Cheese, potatoes and ranch, oh my!

I know there are lots of recipes for cheese and potato baked casseroles out there, but this one is just a bit different – a secret ingredient discovered through serendipity!

I was making a small batch at home one day and didn’t have any plain sour cream to add to the mixture. The only thing I could find in the fridge was a container of Ranch Dip and I thought, well, let’s try it out. To say it was a hit is an understatement. Everyone who tries it falls instantly in love with these cheesy potatoes. The “mystery” ingredient (whether you use sour cream ranch dip or a powdered ranch seasoning) takes the flavor to the next level, and makes these potatoes irresistible.

I used to own a catering company and later added a café and gourmet-to-go. This recipe was so loved that we made it one of our signature catering menu items. Eventually, we made these potatoes specifically to add them to a commercial, powdered, cream soup base to make our cheesy potato soup, which we served daily in our café. It became the most popular soup we ever made.

I hope you love this recipe as much as I do - it has brought years of smiles and full bellies at many of our parties and holiday celebrations. May this recipe become a stand-out favorite for you and your family too!

Cheesy Ranch Potato Bake

Yield:

• Approximately 18 cups or 9 pints

Prep Time:

• 20 minutes

Cook Time:

• 45 minutes

Total Time:

• 1 hour and 5 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup (10 ounces each)

• 4 cups sour cream

• 4 tablespoons dry powdered Ranch seasoning mix

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

• 4 pounds frozen diced potatoes (thawed)

Directions:

Thaw frozen potatoes and set aside.

Mix the condensed cream of chicken soup, sour cream, Ranch powder, salt and pepper together in a large mixing bowl. Stir until fully incorporated. Stir in shredded cheese. Mix well.

Now add potatoes and fold all ingredients together.

Spray a large casserole dish with non stick cooking spray. Spread evenly in the dish.

Bake at 375°F until bubbling and lightly browned on the top. Make sure the center is bubbling, too.

Remove pan from oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.

I baked mine in a large cast iron skillet, and I reserved some of the mixture to put in two disposable foil pans to share with my neighbors. They love these potatoes!

To make this dish vegetarian, you may substitute Cream of Mushroom Soup or Cream of Celery Soup in place of the Cream of Chicken Soup.

Tips and Tricks:

This recipe will serve a large crowd. Allowing ¾ cup per serving, this will yield approximately 18-24 servings.

Bake in an 11”x15” glass baking dish or if you want to divide between containers to have some to share or freeze, bake in a 9”x13” baking dish and divide remainder between two loaf pans (for instance, two 4”x8” disposable aluminum loaf pans).

If the casserole is cold from the fridge, the baking time may be longer due to the starting temperature of the food.

Tools:

I’ve included links to some tools and equipment you might find useful for making this recipe.