Copycat Dickey’s Baked Potato Casserole tastes like a loaded baked potato you can scoop: fluffy russets mashed smooth with butter, tangy sour cream and milk, under smoky bacon bits, melted cheddar and fresh green onion. It copies the side dish from Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, it serves 6, and it is easy to carry to a potluck or set on a holiday table.
How to make it: Bake whole russets at 425°F for 1 hour, then mash the flesh with the butter, sour cream, milk and seasonings. Spread it in a 2-quart dish, add the toppings and bake at 350°F for about 15 minutes.
Why You’ll Love It
- Loaded baked potato flavor: bacon, cheddar and green onion over a creamy, tangy mash.
- Short shopping list: potatoes, butter, sour cream, milk, bacon bits, cheddar and green onion.
- Make-ahead friendly: assemble it and freeze it unbaked, then bake it on the day you need it.
- Made for sharing: you can reheat it for dinner or take it to a potluck or holiday meal.
Ingredient Notes
Russet potatoes: 4 large ones, or about 7 small or medium. Scrub them well. They bake in their skins, and the skins go in the trash after you scoop out the flesh.
Butter, sour cream and milk: 1/4 cup of butter adds richness and helps the mash turn creamy. 1/2 cup of sour cream brings the tang, and 1/2 cup of milk loosens the mash without making the casserole heavy.
Salt and pepper: 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper. The pepper adds a little warmth in the background.
Real bacon bits: 1/3 cup, divided. About 1 tablespoon goes into the mash and the rest goes on top, so you get a smoky, salty crunch in the middle and on the surface.
Cheddar and green onion: 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar melts over the top with a sharp, tangy flavor. 1/4 cup of sliced green onion tops adds a fresh, mild onion flavor and a bright bit of color.
The dish: A 2-quart casserole dish sprayed with cooking spray. An 8×8 baking dish works too.
Ingredients
- 4 large russet potatoes, scrubbed (about 7 small or medium)
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup real bacon bits, divided
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1/4 cup green onion tops, sliced
How to Make Dickey’s Baked Potato Casserole
1. Bake the potatoes. Heat the oven to 425°F. Scrub the potatoes clean and bake them for 1 hour.
2. Scoop the potatoes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, scoop the white flesh into a bowl and discard the skins.
3. Mash. Mash the potatoes with an electric mixer until smooth, with no lumps left.
4. Mix in the rest. Add the butter, sour cream and milk and mix to combine. Add the salt, pepper and about 1 tablespoon of the bacon bits and stir to combine.
5. Fill the dish. Spray a 2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray. Spoon in the potato mixture and spread it evenly.
6. Add the toppings. Sprinkle the remaining bacon bits, the cheddar and the green onion tops over the potatoes.
7. Bake. Bake at 350°F for about 15 minutes, until the cheese begins to melt and the center reaches 165°F on a food thermometer.
Baked, Boiled or Instant Pot: Cooking the Potatoes
Baking the russets whole is what gives this casserole its baked potato taste, and it makes a fluffy mash that holds up in the dish. Give them the full hour in the oven. Don’t rush them in the microwave: oven-baked potatoes develop better flavor and texture.
When you don’t have the hour, boil the potatoes or cook them in an Instant Pot instead. The mash, the toppings and the final bake stay exactly as written.
| Method | What to do | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Oven-baked | Scrub, bake whole, scoop out the flesh and discard the skins | 1 hour at 425°F |
| Boiled | Peel and chop, boil in a large pot of water, then drain | Until fork-tender |
| Instant Pot | Peel, cut into 1-inch cubes, set them in a steamer basket over 1 1/2 cups of water, then move the valve to venting | 8 minutes on pressure cook |
For boiled potatoes, cook the chunks until they are fork-tender, drain them and go straight to the mash.
For the Instant Pot, lift out the steamer basket, pour off the water and tip the potatoes into the empty pot. You can mash them right there, then spoon the mixture into the 2-quart dish, add the toppings and finish it in the oven as in step 7.
Whichever way you cook them, mash until completely smooth before the butter and dairy go in. Any lumps you leave now are still noticeable in the finished casserole.
Tips for Success
Why is the cheese melted but the middle still cool?
Give it more time. Leave the dish in the oven, uncovered, for up to 20 minutes and go by the thermometer reading in step 7, not the look of the top.
Why does my potato casserole taste flat?
Check the salt. The full teaspoon brings out the other flavors and balances the richness of the butter and sour cream, so don’t cut it back. Taste the mash before it goes into the dish.
How do I get cheese in every bite?
Stir a little of the shredded cheddar into the potato mixture before you add the toppings. You get cheese flavor all the way through the casserole, not only on top.
Variations
- Garlic and onion: stir 1 teaspoon each of garlic powder and onion powder into the mash along with the salt and pepper.
- Extra cheesy: top the casserole with 1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar instead of 1/2 cup.
Storage & Reheating
USDA FSIS says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers and eat them within 3 to 4 days, or freeze them for 3 to 4 months. Reheat covered in a 350°F oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or microwave single portions for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring halfway, until the center reaches 165°F. Stir in a splash of milk if it looks dry. Don’t reheat it in a slow cooker; heat it first, and then a slow cooker can hold it at 140°F or warmer on a buffet.
What to Serve With It
This is a barbecue side, so put it next to something smoky and saucy. It goes with slow cooker root beer BBQ pork ribs, a slow cooker onion beef brisket or baked barbecue chicken thighs with onions. Add something green, like Texas Roadhouse copycat green beans. For another restaurant-style potato side, make the copycat Cracker Barrel hashbrown casserole, or get the same loaded flavors hands-off with a slow cooker loaded potato bake.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this the official Dickey’s recipe or a copycat?
It is a copycat. It is made at home to taste like the baked potato casserole side at Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, from baked russets, butter, sour cream, milk, bacon bits, cheddar and green onion.
What is the best potato for a baked potato casserole?
Russet potatoes. They are high in starch, which gives the mash its fluffy texture.
Can I make baked potato casserole ahead or freeze it?
Yes. Freeze the assembled, unbaked casserole for up to 2 months, then thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before baking. Because it goes into the oven chilled, add 5 to 10 minutes to the baking time.
Can I use real bacon instead of bacon bits?
Yes. Cook and chop 4 slices of bacon and sprinkle them over the potatoes with the cheddar and green onion.
Final Notes
Serve it hot from the oven while the cheddar is still soft and melted. If you have a question or make this, tell me how it turned out in the comments.
Copycat Dickey's Baked Potato Casserole
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Ingredients
- 4 large russet potatoes scrubbed (about 7 small or medium)
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup real bacon bits divided
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese shredded
- 1/4 cup green onion tops sliced
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 425°F. Scrub the potatoes clean and bake them for 1 hour.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, scoop the white flesh into a bowl and discard the skins.
- Mash the potatoes with an electric mixer until smooth, with no lumps left.
- Add the butter, sour cream and milk and mix to combine. Add the salt, pepper and about 1 tablespoon of the bacon bits and stir to combine.
- Spray a 2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray. Spoon in the potato mixture and spread it evenly.
- Sprinkle the remaining bacon bits, the cheddar and the green onion tops over the potatoes.
- Bake at 350°F for about 15 minutes, until the cheese begins to melt and the center reaches 165°F on a food thermometer.
