These cheesy bacon ranch potatoes are one of my favorite easy potato side dishes, and once you try them you’ll realize what you’ve been missing. Chunks of potato are baked until fork-tender then mixed with an irresistible combination of sour cream, cheese, and crispy bacon - it’s as delicious as it sounds!
I love serving this alongside meaty main dishes like fried chicken or country-style pork ribs.
Jump to:
Change it up from the usual mashed potatoes and try these totally tasty cheesy bacon ranch potatoes instead. The melty cheese and crispy bacon are welcome additions to tender chunks of potato in this easy-to-make side dish.
Round it out with a little ranch seasoning and you have a new family favorite.
These potatoes are my guilty pleasure and kids love them, too! I am a huge fan of anything with ranch, so if you’re like me this recipe is for you. Baking the potatoes in the oven for an hour makes them melt-in-your-mouth tender.
Once you add in the sour cream, cheese, and bacon mixture it becomes downright addicting.
They may take an hour to bake in the oven, but the prep time is only 5 minutes! I promise the wait is well worth it.
❤️ Why I Love This Recipe
- Minimal prep time. It only takes 5 minutes to get this tasty potato side dish ready to bake, so it’s perfect for busy weeknight dinners.
- Indulgent. It checks all the boxes: cheesy, creamy, salty, and completely satisfying.
- Customizable. Add some extra protein to make it a meal, make it spicy with some hot sauce, or try different cheeses, the possibilities are limitless.
🥘 Ingredients
You might have to raid the dairy aisle of the grocery store, but most of these ingredients are household staples. Good quality bacon makes it really special.
- 3 pounds Russet Potatoes - To prepare these, wash and cube them. Peeling is optional.
- 4 tablespoons Olive Oil - Extra virgin olive oil helps the spices cling to the potatoes through the cooking process.
- ½ tablespoon Dried, Minced Onion - You can also use ½ cup finely diced white or yellow onion in place of dried.
- ½ teaspoon each, Salt & Pepper - To taste.
- 6 slices Bacon - I love a thick cut, crispy peppered bacon crumbled or chopped up.
- ⅔ cup Sour Cream - Greek yogurt or mayonnaise can also be used as a substitute for the creamy base to your ranch mix.
- 4 ounces Cream Cheese - Pull this out to soften at room temperature while you cook the bacon.
- 1 ½ cup Cheddar Cheese - I prefer a sharp cheddar. Freshly grated is preferred because pre-shredded packages have preservatives that prevent it from melting properly.
- 1 package Ranch Dressing Mix- Any brand will work just fine.
- 2 teaspoons Dried Parsley (optional) - Parsley makes a beautiful garnish!
Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!
📖 Substitutions & Additions
As always, the written recipe is one that I thoroughly enjoy. If, however, you’d like to change things up now and then, there are a few easy places to make substitutions.
- Cheese - Cheddar could easily be swapped for a pepper jack, feta, smoked gouda, or another of your favorite cheeses.
- Gourmet salt - Truffle or smoked salt could replace the table salt for a hint of something special.
- Ranch - Hidden Valley Ranch offers additional flavors to the classic, well-loved traditional ranch dressing flavor. Try their buttermilk or spicy ranch packets instead!
- Hot sauce- If you like a little kick, drizzle it with some Frank’s Red Hot or your favorite hot sauce!
- Make it a meal- These potatoes are so frequently requested at my house, we often make a meal out of them by adding some diced grilled chicken!
🔪 How To Make Cheesy Bacon Ranch Potatoes
For this recipe, you’ll need a 9x13-inch baking dish, a silicone spatula set, and a grater. I don't usually peel my potatoes, but if you like your potatoes peeled that’s fine too.
- Preheat. Set the temperature to 400℉ (205℃). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish, or line it with aluminum foil.
- Prep the potatoes. Transfer 3 pounds of cubed russet potatoes to a baking dish. Peeling is optional. Pour 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil over the top and sprinkle with ½ tablespoon dried minced onion and ½ teaspoon of both salt and pepper. You can add more or less depending on your taste. Toss until everything is coated and evenly distributed. Then, cover the dish with aluminum foil.
- Roast until tender. Move the potatoes to the oven and bake for 30 minutes. At that point, remove the foil and cook for another 25 to 30 minutes. The potatoes should be fork-tender. Add or reduce cooking time as needed.
- Crisp the bacon. While the potatoes are in the oven, fry 6 slices of bacon in a large skillet or a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. When finished cooking, let them cool slightly before chopping or crumbling them up. Put them aside for later.
- Mix the creamy ranch filling. Add ⅔ cup sour cream (or Greek yogurt or mayo), 4 ounces softened cream cheese, 1 ½ cup grated cheddar cheese (or alternative), crumbled bacon, ranch mix, and 2 teaspoons dried parsley (optional) in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Combine well.
Assemble & Bake
- Toss it all together. Scrape the stuffing mixture into the baking dish and carefully stir everything together until it’s all evenly distributed. Return the dish to the oven uncovered, and bake for another 5-10 minutes.
