• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Salt & Lavender logo
  • Recipes
  • 30 Minute Meals
  • About
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • 30 Minute Meals
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Appetizers & Sides

    Bacon Ranch Mashed Potatoes

    Published: Nov 5, 2019 / Updated: Aug 16, 2021 / 2 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my affiliate disclosure for more details.

    Jump to Recipe

    These restaurant-style bacon ranch mashed potatoes are total comfort food! They're thick, buttery, and have a wonderful tangy hint of buttermilk ranch flavor.  

    closeup of creamy ranch mashed potatoes with melted butter on top

    You know why mashed potatoes in restaurants are so tasty? It's because they're loaded with butter. And cream. Like these mashed potatoes we've got here. They're very decadent... but oh so delicious.

    In my opinion, mashed potatoes are not the place to skimp on butta! These mashed potatoes are not light and airy... they are very creamy. Like you could fling a spoonful at the wall and it would stick. I know that how people like their mashed potatoes is as controversial as pineapple on pizza, so I'm laying it all out before you consider making this recipe. 😛 To me, the perfect mashed potatoes fall somewhere between fluffy and gluey, and the consistency is thicker than a purée. 

    You may also like my Cheddar Bacon Ranch Cream Cheese Chicken or Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta.

    Hidden Valley Ranch mashed potatoes in a serving bowl

    I've wanted to do another mashed potatoes recipe for some time now, and last time I went grocery shopping, I bought some bacon and the potatoes and scallions. I wasn't sure what I was going to make exactly. I thought some form of loaded mashed potatoes. I was thinking about Thanksgiving side dishes. This isn't exactly a traditional one, but it would surely work.

    I also bought some Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning packets that day. It seems like I get amnesia where ranch seasoning is concerned, because I found a stash in my pantry. I hardly ever cook with it, but I never want to be without it, apparently. As I was drifting off to dreamland the other night, I thought that I should make the mashed potatoes with ranch. I've never tried that before, and it had to work, right? I often have really dumb ideas that seem genius at the time, but I am very pleased with how these turned out, I have to say.

    A few recipe notes:

    • I recommend using an old-fashioned hand-held potato masher. Using a stand mixer, food processor, or electric hand mixer can yield mashed potatoes that are too much on the gummy side if you over-mix them. 
    • If you are really concerned with the amount of butter, you could probably use a bit less, but I like going all-out in this recipe! If you just want ranch mashed potatoes, skip the bacon. 
    • I recommend using Yukon Gold (yellow) or Russet potatoes for this recipe. I haven't tried leaving the peels on for this particular recipe, but if you scrub the potatoes well, it should work fine. 

    More potato recipes to try:

    • Easy Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
    • Easy Creamy Crockpot Mashed Potatoes (Make Ahead!)
    • Colcannon (Irish Mashed Potatoes) with Bacon
    • Easy Instant Pot Colcannon Recipe
    • Creamy Dreamy Mashed Potatoes
    • Easy Baked Potato Soup

    ranch bacon mashed potatoes with scallions and butter on top

    Will you give these ranch mashed potatoes a try?

    Questions? Ask me in the comments below. 

    closeup of creamy ranch mashed potatoes with melted butter on top

    Bacon Ranch Mashed Potatoes

    These restaurant-style bacon ranch mashed potatoes are total comfort food! They're thick, buttery, and have a wonderful tangy hint of buttermilk ranch flavor.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved!
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 25 mins
    Total Time 35 mins
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine American
    Servings 6
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients
     

    • 3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes peeled & cut into halves
    • 6 strips bacon cut into small pieces
    • 1/2 cup butter
    • 3/4 cup heavy/whipping cream
    • 1 (1 ounce) packet ranch seasoning (I used Hidden Valley)
    • Scallions, chopped to taste (optional)
    • Salt & pepper to taste

    Instructions
     

    • Peel your potatoes and cut them into halves. Add them to a pot and cover them with water. Boil them over high heat until they're easily pierced with a knife (about 15-20 minutes after they start boiling).
    • Meanwhile, cut the bacon into small pieces (I like using kitchen shears to make this job easier) and fry it until crispy. Remove the bacon to a paper towel lined plate once it's done.
    • When the potatoes are about ready, add the butter, cream, and ranch seasoning to a small saucepan. Warm it over medium heat, stirring occasionally so that the ranch seasoning dissolves completely and there's no lumps.
    • Drain the potatoes thoroughly (I let them sit in a colander in the sink for a few minutes and give them a good shake). This step is important.
    • Once the potatoes have been drained, add them back to the pot (ensure it's dry). Using a hand-held potato masher, mash the potatoes while gradually adding the cream mixture. Mash until they're just creamy; you don't want to overwork them and make them gummy.
    • Gently stir/mash in the bacon and scallions (if using) and season with salt & pepper as needed. The ranch seasoning is fairly salty, but I still add some extra salt & pepper for more flavor.

    Notes

    • I recommend using either Yukon Gold or Russets for this mash. 
    • These mashed potatoes are very creamy and thick - not light and airy.
    • Serves 4-6 depending on how hungry people are.
    • 1/2 cup of butter = 1 stick (4 ounces or 113g). 
    • If you want to make these ahead, I recommend keeping them warm in a Crockpot (on the "keep warm" setting).
    Keyword bacon mashed potatoes, ranch mashed potatoes
    Author Natasha Bull
    « The Best Thanksgiving Turkey Recipes
    The Best Thanksgiving Side Dishes »

    Loved this recipe? Share it:

    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Mellisa says

      August 11, 2020 at 4:38 PM

      5 stars
      This is a great recipe! They were so delicious, easy, and a nice change from regular mashed potatoes. Though I do have to add that I accidentally bought a packet of the Hidden Valley Onion + Chive dip mix, but it was easy to imagine that it would be even better with a ranch packet.
      I will definitely make these again!

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        August 12, 2020 at 8:28 AM

        I'm so happy you enjoyed them!! Thanks for taking the time to write a review! 🙂

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Natasha Bull, founder and author of Salt & Lavender, in the kitchen

    Hi! I'm Natasha. Salt & Lavender is a recipe blog with a focus on delicious comfort food using everyday ingredients. Beat the weekday grind with hundreds of easy-to-follow and hassle-free recipes!  Read more...

    FREE 10 Easy Chicken Recipes E-book

    ​

      ​

      BROWSE RECIPES:

      Footer

      • Contact
      • FAQ
      • Site Policies
      • For Bloggers
      • Facebook
      • Instagram
      • Pinterest
      • Twitter

      · Copyright © 2023 Salt & Lavender Inc ·