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You know how certain foods bring to mind certain memories?  This Twice Baked Potato Casserole recipe definitely makes me think of my oldest son.  This is quite possibly his all-time favorite dish.  I first made this Twice Baked Potato Casserole a few years ago, when Michael was in high school.  I served it as a side dish, but you would have thought it was the main course.  He loved it and even now, when he comes home to visit, it’s his most requested dish.

This Twice Baked Potato Casserole is like eating a flavorful twice baked potato without the skin.  It’s loaded with creamy cheese and crisp chunks of bacon all blended together and then topped with an additional layer of cheese.  It’s a perfect dish to bring to a pot luck or to serve at your family dinner.

INGREDIENTS

8 medium gold potatoes – quartered and unpeeled

2 cups heavy cream

2 1/2 cups milk

4 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon freshly chopped rosemary

1 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 pound of sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded

3 eggs, lightly beaten

2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Scrub potatoes.  Place the potatoes, cream, milk, garlic and rosemary into a large saucepan and gently boil for 15 minutes until the potatoes are just tender.  Remove from the heat.  Use either an immersion blender or a potato masher to mash the potatoes in the pot with all the liquid.

Crumble the cooked bacon and add to the potatoes in the pot.  Add in the cheese, reserving 1 cup.  Add the eggs, salt and pepper and mix well.

Butter a 9 x 13 baking dish and pour the potato mixture into it.  Cover with the remaining cup of cheese. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until heated through and the cheese on the top is melted and lightly golden.