Mashed Potato Casserole

It seems like the last few entries have been all about sweets. So for a change of pace I'd like to share what I cooked for dinner the last night. Since I'm home for the summer, I've decided to expand my cooking skills and help my mom out at the same time. Included in dinner last night was mashed potato casserole, which I got from The Girl Who Ate Everything. Here's her recipe:

5 1/2 cups mashed potatoes (around 6-7 large baking potatoes)

1/2 cup milk
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
8 slices bacon crispy cooked and crumbled

Preheat oven 350 degrees.

Peel, quarter, and boil potatoes for 15-20 minutes or until soft. 

Drain potatoes and and beat with a mixer until smooth. Add milk, cream cheese, sour cream, parsley, garlic salt, and nutmeg. 

Beat at a medium-high speed until nice and creamy. Add salt to taste keeping in mind that the cheese and bacon will add a little salt later.

Spoon into a 9x13 baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Top with cheddar cheese and bacon. 

Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until cheese melts.
Serves 12 people.

I halved this recipe to feed my family of 4, and had a little bit left over. So the serving size is pretty accurate. I also used pre-cooked bacon for simplicity's sake instead of cooking bacon. I then kept the bacon in strips and laid it across my potatoes instead of crumbling it. Next time I'm going to crumble it instead. My family really liked this recipe. The potatoes turned out really creamy, and the cheese was perfectly melted. If you have trouble with the cheese not melting, put it under your broiler. But be sure and watch to make sure that it doesn't burn!