Loaded crack potatoes are the best thing you’ll ever make. This recipe is perfect to feed a crowd. Cheesy, creamy and ranch side dish is loaded with bacon and very easy to make. Make this comforting casserole either from store bough hash browns or using fresh potatoes from scratch.
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Loaded crack potatoes
- A flavor packed potato side dish that can feed a crowd.
- Quick and easy to prepare with simple pantry ingredients.
- It’s loaded with cheddar cheese, sour cream in ranch dressing with crispy bacon.
- Quickly make a potato side dish in a casserole with little effort. Use frozen hash brown mix all ingredients and bake in casserole dish. Or bake fresh potatoes add the ranch dressing mix. And bake until cheese is hot and bubbly. Easy and full of flavors.
- Crack potatoes are utterly addictive.
- Comforting food that everybody would love!
- Great for potlucks, holiday meals and party.
- Just look sinful it looks! It truly lives up to the title. The term “crack” is a slang that refers to sincerely addictive, can’t stop eating food!
Ingredients needed
- 2 lb potatoes (washed and cubed) or 30 ounces bag frozen hash browns
- 8 slices bacon, cooked until crispy
- 3 tablespoon butter or use bacon fat
- ¼ cup dry ranch dressing mix
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 green onion, green part chopped
Potatoes: Crack potatoes recipes is usually made with frozen hash brown but can also be made using fresh potatoes like russet potatoes or red potatoes. Feel free to use frozen southern diced potato hashbrowns from the store.
I made with fresh potatoes and left skin on, it’s up to you to peel or unpeel potatoes.
Bacon: use real bacon. Cut bacon into small cubes, cook in pan until crispy. Collect bacon fat and use it to cook potatoes. Bacon fat added wonderful richness and flavor to potatoes. Don’t want to use bacon fat? No problem, use butter instead.
For convenience you can use bacon crumble, but nothing like real bacon.
Dry ranch dressing mix: don’t use ranch dressing in a bottle. Use dry ranch dressing mix. It’s key ingredient to creating the most flavorful seasoning. It adds tangy flavor to potato and when mixed with creaminess from sour cream and cheese it’s wonderful.
Sour cream: I used only ¼ cup sour cream. If you want extra creaminess use ½ cup more sour cream. Also feel free to use unflavoured Greek yogurt for sour cream.
Cheddar cheese: loads of it. Use sharp cheddar or regular yellow cheddar.
Seasoning: if you know me, I’m all about flavors in my recipe. This crack potato recipe is packed with flavors not only from sour cream, cheese and ranch dressing, but added flavors from onion powder, garlic powder and smoked paprika. Adding seasonings are optional but highly recommend you don’t skip.
Green onion: used for garnish. It adds freshness to a dish that is otherwise rich creamy and cheesy.
How to make loaded crack potatoes
Pre-heat oven at 400°F
Original crack potatoes recipe uses store bought frozen potato hash brown. It’s quick and easy to put together with store bought hash browns. If you can’t get frozen hash browns use fresh potatoes. It works too.
With fresh potatoes– scrub potatoes and rinse it clean. Pat dry with kitchen towel. Cut into small cubes. It’s up to you to peel the skin or it as it is. I prefer it with the skin.
Russet potatoes are best; red potatoes work too.
I cook bacon. Cut into small cubes and cook in a pan until crispy. Reserve bacon fat and use it to cook potatoes instead of butter for added richness and taste. If you don’t want to use bacon fat, use butter.
Transfer diced potatoes into a wide bowl. Add bacon fat season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat uniformly.
Transfer to 8×8 casserole dish. Cover with aluminium foil.
Bake in pre-heated oven at 400°F for 40-50 minutes or until potatoes are cooked tender.
Meanwhile in another bowl mix ranch seasoning, pinch of salt and pepper, sour cream, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese and half the quantity bacon. Mix well.
Note: this recipe is made with dry seasoning mix. Don’t get confused with what you see in photo and video. It is dry seasoning mix mixed in 1 tablespoon of buttermilk. Mixing in buttermilk is not a necessary step use dry mix directly.
Remove casserole dish from oven.
Pour cheese mix over potatoes.
Lightly toss with silicon or wooden spatula to coat potatoes.
Sprinkle remaining 1 cup cheddar cheese on top.
Add remaining bacon.
Heat in oven for 5 – 7 minutes or until cheese is melted hot and bubbly.
