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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
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
Ingredients
- 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
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
I wasn’t sure about this recipe so I decided to do a trial run ahead of Thanksgiving. Please let me tell you that these are seriously the best mashed potoates I have ever had. They are incredible. They have so much flavor and instead of being an obligatory side dish…I think these will steal the show! They are awesome!!!
Lol thank you so much, Karen:) I am so glad to hear you enjoyed these mashed potatoes!
Have a great Thanksgiving!
Tried this recipe and honestly wasn’t super impressed. It’s very heavy with all the dairy, and the flavors didn’t stand out as much as I expected for the amount of ingredients used. The cornflake topping felt a little out of place, and the dish leaned more “rich for the sake of being rich” than thoughtfully flavorful. Not the worst HBH recipe I’ve made, but it is not something I’d make again.
Hey Sally,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, so very sorry to hear you didn’t love it!
Can this be frozen?
Hi Geraldine,
Yes, I would freeze without the topping and then add that when you are ready to bake.
I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions!
Can I make the casserole one or two days ahead and refrigerate it then add topping and bake it when ready to serve?
Hey Jill,
Here are the make ahead instructions:
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.
Please let me know if you have any other questions!
640 kcal per serving seems like a lot. How would I make this less calorific?
Hi Margo,
This is definitely a special treat to enjoy:) For best results, I would keep the recipe as is. Please let me know if I can help in any other way!
Can I make the casserole a day or 2 ahead and refrigerate it, then add the topping when I’m ready to bake it?
Hey Jill,
You bet! To 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.
This looks amazing! Do you think there is anyway to make it in a crockpot for a Thanksgiving potluck?
Thanks so much, Kelsey!! I have not tested this, but if you want to give it a try I would make the potatoes as directed, then transfer to the crockpot with the toasted crumbs and cheese on top. Save some crumbs for adding after you slow cook. Then slow cook 4 hours on low or 2-3 on high. You might need to play around with the time.
Top with the remaining crumbs.
Let me know how that goes for you!
Why aren’t you doing your video story intros anymore? 🙁 I always looked forward to seeing you!!
Hi Jessica,
It just depends on the day, but I still do them:) Thanks for asking!
What is the purpose of the eggs in the dish? Can I omit?
Hi Sara,
The eggs make the potatoes extra creamy and help the casserole bake up beautifully. I would not omit them:)
Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Cannot wait to make this for Thanksgiving! Do you think I could prep this the night before and bake the day of?
Thanks so much, Sandi!! Of course, here are the make ahead instructions:
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.
Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Whew that’s a lot of dairy for mashed potatoes, any way I can omit some of it?
Hi Carol,
I haven’t tried that, but you could if you wanted to. The recipe is best as written:) Please let me know if I can help in any other way!
This looks so good and great for the holidays! I am curious, what is the egg for? Seems like weird combination with the eggs and potatoes but I totally trust you as your recipes are always amazing!
Thanks so much, Liv! The eggs make the potatoes extra creamy and help the casserole bake up beautifully.
Let me know if you have any other questions!
Sounds delicious. Can you make ahead and bake later?
Hey Martha,
Thanks so much! You bet! To 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.
Please let me know if you have any other questions!
With all the dairy and eggs it is really ok to let sit at room temp for 2hrs? I would be a little scared to do that!
Hi Hailey,
Yes, it’s totally fine:) Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Do you have any pictures of the inside? This sounds very dense.
Hi Lara,
So sorry, I do not. I wouldn’t say that this I dense at all:) Let me know if I can help answer any other questions!
Could this be made in the crockpot?
Hey Kira!
I think that could work. I would make the potatoes as directed, then transfer to the crockpot with the toasted crumbs and cheese on top. Save some crumbs for adding after you slow cook. Then slow cook 4 hours on low or 2-3 on high. You might need to play around with the time.
Top with the remaining crumbs.
Let me know how that goes for you! Thank you! And enjoy!!