Mississippi Mud Potatoes

Name: Mississippi Mud Potatoes
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 75 min
Ingredients: 1 pound bacon (cut into ½-inch pieces); ¾ cup mayonnaise; 1½ teaspoons garlic powder; 1½ teaspoons salt; ½ teaspoon black pepper; 3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes (peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes (about 6 to 7 cups)); 2 cups shredded medium cheddar cheese (divided); ⅓ cup green onions (thinly sliced (to stir into the potato mixture)); 1½ tablespoons green onions (thinly sliced (for garnishing))

Close-up of Mississippi Mud Potatoes with melted cheddar cheese, bacon pieces, and green onions being lifted from the baking dish with a serving spoon.

Mississippi Mud Potatoes are a Southern-style baked potato casserole that serves six and comes together in a 9x13 baking dish. Diced Yukon gold potatoes are coated in a seasoned mayonnaise base with crispy bacon, melted cheddar, and green onions. Bake low and slow at 325°F until tender, cheesy, and golden. It's the kind of side dish that disappears fast.

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Table of Contents

Ingredients For Mississippi Mud Potatoes
Substitutions and Additions
Before You Begin
How to Make Mississippi Mud Potatoes
Storage and Reheating
JUMP TO RECIPE
FAQ

In This Post

Mississippi Mud Potatoes are a baked potato casserole that earns a spot at every potluck, holiday table, and weeknight dinner rotation. Diced Yukon gold potatoes are coated in a seasoned mayonnaise base, loaded with crispy bacon, cheddar cheese, and green onions, then baked low and slow until tender and golden.

Serving of Mississippi Mud Potatoes on a speckled plate with cubed potatoes, melted cheddar cheese, bacon pieces, and green onions, served with a fork.

A few things make this recipe worth paying attention to before you start. The bake is a bit longer than most potato side dishes, the cheese goes on in two stages (for a reason), and the type of cheddar you choose affects the final texture quite a bit.

Ingredients For Mississippi Mud Potatoes

Ingredient layout for Mississippi Mud Potatoes showing cheddar cheese, Yukon gold potatoes, bacon, green onion, mayo, garlic powder, salt, and pepper with labeled measurements.

To make this cheesy Mississippi mud potato recipe, you'll need:

1 pound bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces
¾ cup mayonnaise
1½ teaspoons garlic powder
1½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes (about 6 to 7 cups)
2 cups shredded medium cheddar cheese, divided ⅓ cup green onions, thinly sliced (to stir into the potato mixture)
1½ tablespoons green onions, thinly sliced (for garnishing)

Substitutions and Additions

Yukon gold potatoes — They're starchy enough to hold their shape through a long bake without turning mushy. Russets work too, but you may have to increase your bake time.

Medium cheddar — Sharp cheddar releases more fat as it melts, so I recommend medium or mild cheddar for this recipe.

Full-fat mayonnaise — A reduced-fat or alternative-oil mayo may change the texture and flavor, so just use the real thing.

Uniform ½-inch cuts — Take your time and cut your bacon into small and even pieces. This helps the bacon cook a lot more evenly.

Before You Begin

The bake temp is not an accident - Baking at 325°F is not a typo. The first time I made these, I bumped the temperature to 375°F to save time and ended up with browned edges and potatoes that were still hard in the center. The low heat is what allows the mayonnaise to meld into the other ingredients instead of separating, and it gives the potatoes time to cook all the way through without the outside getting ahead of them.

Cut the potatoes into evenly sized pieces. Otherwise, you will end up with some pieces that are still a bit crisp and others that are fully done.

Add the cheese as its written in the recipe - It's worth holding back half the cheese until the final 15 to 20 minutes. I added it all at once the first time, and while the potatoes were still good, the cheese just disappeared into the fat at the bottom of the dish. Save half for the end so you get the yummy melted layer on top.

Get rid of the fat - You'll find a noticeable amount of rendered fat pooled at the bottom of your dish after the first hour of baking. It comes from the combination of bacon, mayonnaise, and cheese. I like to spoon some of it out of the bottom before I add the second layer of cheese.

How to Make Mississippi Mud Potatoes

This is an easy stir-together and bake side. The full steps are in the recipe card below. Here are a few photos of the dish being prepared.

