Baked Potato Bacon and Peas Casserole

This baked potato bacon and peas casserole recipe post was sponsored by Le Sueur Peas as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

Now that we’re in daylight savings time and the sunshine is lingering a bit longer each day, I am really feeling the approach of Spring. The trees are budding, the flowers are starting to bloom and Easter is nearly here — time to plan my Easter dinner!

At my house, it wouldn’t be Easter without ham and potatoes, but this year I’d like to switch up my standard scalloped potatoes a little bit and do something different, so I’m bringing in one of my personal favorite veggies: peas.

If we didn’t have fire ants so badly around here, I’d start my own vegetable garden with lots of peas, but I’ve been stung one too many times digging in the dirt outside so I’ve given up that idea. Thank goodness it’s easy to find delicious peas in the grocery store. That’s where I discovered the simple goodness, quality (and yumminess) of Le Sueur® Very Young Small Sweet Peas.

I’ve seen them a few times in the canned section of grocery stores (find a store near you here) and that bright red label always popped out at me, so when I decided on peas, I knew they were the ones for me.

And boy, do they perk up my potatoes in this baked potato bacon and peas casserole.

One thing I really love about Le Sueur Peas is that they’re restaurant quality – they hold up when cooked, making for a much better meal experience.

For more than 100 years Le Sueur has been bringing their premium breed of petite, sweet peas from farm to can to table, preserving the delicate and exquisite tenderness all the way to my tummy. They are such a great addition to my potato casserole and to my entire Easter dinner.

Baked Potato Bacon and Peas Casserole

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Baked Potato, Bacon and Peas Casserole

Ingredients

• 5 lbs russet potatoes scrubbed and cleaned
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 16 ounce pkg bacon cooked, chopped, divided
• 1 15 ounce can Le Sueur Very Young Small Sweet Peas drained
• 1/2 cup green onions chopped, divided

Instructions

1. Peel potatoes. Cut into evenly sized 1/2-inch cubes. Add potatoes to a large stockpot of water; bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower heat to a simmer and continue cooking until potatoes are fork tender. Drain; set aside.

2. While potatoes are cooking, add buttermilk, butter, spices and half of the cheese in a small saucepan. Heat slowly over low heat until cheese and butter have melted, stirring frequently.

3. Add drained potatoes to a large casserole dish, half of the cooked bacon and half of the green onions. Pour buttermilk mixture over the top. Fold in peas. Top with remaining cheese, bacon and green onions. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

By the way, the baked potato bacon and peas casserole reheats really well, and since there will be lots of leftover Easter ham, I’m very happy about that!

Add Le Sueur Very Young Small Sweet Peas to your favorite recipes. You’ll taste the difference!