and onion to garnish the top. Mix well.
Sprinkle the top with remaining cheese. Garnish with bacon and onion. Keep warm until serving.
Notes
Dry Ranch dressing mix will likely have ample salt for the entire dish. Taste and add more salt to your personal taste.Baked Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Dice potatoes into equal size pieces. Cook in a large pot filled with salted water for 15-20 minutes or until fork tender. Drain well.
Transfer to mixing bowl then proceed with recipe from Step 3.
Spread in baking dish, dot the top with butter. Bake for 40-45 minutes until heated through and the top is golden. Garnish with bacon and green onions before serving.