Pam’s Casserole

Pam’s Casserole–a creamy, seasoned mashed potato casserole made with cream cheese, butter, and a trio of salts. Make with the help of your Instant Pot or slow cooker.

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Pam’s Casserole

I’ve adapted this recipe from Pam’s Potato Casserole on Food.com. The author says, “This is a dish my sister-in-law used to make, when she cooked years ago. It is not for those that are watching their weight. Very good and easy to make.” We found this potato casserole so yummy! The combination of cream cheese, butter, and three kinds of salt gives the potatoes a creamy texture and deep, savory flavor. I made it as a side dish to grilled chicken, salad and garlic bread. It was a perfect meal that I fed to Skyler and his friends.

This dish is make-ahead friendly. You can prep it in advance, spread in the 9×13 inch baking dish, cover with foil and bake later. It works in both the Instant Pot and slow cooker, so you can choose what fits your schedule. It does feed a crowd (5 pounds of potatoes serve about 10!) so it’s ideal for family gatherings or potlucks. If you want to try out this recipe for a smaller group just cut the recipe in half.

Ingredients/Substitution Ideas

• Russet potatoes–or yukon gold potatoes
• Cream cheese
• Half and half–or evaporated milk
• Butter
• Garlic salt
• Lawry’s seasoning salt
• Kosher salt
• Black pepper
• Paprika

Steps

Pour 1 ½ cups of water into bottom of Instant Pot. Place a trivet in the bottom of the Instant Pot. Place peeled potatoes on top of the trivet.

Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 25 minutes (alternately you can cube the potatoes and place in a steamer basket and only pressure cook for 8 minutes). When time is up move valve to venting and remove the lid. 

Discard the liquid and move the trivet out of the pot. Place potatoes into the pot and mash. Stir in the cream cheese, half and half, butter, garlic salt, seasoning salt, kosher salt and black pepper until butter and cream cheese melt and are incorporated. 

Spread the potatoes in a 9×13 inch baking dish and sprinkle with some paprika. Bake at 350° F for 30 minutes.

Serve and enjoy!

Notes/Tips

• We served this as a side dish to grilled chicken, salad and fresh fruit.
• This recipe is gluten free.
• You don’t have to do the baking step at the end of the cooking time and can serve these as fancy mashed potatoes instead of a casserole.
• Let the cream cheese, butter, and half and half sit out for a bit so they mix in smoothly without cooling down the potatoes.
• Cube the potatoes for faster cooking. Cubing the potatoes lets them cook faster and mash more evenly. I didn’t feel like cubing them up so I opted for the longer pressure cooking time.
• Stir in roasted garlic, caramelized onions, chopped green onions, or shredded cheese for a flavor boost.
• I used my 6 quart Instant Pot*. You can also make this in an 8 quart pot.
• Want to cut the recipe in half? Cut in half all the ingredients (except water under the trivet) and bake in a square 9×9 inch baking dish instead of a 9×13 inch baking dish.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container* in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
• Other recipes you can make with half and half are Tornado Casserole and Tortellini Spinach Soup.

Did you know you can filter the recipes on my website to search by meat type, IP or Crockpot, low carb, gluten free, etc.? Use the filter to find exactly what you are looking for. 

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*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.