Tired Of Boring Frozen Potatoes? Try Preparing Them This Southern Way

Baked, boiled, roasted, or fried, potatoes are downright delicious, but the frozen variety of the spud can be lackluster — if you don't cook them right. Luckily for that bag of potatoes in the back of your freezer (and your appetite), there's a Southern cooking technique that results in a dish you might want to make again and again. The dish is called Mississippi mud potatoes, and although it might remind you of the popular dessert with a similar name, these spuds are savory and cheesy. 

Mississippi mud potatoes often use frozen diced potatoes, but you can opt for freshly-diced spuds if that's your preference, or what's already in the fridge. In addition to the diced potatoes, expect bites of bacon, mayonnaise, onions, plenty of cheese, and other ingredients like garlic, depending on who makes them. Think of these Southern-style potatoes as loaded fries or a stuffed baked potato, but with bite-sized potatoes that require a fork. When you're ready to cook, the potatoes and other ingredients will be baked in the oven for a casserole-like effect.

There are many recipes for Mississippi mud potatoes online, and maybe any potential friends or family down south have their own rendition. However, most methods for the starchy dish are relatively similar. Before you start to prep the ingredients, the oven should be set to around 400 degrees Fahrenheit. The frozen diced potatoes come into play when you combine ingredients like bacon, mayonnaise, and cheese, which you'll toss the spuds in. When everything is combined, you'll bake the Mississippi mud potatoes until the potatoes are tender, which could take up to an hour and a half. To finish it off, consider a garnish of more bacon or scallions.

Not to stray away from the classic Southern dish, but there are some ways to make Mississippi mud potatoes even better. For example, if you like spice, toss in some fresh or canned jalapeños to the mixture. You could even replace the bacon with pancetta or crumbled sausage instead. To obtain a tangier and creamier dish, some recipes suggest combining sour cream with the mayonnaise. Typically, sharp cheddar is used in the dish, but you could experiment with mozzarella, Gruyere, or a combination of cheeses to match your craving. And for dipping purposes, consider our chili-lime hot sauce recipe to add more flavor and heat to the Southern-style spuds.