Irrestible Cheesy Bacon Ranch Potatoes

5 from 6 votes

Irrestible Cheesy Bacon Ranch Potatoes

Craving a comforting side dish that's easy to make and irresistibly delicious? Look no further than these easy cheesy bacon ranch potatoes! This mouthwatering recipe combines creamy potatoes, gooey cheese, savory bacon, and zesty ranch seasoning, and it will have everyone asking for seconds.

Prep Time15

Cook Time45

Total Time1

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 247kcal

Author: Chula King

Ingredients

2 pounds unpeeled red potatoes cut into 1 to 1-½ inch pieces (about 6 cups) (See Tip 1)
Kosher salt
6 slices bacon, cooked, drained, and crumbled (about ½ cup). Reserve 2 tablespoons to add to the top of the casserole
½ cup ranch dressing (See Tip 2)
1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder (See Tip 3)
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 ½ cups (6 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese, divided (See Tip 4)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray 2 ½ quart casserole dish with non-stick spray. Set aside.
Bring a large saucepan of water with 1 tablespoon of salt to a boil. Add potatoes; cook for 10 minutes or just until tender. Drain potatoes. (See Tips 5 and 6)
Rinse and dry pan used to boil potatoes. Return cooked potatoes to pan. Add ranch dressing, garlic powder, paprika, pepper, ¾ cup of shredded cheese, and bacon, less 2 tablespoons reserved. Stir to combine. Transfer the drained potatoes to the prepared casserole dish. (See Tip 7)
Bake uncovered at 400°F for 40 minutes.
Remove the potatoes from the oven. Sprinkle on the remaining ¾ cup of shredded cheese and reserved bacon. Return to the 400°F oven for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. If desired, garnish with minced fresh parsley of sliced green onion tops.
Yield: 8 servings. (See Tip 8)

Video

Notes

You could also use Yukon Gold potatoes in this dish. However, I would avoid using Russet potatoes because they don't tend to hold their shape like the red or Yukon Potatoes do.
I used Hidden Valley Original Ranch dressing. I've not tried this dish using low-fat ranch dressing, so unfortunately can't comment on whether it would work as well or not. Sorry!
I would avoid using fresh garlic in this dish. Fresh garlic, without being sautéed, tends to be overpowering.
I used extra sharp Cheddar cheese because that's what I consistently have on hand. You could also use regular or sharp Cheddar cheese. You could also use Colby or Colby Jack cheese.
I always season potatoes by boiling them in salted water. Even though a tablespoon of salt might seem like a lot, it produces the perfect amount of saltiness in the potatoes, at least for me - and I don't like a lot of salt!
When boiling potatoes, I always place a wooden fork or spoon in the water to prevent them from boiling. I learned this trick from Susan. I'm not sure why this works, but it does.
The recipe can be prepared in advance up to this point. If desired, cover the dish and refrigerate for up to a day. Add five minutes to the cooking time if baking straight from the refrigerator.
If there are leftovers, they reheat beautifully. I generally reheat them in the microwave for several minutes. You could also reheat them in a 350°F oven for 15 minutes or until heated.

Nutrition