A Smart Shortcut Makes Mississippi Mud Potatoes Even Easier To Whip Up

If you find funeral potatoes too grim and a hash brown casserole too boring, it's time to bring a little Mississippi Mud into your kitchen. Mississippi Mud Pie, the dessert, is a rich and decadent chocolate treat, but Mississippi Mud Potatoes are entirely different, so don't let the name confuse you. This casserole is loaded with cheese, bacon, and green onions. Think of it more like an exploded loaded baked potato. And it's easier to make than you think if you use a bag of frozen hash brown potatoes to start it off.

If you've never heard of it before, Mississippi Mud Potatoes are usually an easy, one-pan casserole that uses diced or chopped potatoes as a base. Any kind of potatoes work, and mini potatoes cut in half or in quarters are especially convenient. But we all know that washing potatoes and then peeling them can be a real hassle. If you're doing a one-dish casserole, sometimes you just want it out of the way quickly and easily.

Using a bag of frozen, pre-diced potatoes drops the prep time considerably and frees you up to focus on flavor. Skipping all the washing and dicing gives you more time to customize the toppings, which is one of the most fun parts of making Mississippi Mud Potatoes.

The traditional recipe for Mississippi Mud Potatoes calls for a basic sauce made mostly of mayonnaise, minced onion, garlic, salt, and pepper. The potatoes are mixed with the sauce, cheese, and bacon, and the entire casserole is baked for about 90 minutes. The recipe allows a lot of wiggle room in how you put this all together.

For those who don't like mayonnaise, sour cream or Greek yogurt are excellent substitutes. You could also go retro and use a can of condensed cream-of-mushroom or cream-of-chicken soup if you prefer that classic flavor. Cheese soup works just as well, or cream cheese can create a thicker, creamier casserole. For a lighter option, milk or even chicken broth can be used.

The choice of cheese is also very flexible. The traditional option is a sharp cheddar, but mozzarella can provide a satisfying cheese pull, ricotta can reduce fat, and pepper jack adds a little bite.

As for toppings, you can treat the casserole like a baked potato with a spoonful of sour cream, some diced green onion, and extra bacon bits as traditional options. You can also get creative with additions such as grilled chicken, pulled pork, pickled jalapeños, or baked beans. The time you save by swapping in that bag of frozen hash brown potatoes gives you more opportunity to prepare a variety of toppings.