Say hello to everyone’s new favorite potato recipe, crack potatoes! They’re rich, creamy, decadent, super quick, and easy to put together. They’re great for anything from a weeknight dinner to a take-along potluck dish.
6 Ingredients, 10 minutes of prep and you have a side dish that everyone will devour! I love that the recipe uses a bag of frozen, shredded potatoes so there’s no peeling and no chopping. You don’t even need to thaw the potatoes before you start the recipe, how’s that for convenience?
This is the perfect recipe to have on hand when you get called to bring a side dish to a potluck or you’ve had a hectic day and need to get a wholesome dinner on the table. And let me tell ya, just because it’s super easy doesn’t mean it’s not really delicious.
Looking for more delicious potato dishes? I adore potatoes so you know I’ve gotcha! Try my make ahead mashed potatoes, twice baked potatoes, au gratin potatoes, and my Boursin cheese scalloped potatoes. These dishes will take you directly to potato heaven!!
Why Is This Dish Called Crack Potatoes?
This potato dish is so delicious, that many people consider them absolutely addictive. These days, the slang term “crack” has simply come to mean addicting.
Ingredients You’ll Need:
- Sour Cream
- Low Sodium Cream Of Chicken Soup
- Real Bacon Bits
- Dry Ranch Dressing Mix
- Cheddar Cheese
- Hash Brown Potatoes
Tips:
- Do I Need To Thaw The Potatoes: No! Just pull the bag from the freezer and proceed with the recipe. I generally use thawed potatoes when I make this so the cook time is based on that. If you make it with frozen potatoes you will have to extend the cook time. by at least 35-45 minutes.
- Bacon Bits: Bacon bits have come a long way from the days of those weirdly artificial tasting “imitation bacon bits”. I like to grab a bag of the prepared “real bacon bits” to make this easy recipe even easier!
Storage + Freezing + Make-Ahead
- How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge? These loaded crack potatoes will last in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Place in an airtight container or cover the baking dish tightly with plastic wrap.
- Can You Freeze This? You can prepare the dish without baking, hotel wrap with plastic wrap, and freeze it for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
- Make-Ahead Tips: Prepare the dish the night before and store it, unbaked, in the fridge. When ready to serve, follow the recipe below for baking instructions.
How To Make The Creamy Crack Potatoes
- Mix all the ingredients except the hash brown.
- Stir in hash browns.
- Spread in the prepared baking pan.
- Bake, then top with cheese. Bake again until the cheese melts.
See full instructions below.
More Potato Side Dish Recipes
- Country Potatoes
- Ranch Potatoes
- Melting Potatoes
- Air Fryer Potato Wedges
- Crockpot Cheesy Potatoes
- Parmesan Potatoes
- Crack Potato Soup
- Funeral Potatoes
Crack Potatoes
Ingredients
- 16 ounces sour cream
- 1 can (10.5 ounces) low sodium cream of chicken soup
- 1 cup cooked bacon bits
- 1 (1-ounce) package dry ranch dressing mix
- 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
- 1 (32-ounce) package frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9X13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together sour cream (16 ounces), cream of chicken soup, bacon bits (1 cup), ranch mix (1-ounce package), and 1 cup of cheddar cheese until well combined.
- Stir in hash browns (32 ounces).
- Spread in the prepared baking pan; cover with aluminum foil.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. Remove foil; sprinkle remaining Cheddar cheese over potatoes. Bake until cheese is melted and lightly browned around the edges, about 15 minutes.
Fans Also Made:
Notes
- Do I Need To Thaw The Potatoes: No! Just pull the bag from the freezer and proceed with the recipe.
- Bacon Bits: Bacon bits have come a long way from the days of those weirdly artificial tasting “imitation bacon bits”. I like to grab a bag of the prepared “real bacon bits” to make this easy recipe even easier!
Nutrition
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I tried your crack potatoes before and my friendslove it so he is having a party 🎉 for his mom 65 birthday,he ask me to make another.Thank you for the recipe
You’re so welcome, Elaine! I’m happy this was a hit with you and your friends!
Me love this!!! Thank you so much. Now I have something I can contribute to potlucks aside from mashed potatoes hehe.
Hehe, thank you, Joy! This one is a hit! 🙂
I have not tried yet, but would it be good to add a little onion to this mixture?
Sounds like it would be delish. I think they’d need to be minced so they cooked quickly.
Can you fresh grated potatoes?
Hi Beth. I haven’t tried it with fresh potatoes but I don’t see any reason it wouldn’t work.
The crack potatoes were great!!! Everyone loved them!!!
Thank you so much, Buddy!
Your directions say you can used frozen but you obviously haven’t done them this way because they are not done after one hour. I’m having to guess how much more time it takes to cook them this way. I’m thinking 30 to 45 minutes extra.
Oh Gosh, Buddy. I generally do make these with thawed potatoes. You’re right on the extended cook time!
Can I use raw shredded poratoes
Hi Barbara. I haven’t made this with fresh potatoes yet. Sorry. I think it should work out just fine.