Loaded Mashed Potato Cups

Loaded Mashed Potato Cups 

Loaded mashed potato cups are an easy side dish that will quickly become a crowd-pleaser in your household. 

I’ve made these a couple of times now and they are not only delicious, they are just fun. If you like a twice baked potato, you will love these loaded mashed potato cups! 

These delicious little cups of happiness are a great way to use up leftover mashed potatoes, if needed, and repurpose them into something completely different. Or they can be made fresh, and then frozen for later. 

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Have you made these loaded mashed potato cups yourself yet? If not, come on in and let me show you how! It is so fun and easy to do.

Loaded Mashed Potato Cups Ingredients 

Potatoes, 4 medium sized yukon gold, cooked and mashed 

Bacon, peppered, diced, and cooked, 5 slices 

Cheddar cheese, ½ cup

Chived, fresh, diced, 1 tablespoon 

Parmesan cheese, 1 tablespoon 

Butter, to taste

Heavy cream, to taste

Loaded Mashed Potato Cups Directions 

If you’re using leftover mashed potatoes, skip this step… I always start with the potatoes. You can use any kind of potato, but yukon gold is my go-to for mashing because they will give me the lightest and fluffiest texture when mashed. To aid in that light and fluffy texture, I put mine through a ricer then slowly add in the butter and cream until I have the texture and consistency I want. 

Once the potatoes are ready, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 

Add in the bacon, chives, cheese, and any additional ingredients you choose into the mashed potatoes and mix well. See optional additions below. 

Pack the potato mixture evenly into a muffin tin and brush the top lightly with butter and then top with cheddar cheese. 

Bake for 30 minutes until the tops are golden brown and crispy. At the end, I place mine under the broiler for about 5 minutes, to really crisp up the cheddar cheese. 

Let them sit and cool completely before removing from the muffin tin, and then enjoy! 

You can serve these on their own or top with some sour cream or salsa for an added texture and kick. 

Recipe Notes & Substitutions 

As I said earlier, you can use any kind of potato of your choice. There is really no right or wrong way to make this. That’s half the fun! 

If you don’t have heavy cream, you can use sour cream or cream cheese. 

You can also add in veggies to this for taste, nutritional additions, or if you’re looking to stretch the recipe to feed a larger group. It is easy to add finely chopped broccoli, shredded zucchini, green onions, or sauteed mushrooms. 

If you don’t like a lot of pepper, choose regular bacon instead of peppered bacon. 

Also in regards to spices, watch adding salt into this. I salted the water I boiled the potatoes in, but chose not to add any additional salt once the potatoes were mashed because the bacon and parmesan cheese had plenty in them, and it is easy to become too salty. Taste as you go and add more if desired. 

If your batch comes out soft and mushy (my first batch did), cut back on the cream and butter so you have a slightly more dense and dry mashed potato. It took me a couple of tries to get the consistency I wanted because I love super creamy mashed potatoes. 

Why I Love This Recipe 

This recipe really reminds me of a twice baked potato, but is easier for me to make. I love the cheddar cheese on the top because it is an added texture element when it becomes crispy. 

These loaded mashed potato cups are super easy to make as I’m putting together the other parts of a meal. Last night I made these to accompany beer can chicken and oven roasted carrots. 

They are portable! Because they are portable, it would be perfect for any kind of gathering or potluck type functions. Just grab and go. I would use traditional muffin wrappers for that, just in case they may fall apart during transportation. This is also where I would add in more veggies to stretch the recipe a bit. But it is perfect for this kind of thing. 

Freeze For Later! 

These loaded mashed potato cups can easily be frozen for up to six months. Place them in the refrigerator overnight after you’ve made them to make sure they are completely cooled. Place the muffin tin in the freezer and freeze until they are solid. Once they are, remove them from the muffin tin and put them in a freezer bag, then label it with the date. 

To thaw, put them in the refrigerator and then reheat in the oven until warmed all the way through. I love having these in the freezer for an easy pre-made side dish that I don’t have to cook. It is perfect for busy nights when I need a simple dinner. I purposefully doubled the recipe when I made these last time just so I could put some in the freezer for later. 

Discussion 

Have you ever made these loaded mashed potato cups? Are you a fan? Let me know your thoughts in the comments! 

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