Raw diced Yukon gold potatoes coated in a seasoned mayonnaise mixture with bacon, cheddar cheese, and green onions in a glass 9x13 baking dish, ready to go into the oven. — This is what the mixture looks like before it goes in the oven. Every potato piece should be coated and the ingredients evenly distributed.

Alt text: Mississippi mud potatoes after the first hour of baking, with crispy bacon and melted cheddar visible, before the final layer of cheese is added. — This is what the mixture looks like before it goes in the oven. Every potato piece should be coated and the ingredients evenly distributed.

Shredded medium cheddar cheese scattered over the top of the partially baked Mississippi mud potatoes before returning the dish to the oven. — The second layer of cheese goes on after the first hour of baking — this is what gives the finished dish its melted, golden top.

Mississippi mud potatoes fully baked with a layer of melted cheddar cheese covering the top of the dish — The second layer of cheese goes on after the first hour of baking — this is what gives the finished dish its melted, golden top.

What To Serve With Mississippi Mud Potatoes

This is a rich, hearty side dish, so it pairs best with something simple off the grill or out of the smoker. It's a natural fit alongside ribs, pulled pork, brisket, or BBQ chicken. It also works well as part of a brunch spread with eggs and sausage.

More Potato Recipes ⭐ Air Fryer Potato Wedges | Sweet Potato Fries | Fried Potatoes | Fried Potatoes and Onions

Overhead view of Mississippi Mud Potatoes in a clear glass baking dish with melted cheddar cheese, crispy bacon, green onions, and a serving spoon scooping out a portion.

Storage and Reheating

Leftovers keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. To reheat, cover the dish with foil and warm it in a 325°F oven until heated through, or reheat individual portions in the microwave.

I don't recommend freezing Mississippi mud potatoes. The mayonnaise base tends to separate when frozen and thawed.

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 55

Total Time 1 15

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Servings

Calories 839 kcal

Ingredients

1 pound bacon (cut into ½-inch pieces)
¾ cup mayonnaise
1½ teaspoons garlic powder
1½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes (peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes (about 6 to 7 cups))
2 cups shredded medium cheddar cheese (divided)
⅓ cup green onions (thinly sliced (to stir into the potato mixture))
1½ tablespoons green onions (thinly sliced (for garnishing))

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oven to 325°F.
Cook the bacon pieces in a large skillet over medium heat for 12 to 14 minutes, until crisp and browned.
Lift the bacon out with a slotted spoon and spread it on a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Set aside ¼ cup of the cooked bacon for garnish. The remaining bacon (about 1 cup) will go into the potato mixture.
While the bacon cooks, whisk together the mayonnaise, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl.
Add the cubed potatoes, 1 cup of the shredded cheddar, ⅓ cup of green onions, and 1 cup of the cooked bacon to the bowl. Stir until the potatoes are fully coated.
Spread the potato mixture in an even layer in a 9x13 baking dish. Bake for 1 hour.
Pull the dish from the oven and scatter the remaining 1 cup of shredded cheddar evenly over the top. Return it to the oven and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, until the cheese is fully melted and the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.
Let the dish rest on the counter for 3 to 5 minutes. Top with the reserved bacon and 1½ tablespoons of green onions before serving.

Notes

After the first hour of baking, there's a noticeable amount of rendered fat pooled at the bottom of the dish. Spoon it off before adding the top layer of cheese if you prefer a less rich result.
Medium or mild cheddar releases less fat during baking than sharp cheddar. Sharp cheddar has a higher fat content from the aging process, which means more pooling at the bottom of the dish.
Russet potatoes work well as a substitute for Yukon golds. Both varieties are starchy enough to hold their shape through the long bake.
This recipe was developed and tested with a full-fat mayonnaise (I used Duke's brand). A reduced-fat or alternative-oil mayonnaise may affect both the flavor and the texture of the finished dish.

Nutrition

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FAQ

Why are they called Mississippi mud potatoes?

The name is thought to come from the thick, murky waters of the Mississippi River. Once the dish comes out of the oven, the dense, cheesy, bacon-loaded casserole makes the comparison easy to see.

Can I make Mississippi mud potatoes ahead?

Yes. Assemble the dish, cover it, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before baking. Pull it out of the refrigerator while the oven preheats to take the chill off before it goes in.

Can I use a different kind of potato?

Russet potatoes are a good substitute. They're similarly starchy and hold their shape well through the long bake. Avoid waxy potatoes like red potatoes, as they'll have a different texture in the finished dish.