If you love loaded mashed potatoes just wait until you taste Smoked Mashed Potatoes with Sour Cream, Chives and Bacon. In brief, we’ve taken a classic mashed potato recipe and smoked it on a gas grill with Western Apple BBQ Smoking Chips! Whether you're making this for a holiday, special occasion or to satisfy a comfort food craving, the mashed potatoes with cream, chives, cheese, and bacon blended in and smoked, add extra cheer!

This recipe was originally published on GrillingGrandma.com

PREP TIME: 15 minutes

COOK TIME: 50 minutes

Equipment: 2 cups Western Mesquite, Hickory, Cherry or Mesquite BBQ Smoking Chips 

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound bacon, chop into 1-inch pieces
• 2.5 to 3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled
• 1/2 tablespoon sea salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups half and half cream or whole milk, divided
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon sea salt then adjust to taste
• 1/3 cup chopped chives, divided
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese or preferred cheese
  

Instructions

Note: Mashed potatoes can be made in your kitchen then placed in a greased cast iron skillet and smoked on a gas grill. I enjoy preparing all of the steps on my gas grill as I would on a range burner. Take your pick!

FRY THE BACON

1. In a cold 12-inch cast iron skillet arrange a single layer of bacon. 
2. Fry the bacon over direct medium high heat until crispy.
3. Remove bacon from the skillet, and pat the fat off with a paper towel.
4. Wipe the grease from the frying pan out with a paper towel. 

PREPARE THE POTATOES

1. Cut the peeled potatoes into 2-inch pieces.
2. In a large 4-qt saucepan or pasta pot, combine potatoes and enough cold water to cover by 1-inch.
3. Bring to a boil then add salt and reduce to a simmer. Cover partially and simmer 18-20 minutes or fork tender.
4. Drain potatoes in a colander, reserving 1 cup of potato water. 

SEASON AND MASH THE POTATOES

1. Use the cast iron skillet to warm the butter and 1 cup of the half and half cream.
2. Add 1/2 of the softened potatoes, and roughly mash with a potato masher. Alternative method is to use a rice mill to finely mash the potatoes and then slowly add warm butter, dairy and seasoning.
3. Add the remaining potatoes, salt, granulated garlic, and onion powder.
4. Slowly adding the remaining dairy, and mash until smooth or desired consistency. Add potato water if a lighter texture is desired.
5. Fold in the 1/2 of the chives.
6. Top with grated cheese and bacon bits. 
   

SMOKE THE MASHED POTATOES

1. Fill a smoker box with Western BBQ Apple Smoking Chips.
2. Heat a gas grill to medium high. Place the smoker box on the grill grate above the hottest burner. Close the lid on the grill.
3. In about 10 minutes, there should be the presence of smoke. Once smoke is present, adjust the grill’s heat to 325°F indirect heat.
4. Create an indirect heat zone by turning off the burner or burners that will be directly below the skillet.
5. Place the skillet of mashed potatoes in the center of an indirect heat zone on a gas grill. Smoke mashed potatoes for 20-30 minutes until warm through. Sprinkle chives on the smoked mashed potatoes, and serve warm. 

NOTES:

1. For holiday dinners, I make the mashed potatoes earlier in the day, and warm in the slow cooker. If warming the mashed potatoes later in the day, add the cheese, bacon and chive topping to the potatoes 20 minutes before serving not during the entire warming time.

2. To freeze leftover mashed potatoes, allow to cool then place in a freezer-safe bag. Mashed potatoes freeze for up to 2 months. Warm in the oven, covered, with added milk and butter.