Crack Potatoes

  

The finest crack potatoes you'll ever cook are loaded ones. This dish works well for a large gathering. This easy-to-make, bacon-loaded side dish is creamy, cheesy, and ranch-style. Prepare this cozy dish with homemade fresh potatoes or hash browns.

 

2 lb potatoes washed and cubed or 30 ounces bag frozen hash browns

8 slices bacon, cooked until crispy.

3 tablespoons butter

¼ cup dry ranch dressing mix

¼ cup sour cream

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

1 green onion, green part chopped

 

Set the oven to 400°F.

For this dish, frozen potato hash browns are typically used. With store-bought hash browns, everything comes together quickly and effortlessly. Use fresh potatoes instead of frozen hash browns if available. It also functions.

After scrubbing, thoroughly rinse potatoes. Using a kitchen towel, pat dry. Chop into tiny cubes. Peeling the skin off or leaving it as is is up to you. It's better with the skin on it. Red potatoes can also be used; russet potatoes are the finest.

Chop bacon into tiny bits and fry in a skillet until golden brown. To give potatoes more flavor and richness, save the bacon grease and boil them in it rather than using butter. Use butter instead of bacon grease if you'd like.

Place the chopped potatoes in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper and add the bacon grease. Toss evenly to coat.

Move to a casserole dish that is 8 by 8. Wrap with aluminum foil. Bake potatoes for forty to fifty minutes, till they are cooked through, at 400°F in a preheated oven. In the meantime, combine half the amount of bacon, ranch dressing, sour cream, a little amount of salt and pepper, and one cup of shredded cheddar cheese in another bowl. Blend well.

 You may use the dry mix of ranch seasoning straight; there's no need to combine it with buttermilk.

From the oven, remove the casserole dish. Cover potatoes with cheese mixture. Toss the potatoes gently to coat them with a silicon or wooden spatula.

Top with the leftover bacon and the remaining cup of cheddar cheese. Bake for five to seven minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling and melted.

Take it out of the oven. Add some fresh green onions as a garnish, then serve right away.