Cheesy Mashed Potato Casserole.

The ultimate holiday side dish. These creamy, cheesy potatoes are made with buttery Yukon Golds, mashed with cream cheese, yogurt, simple seasonings, and melty Monterey Jack. They’re not fancy—but they’re absolutely delicious. Finished with crispy garlic crumbs and a topping of Gruyère, this vintage-style casserole is simple, cozy, and always a crowd favorite. My most comforting potato casserole yet!

Potatoes are hands-down my family’s favorite Thanksgiving side dish. Mashed or baked, they have to be on the table or my brothers (and my dad!) would protest. We’re a Midwest family through and through—potatoes are in our DNA.

And honestly, I think a lot of you can relate. No matter where you’re from, a really good potato dish always steals the show!

This casserole might be my favorite version yet—and it’s definitely the easiest. I’ve been loving recipes that feel nostalgic, like something our grandmothers might have made, but with a few small updates. This one has all the cozy, old-fashioned flavor without any canned soup.

I didn’t hold back on the butter or cheese, though!

This recipe is actually a twist on my mom’s famous cheesy potatoes. She used to make them for every holiday, and she’s still known for them—along with her cookies, K-bars, and pies. I tested this one over and over to get it just right, and I think it’s exactly what we all need this Thanksgiving.

These are the Details

Ingredients

• Yukon Gold potatoes
• sea salt
• salted butter
• cream cheese
• sour cream or plain Greek yogurt – or use a mix
• onion and garlic powder
• fresh thyme – using dried thyme is great too
• smoked paprika
• cayenne pepper
• whole milk
• eggs
• Monterey jack cheese

For the Topping 

• panko
• crushed corn flakes – or additional panko
• garlic powder
• Gruyère cheese 

Kitchen Tools

For this casserole, you need a Dutch oven or large pot. A hand mixer or potato masher, and a skillet.

The Steps

Step 1: Boil the Potatoes

Peel and cube the potatoes, then drop them into a large Dutch oven. Cover with water and add a generous handful of salt.
Boil until the potatoes are fork-tender, then drain. Add the hot potatoes right back into the warm pot to let the steam escape—this keeps them fluffy!

Step 2: Mash the Potatoes

To the warm potatoes, add the butter, cream cheese, and sour cream or yogurt. Mix in the onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, paprika, cayenne, salt, pepper, and the Monterey Jack cheese.
You can use a hand mixer if you prefer, but I like to mash by hand with a potato masher. Just be careful not to overmix—too much mashing can make the potatoes gummy instead of creamy!

Step 3: Add the Milk and Eggs

Once the potatoes have cooled slightly, mix in the milk and eggs. The eggs make the potatoes extra creamy and help the casserole bake up beautifully. Don’t skip them!

Step 4: Make the Crumb Topping

Melt and brown the butter until golden and nutty, then toss it with panko and crushed cornflakes. Season with garlic powder, then sprinkle the crumbs evenly over the mashed potatoes. Finish with a handful of shredded Gruyère on top.

Bake and Serve

Bake until the top is golden and the casserole is bubbling around the edges. Sprinkle with fresh thyme or parsley before serving, and a pinch of flaky sea salt if you’d like that extra savory touch.

Make Ahead

Assemble the casserole fully and refrigerate (covered) until ready to bake. Remove it from the fridge about 2 hours before baking. Bake the day you plan to serve, or bake ahead, cool completely, and reheat covered until hot—uncover at the end to crisp the topping.
You can bake anywhere between 325° and 400°—it’s not fussy! Just bake until warm and delicious.

Looking for other easy Thanksgiving sides?? Here are my favorites: 

Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes with Caramelized Onions

Make Ahead Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Crispy Parmesan Thyme Sweet Potato Stacks

Crispy Cheesy Potato Stacks

Sweet Potato Casserole with Sweet ‘n’ Savory Bacon Pecans

Lastly, if you make this Cheesy Mashed Potato Casserole, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love hearing from you guys and always do my best to respond to every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!

Mashed Potato Casserole

4.59 from 12 votes

8

by Tieghan Gerard

calories 640kcal

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Prep30 minutes mins

Cook45 minutes mins

Total1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Creamy, cheesy, buttery perfection! This make-ahead mashed potato casserole is the ultimate comforting side, perfect for the holidays!

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Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 4 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
• ▢ 4 tablespoons salted butter
• ▢ 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• ▢ 1/2 cup sour cream or plain greek yogurt
• ▢ 1 tablespoon onion powder
• ▢ 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• ▢ 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• ▢ 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ▢ 1-2 cup grated Monterey jack cheese
• ▢ sea salt and pepper
• ▢ 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• ▢ 2 eggs, beaten

The Topping

• ▢ 6 tablespoons salted butter
• ▢ 2/3 cup Panko bread crumbs
• ▢ 2/3 cup crushed corn flakes
• ▢ 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• ▢ 2/3 cup grated Gruyère

Instructions 

• 1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter a 9x13-inch casserole dish.

  2. In a Dutch oven, cover the potatoes with water and boil over high heat until tender, 10-15 minutes. Drain and add them back into the hot pot. Using a hand mixer or potato masher, mash the hot potatoes with the butter, cream cheese, sour cream, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, paprika, cayenne, Monterey jack, salt, and pepper. Gradually mix in the milk and eggs, don't over-mix.

  3. Scrape the potatoes into the buttered casserole dish.

  4. Make the topping. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat until it begins to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in panko, corn flakes, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle over the potatoes. Top with grated Gruyère.

  5. Bake until golden and crisp, 30 to 40 minutes. Top with parsley or thyme. Serve them up and enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 640kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

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