This recipe should have a new name. Something like “lots and lots of fat with some potatoes mixed in.”

I’m not saying it’s not good. Everyone knows fat is delicious.

I’m just saying if you’re at all watching your diet, you might want to steer clear of this one. But hey, it’s the holidays, right? It’s OK to splurge a little.

This is a great alternative to the usual mashed potato. Especially for those, like me, who love a twice baked potato but can never quite keep the skins intact enough to make a nice looking dish rather than a russet that looks like it lost a knife fight. Badly.

It also works well as a potluck dish. We went to my mother-in-law’s church’s Thanksgiving celebration Sunday night and I came home with an empty 9×13. (Even better – it was actually the 9×13 I brought, lid and all.)

One recommendation: try to find the largest potatoes you can. The 10-pound bag I bought was full of small potatoes, so I cooked 20 instead of the 10 large the recipe called for. That was a real pain when it came time to scoop the flesh out of the skins.

Even after cutting down the mild cheddar by about a 1/4 pound (I won’t admit that it was because for some reason I thought the 8 oz block was all I needed for 3/4 of a pound), the casserole was still cheesy enough. And I love cheese.

Recipe: Twice Baked Potato Casserole

Adapted from a recipe by Emeril Lagasse

• 10 large russet baking potatoes (about 7 pounds total)
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 pound bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled
• 1/2 pound sharp white Cheddar, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 3/4 pound mild Cheddar, grated (3 cups)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped green onions
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Scrub the potatoes well and rinse under cool running water. Pat dry with paper towels and prick the potatoes in several places with a fork. Place the potatoes in the oven and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until tender. Remove from the oven and set aside on a wire rack until cool enough to handle.

3. When the potatoes have cooled, cut each potato in half and, using a spoon or a melon baller, scoop the flesh out of the skins, leaving as little flesh as possible. Place the potato flesh in a large bowl and add 1 stick of the butter, the sour cream, heavy cream, salt, and pepper and mash until chunky-smooth. Add the bacon, cubed white Cheddar, half of the grated Cheddar, the green onions, and eggs and mix thoroughly.

4. Butter a 9 by 13-inch casserole with the remaining tablespoon of butter and reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees

5. Place the seasoned potato mixture in the prepared casserole and top with the remaining grated Cheddar. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until bubbly around the edges and heated through and the cheese on top is melted and lightly golden. Serve hot.

More tasty recipes

1. Potato, cauliflower and cambozola cheese gratin
2. Roasted garlic and sage mashed potatoes
3. Grilled sweet potato salad with jicama and blue cheese and chipotle-lime dressing