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.
Servings: 6
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).