Recipe Background
Ritz® Potato Casserole blends creamy potatoes and crisp cracker topping.
Ritz® Potato Casserole offers a comforting combination of creamy and crunchy, with Yukon Gold potatoes providing a buttery base. As they simmer, their natural sweetness deepens, ready to meld with sharp cheddar cheese. This setup fills your kitchen with a warm, toasty aroma, hinting at the coming taste adventure.
The magic lies in its contrasting textures. Creamy mashed potatoes enriched with Greek yogurt and a hint of thyme collide with a crisp topping of crushed Ritz crackers. These crackers soak up flavors while staying wonderfully crisp. To enhance your experience, make sure the butter is adequately softened before melding into the potatoes—this ensures a silky, smooth consistency without lumps.
A pinch of cayenne adds a playful kick, balanced by the gentle tang of Worcestershire sauce in the topping. Shared at gatherings, this dish often draws people back for seconds, eager for more of the harmonious blend between comforting depth and light crunch. There's something deeply satisfying about the way it all comes together in perfect, cheesy harmony.
Ingredients
For the potatoes:
- 3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and quartered
- 6 tablespoons salted butter room temperature
- 4 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded, divided
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup whole milk or heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- kosher salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
For the cracker topping:
- 1 1/2 cups Ritz crackers roughly crushed
- 1 clove garlic grated
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 4 tablespoons salted butter room temperature
- fresh parsley to taste, roughly torn, for garnish
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- In a large pot of cold, salted water, add the potatoes and bring them to a boil. Cook until they are fork-tender, about 20-30 minutes. Drain the water.
- Return the cooked potatoes to the same pot over low heat and mash them.
- Add 6 tablespoons of the butter, 3 cups of the cheddar cheese, the Greek yogurt, the milk, the thyme, the garlic powder, the onion powder, the paprika, and the cayenne to the mashed potatoes and stir until it is thoroughly combined.
- Season the potato mixture with the salt and the black pepper and stir to combine.
- Evenly spread the potato mixture into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining cheddar cheese.
- In a medium bowl, add the cracker crumbs, the grated garlic, the Worcestershire sauce, and the remaining butter and mix to combine.
- Evenly sprinkle the cracker topping over the potato mixture.
- Cover the baking dish with foil and bake the potato casserole, about 30-35 minutes.
- Discard the foil and bake the potato casserole until the cracker topping is golden, about 15 minutes.
- Serve the potato casserole garnished with the parsley.
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