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Twice Baked Potato Casserole

Merry Christmas 2013!



We are going to my brother's house to celebrate Christmas later this afternoon.  He is making a ham and the rest of us are bringing the side dishes.  Daryl and I are going to bring potatoes and like I said in yesterdays post;  spinach balls.

This is the same recipe that we brought last year.  It was so good that I decided to make it again.   There are certain rules I like to follow when choosing a recipe that we are going to have to bring to some one's house.  It has to travel well. Preferably in a 9 X 13 casserole dish because we have a thermal carrier that works great for transporting food in a situation like this.

I'm sure like me, most of you like a creamy potato to go with ham - think a cheesy scalloped potato.  This recipe has a nice balance of cheese, cream, butter and potatoes.  One of our favorite side dishes as a family is my mom's creamed cabbage (recipe another time)  and that is very creamy so I try to make the potatoes a bit less decadent, however don't mistake them for health food.

This recipe is from Emeril Lagasse.  I made the full recipe last year for 13 people.  It filled two 9 X 13 casseroles one of which went untouched.  This year there will only be 10 us, so we decided to cut the recipe in half.


Time: 2 hours and 20 minutes
Yield: 12

Ingredients
10 large russet baking potatoes (about 7 pounds total)
8 tablespoons (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
3/4 pound bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled
1/2 pound sharp white Cheddar, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3/4 pound mild Cheddar, grated (3 cups)
1/2 cup finely chopped green onions
3 eggs, lightly beaten

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Scrub the potatoes well and rinse under cool running water. Pat dry with paper towels and prick the potatoes in several places with a fork. Place the potatoes in the oven and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until tender. Remove from the oven and set aside on a wire rack until cool enough to handle.
Daryl scooping out the flesh with a spoon.
When the potatoes have cooled, cut each potato in half and, using a spoon or a melon baller, scoop the flesh out of the skins, leaving as little flesh as possible. Place the potato flesh in a large bowl and add 1 stick of the butter, the sour cream, heavy cream, salt, and pepper and mash until chunky-smooth. Add the bacon, cubed white Cheddar, half of the grated Cheddar, the green onions, and eggs and mix thoroughly.

Butter a 9 by 13-inch casserole with the remaining tablespoon of butter and reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F.

Place the seasoned potato mixture in the prepared casserole and top with the remaining grated Cheddar. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until bubbly around the edges and heated through and the cheese on top is melted and lightly golden. Serve hot.
After the flesh has been removed, he mashes the potatoes using a ricer.
When I arrive at our destination I will put it in his oven to keep hot until it's time to eat.

Cooked and ready to transport!


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