Loaded Mashed Potatoes

This was easy and it looks fancy!  Sometimes I have a hard time getting my husband to eat potatoes unless they are covered in gravy or in fry form.  However, I think I have swayed him with this recipe. 

Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups Honeyville's Instant Potato Flakes (not reconstituted)
5 1/2 cups Water
1/4 cup Honeyville's Sour Cream Powder (not reconstituted)
1 Tb plus 1 Tsp Honeyville's Bacon Flavored TVP, divided
4 Tb  Honeyville's Freeze Dried Cheddar Cheese, divided
1 Tb plus 1 Tsp Honeyville's Freeze Dried Green Onions, divided
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:
Boil Water.  In a small container hydrate 1 Tb. Freeze Dried Cheese and 1 tsp. Freeze Dried Green Onions.   Set aside until ready to garnish (I hydrated them together in the same dish. I used the 1/4 cup measuring cup I used for the Sour Cream Powder so I wouldn't have to wash another dish because I am lazy cool like that).  In a medium bowl add Potato Flakes, Sour Cream Powder, 1 Tb Bacon TVP, remaining Freeze Dried Cheddar Cheese (should be 3 Tb), and remaining Green Onions (should be 1 Tb).  Mix well.  Carefully pour boiling water over potato mixture.  Stir to combine and whisk for 2 minutes or until potatoes fluff up.  Add Salt and Pepper to taste.  Drain out any remaining water in the cheese/onion mixture.  Sprinkle top with remaining Bacon  TVP, Green Onions, and Cheese.

I think the Potato Flakes have a buttery taste by themselves which is why I didn't add any butter to this recipe.  The potatoes were creamy and smooth and I loved how the flavors combined together.  I think this would be a great filler and extender for Twice Baked Potatoes.  Tell me I am not the only one that when I make Twice Baked Potatoes that I never have enough filling for all my potato skins.  In fact that is what this recipe post was originally going to be but I never got around to making the baked potato part and then all of a sudden it was dinner time!

Happy Eating!