Remove crack potatoes from oven.
Garnish with fresh green onions and serve immediately.
Tips to make best crack potatoes
- Original recipe calls for frozen hash browns. It’s easy and quick to make with store bought hash brown. Having said that, this recipe works great with fresh potatoes too. Make sure to dice potatoes evenly so they all cook together.
- Use dry ranch seasoning mix. Bottled stuff won’t taste good for the recipe.
- If you want extra creamy crack potatoes, add ½ cup more sour cream.
- Using real bacon always is best. You can also use bacon fat reserved from cooking your own bacon to cook potatoes.
FAQS
Yes you can easily double the recipe. Bake it in 9×13 casserole dish to accommodate the ingredients.
No, you don’t have to. You can directly use frozen hash browns to cook in the casserole dish.
This recipe is made from fresh potatoes and I can assure you it tastes ridiculously delicious. The combination of ingredients with potatoes are addicting. Using fresh potatoes instead of frozen hash browns does not compromise on taste. You’ll have a few extra prep work to do, but the result is irresistible potatoes!
I won’t recommend it. This recipe is made best with dry seasoning mix. Don’t get confused with what you see in photo and video. It is dry seasoning mix mixed in 1 tablespoon of buttermilk. Mixing in buttermilk is not a necessary step use dry mix directly.
Yes you can make this dish ahead, allow it to cool completely and then store in air tight container or covered tightly (multiple layers) with plastic wrap. Refrigerate up to 3 days.
When ready to serve it, simply it in oven to reheat on low until warmed through.
OTHER POTATO RECIPES:
MORE POTATO RECIPES
- Roasted parmesan potatoes
- Melting potatoes
- Roast potatoes
- Crispy potato rosti
- Smashed sweet potatoes
- Baked potato roses
- Easy potato salad (no cream added)
- Savory mashed sweet potatoes
- Roasted sweet potatoes
- Sweet potato casserole
- Baked potato wedges
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📋 Crack Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 lb potatoes washed and cubed or 30 ounces bag frozen hash browns
- 8 slices bacon cooked until crispy
- 3 tablespoon butter or use bacon fat
- ¼ cup dry ranch dressing mix
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 green onion chopped
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven at 400°F
- Original crack potatoes recipe uses store bought frozen potato hash brown. It’s quick and easy to put together with store bought hash browns. If you can’t get frozen hash browns use fresh potatoes. It works too.
- Fresh potatoes steps – scrub potatoes and rinse it clean. Pat dry with kitchen towel. Cut into small cubes. It’s up to you to peel the skin or it as it is. I prefer it with the skin.Russet potatoes are best; red potatoes work too.
- I cook bacon. Cut into small cubes and cook in a pan until crispy. Reserve bacon fat and use it to cook potatoes instead of butter for added richness and taste. If you don’t want to use bacon fat, use butter.
- Transfer diced potatoes into a wide bowl. Add bacon fat season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat uniformly.
- Transfer to 8×8 casserole dish. Cover with aluminum foil.
- Bake in pre-heated oven at 400°F for 40-50 minutes or until potatoes are cooked tender.
- Meanwhile in another bowl mix ranch seasoning, pinch of salt and pepper, sour cream, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese and half the quantity bacon. Mix well.Note: this recipe is made with dry seasoning mix. Don’t get confused with what you see in photo and video. It is dry seasoning mix mixed in 1 tablespoon of buttermilk. Mixing in buttermilk is not a necessary step use dry mix directly.
- Remove casserole dish from oven.
- Pour cheese mix over potatoes.
- Lightly toss with silicon or wooden spatula to coat potatoes.
- Sprinkle remaining 1 cup cheddar cheese on top and remaining bacon.
- Heat in oven for 5 – 7 minutes or until cheese is melted hot and bubbly.
- Remove crack potatoes from oven.
- Garnish with fresh green onions and serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- Original recipe calls for frozen hash browns. It’s easy and quick to make with store bought hash brown. Having said that, this recipe works great with fresh potatoes too. Make sure to dice potatoes evenly so they all cook together.
- Use dry ranch seasoning mix. Bottled stuff won’t taste good for the recipe.
- If you want extra creamy crack potatoes, add ½ cup more sour cream.
- Using real bacon always is best. You can also use bacon fat reserved from cooking your own bacon to cook potatoes.
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