Cheesy Bacon Ranch Mashed Taters ($.50 per serving)

I adore my pressure cooker. It's an electric cooker and it's much less intimidating than a traditional stove top pressure cooker. It feels like a crockpot but does so much more! Using this pressure cooker I can whip up some homemade mashed potatoes in about 20 minutes and they're perfect every time. This is one of my favorite mashed potatoes to make... so yummy no gravy is required!

4 strip bacon ($.50 on sale)
6 russet potatoes, peeled and quartered (approx. $1)
2 cups water (free)
3 tbsp butter ($.30)
1/2 tsp salt (penny)
1/4 tsp pepper (penny)
1/4 tsp garlic powder (pennies)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese ($.40 or free*)
1/4-1/2 cup ranch salad dressing ($.25-$.50)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese ($.50)

Cook bacon in the pressure cooker pan and set aside leaving the bacon grease in the pan. Add 2 cups water and potatoes and cook for 6 minutes high pressure. Quick release pressure and strain the potatoes and return to the pot. Add all ingredients except bacon and shredded cheese. Mash all with potato masher (add in enough ranch dressing until you've reached desired creaminess) and stir in shredded cheese and crumbled bacon. Serve immediately! Costs around $3.00 for 6 servings!

If you don't have a pressure cooker then the recipe can easily be adapted for stove top. Simply cook the bacon, remove and set aside then boil potatoes in the same pan until tender (you'll likely need to double the water for boiling). Strain and return to pot and mash all ingredients together!

*I like to use parmesan cheese packets that you get from pizza hut for things like this. I always ask for extra packets when we order pizza and I use them as add-ins for things like potatoes!