• PREHEAT oven to 350°F.
• BOIL a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add potatoes and 1 tablespoon salt and boil for 15 minutes, or until potatoes are fork-tender. Drain potatoes and return to pot.
• MAKE the "cheese" sauce while potatoes are cooking by whisking together all cheese sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Then heat in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir regularly until sauce thickens, about 6-7 minutes. Set aside.
• ADD cream cheese, ghee, chicken broth, garlic powder, onion powder, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper to potatoes. Mash or mix on low with a hand mixer until nice and smooth. Don’t overmix if using a mixer, or the potatoes will be gummy.
• SPREAD potato mixture into a medium casserole dish (9x9 square or 10x8 oval or rectangular dish). Pour cheese sauce on top, then top with crumbled bacon.
• BAKE uncovered for 20 minutes or until the edges are bubbly and light brown. Cool for 5 minutes, then top with chives and enjoy!

Freeze for later

• PREPARE casserole by following the directions up to the last step before baking.
• CREATE an air-tight seal over the casserole by using a layer of plastic wrap and a layer of foil before storing it in the freezer. (If your casserole dish has a compatible, freezer-friendly, airtight lid, we still recommend adding a layer of plastic wrap fitted closely to the contents of the dish to prevent freezer burn.)
• STORE in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Prepare Frozen Casserole

• PREHEAT oven to 350°F, remove casserole from freezer, and unwrap or remove the lid. then cover with foil to protect the top layer from burning.
• BAKE frozen casserole for 25 minutes, remove foil, then bake for another 15 minutes, until the edges are bubbly and light brown, and the internal temp reaches 165°F.
• COOL for 5 minutes, top with fresh chives, and enjoy!