- Remove and cool. Make sure you give it a few minutes to cool before serving. Hot cheese can ruin a meal as easily as it can make one better!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- To get a delightful crispy exterior on your potatoes, roast them uncovered on a baking sheet for 55 minutes to an hour. They should be tender. Then, put them in a 9x13-inch baking dish, combine with the cheesy stuffing, and follow the rest of the recipe as written. You might make an extra dish to wash, but I think you’ll love the texture.
- For cheesy potatoes that are ultra-deluxe, extra creamy use a drizzle of heavy cream at a time until you reach your perfect consistency.
- Make these cheesy bacon ranch potatoes ahead of time! Once cooled, simply cover the baking dish tightly with the lid or plastic wrap, then refrigerate. When ready to serve, reheat them in the oven at 350°F (175°C)for 20 minutes, or until heated through.
🥡 Storing
Cover the baking dish with foil or transfer leftovers into an airtight container. They will be good in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
Freezing
While potatoes freeze well, the sour cream mixture will not. Because of this, I do not recommend freezing this dish once it is prepared.
You can, however, bake the potatoes ahead of time and freeze them for later use. They'll freeze well for up to 3-4 months but can be used up to 6 months after being initially frozen.
Simply thaw them in the fridge overnight, then pick up at step 4 in the recipe. Bake the dish until the potatoes are heated through (usually about 20 minutes rather than the 5-10 minutes stated in the recipe).
Reheating
Thaw out frozen leftovers overnight. Then, transfer to a baking dish and cook covered in foil at 350℉ (175℃) for 15 to 20 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
>>>See All Of My Tasty Recipes Here!<<<
❓ Recipe FAQs
Part of what makes this recipe so flavorful is the roasting process, so I wouldn’t recommend it. While I haven’t tried it, in a pinch, you would likely be able to partially cook the cubed and seasoned potatoes in the microwave. Then, add the creamy filling and roast for the allotted amount of time. You wouldn’t be able to get crispy potatoes, but it would shave off a bit of cooking time.
Funeral potatoes are one name for a commonly seen casserole in the Midwest and surrounding areas of the United States. It’s a potato-based dish traditionally made with hash browns, cheese, and a crispy panko or cornflake topping. It shares some ingredients with cheesy bacon ranch potatoes, like sour cream and cheddar cheese. But that’s where the similarities end.
🥔 More Potato Dishes
- Potatoes O'Brien
- Fondant Potatoes
- Parmesan Roasted Mashed Potatoes
- Yukon Gold Gruyere Swiss Cheese Smashed Potatoes
- The Best Twice Baked Potatoes
Do you love a recipe you tried? Please leave a 5-star 🌟rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page.
Stay in touch with me through social media @ Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter! Subscribe to the newsletter today (no spam, I promise)! Don't forget to tag me when you try one of my recipes!
📖 Recipe Card
Cheesy Bacon Ranch Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3 lbs russet potatoes (washed and cubed - peeling optional)
- 4 tablespoon olive oil (extra virgin)
- ½ tablespoon dried minced onion (or ½ cup finely diced white or yellow onion)
- ½ teaspoon each, salt & pepper (to taste)
- 6 slices bacon (crisped and crumbled or chopped)
- ⅔ cup sour cream (or Greek yogurt or mayo)
- 4 oz cream cheese (softened, at room temperature)
- 1 ½ cup cheddar cheese (grated, or use colby-jack or a combo with monterey jack or mozzarella)
- 1 package ranch dressing mix
- 2 teaspoon dried parsley (optional garnish)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (205°C) and grease or line a your 9x13 baking dish with aluminum foil.
- Place the cubed potatoes onto your prepared baking pan and drizzle with olive oil. Add the dried minced onion, salt, and pepper then toss to coat with oil. Cover with a sheet of aluminum foil.
- Roast the potatoes at 400°F (205°C) for 30 minutes covered, then remove the aluminum foil and continue roasting your cubed potatoes for 25-30 minutes more or until the potatoes are fork tender.
- Crisp your bacon in a large skillet or non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat, set aside to drain when done then chop or crumble.
- In a medium-size mixing bowl combine the sour cream (or Greek yogurt, or mayo) with softened cream cheese, grated cheddar cheese, crumbled bacon, ranch mix, and parsley.
- Combine the tender, roasted potatoes with the cheese mixture until evenly distributed then leave uncovered and return to your oven. Bake for an additional 5-10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven when done and allow to cool for about 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- For crispier roasted potatoes, arrange your potatoes on a baking sheet and roast them for 55 minutes to an hour uncovered (or until tender). Then, transfer into a 9x13 and combine with cheesy goodness to finish as instructed above.
lazyme says
These were simple and good. I reduced the recipe to 2 servings just for me and it worked pretty well. Can't wait to make these for the family. Thanks for sharing.
DChristensen says
I am a type 1 diabetic so I was very grateful you provided the nutritional information including the carbs. I did not see a portion size unless I missed it. Holidays are hard sometimes because we want to eat what everyone else is having but need information so we can figure out our insulin dosage.
Love your ideas and recipes. D