Twice Baked Potatoes
Updated
Updated
These are the best Twice Baked Potatoes! This easy recipe is loaded with all your favorite ingredients! Make Ahead, family friendly, and perfect on their own or as a side.
If you love sweet potatoes, don’t miss our twice baked sweet potatoes taken to level 10 with baked beans and crispy spicy pork!
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Easy Twice Baked Potatoes
Now that my kids finally like potatoes, I’m working them into every single meal, making up for lost time! HA. I’ve been cooking baked potatoes and these twice baked potatoes with reckless abandon.
In this twice baked potato recipe, potatoes are baked to tender perfection, then the flesh is scooped out and mixed with butter, milk, cheese, bacon, and seasonings, placed back in the potato shell and baked again. They are so good!
What is a Twice Baked Potato?
A twice-baked potato is creamy, cheesy mashed potatoes nestled in crisp, salty potato skin. Basically a potato boat! First you roast the potatoes whole so they get tender on the inside and crispy on the outside. Then you take all the innards and mix it with goodies like butter, cheese, milk, and/or bacon and fill the potato skins back up and bake it again. Comforting, satisfying, and loved by millions.
Ingredients Needed
Here’s what what you’ll need to make this twice baked potato recipe:
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)
- Russet potatoes: These are the best type of potato to use. Make sure they’re all uniform in size, so they cook the same.
- Sour cream: Makes the potatoes nice and creamy, with a slight tangy flavor.
- Milk: Whole milk is ideal, but you can use as low as 1% if preferred.
- Butter: We use salted butter for this recipe. If using unsalted, we suggest adding in some salt. Potatoes need salt.
- Cheddar cheese: For best flavor, use sharp cheddar cheese and freshly grated off the block.
- Bacon: Salty, crisp bacon adds awesome flavor.
- Scallions: We love this mellow onion that has a subtle peppery flavor. Simply omit if you don’t like them.
- Vegetable oil: Rubbed on the outside of the potatoes, which helps achieve the crispy potato skin while baking.
- Seasonings: Kosher salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Recipe Variations
Pretty much anything goes well mixed into a twice baked potato! The filling is so versatile. Here are some other suggestions:
- Try different cheeses: If cheddar isn’t your thing, try swiss, Pepper jack, or one of your favorite soft cheeses.
- Add in a veggie: We love the addition of roasted broccoli.
- Want it spicy? Add in some horseradish or Sriracha.
- Use chives: Swap out the scallions for chives.
- Need it vegetarian? Just omit the bacon.
- Keep them simple: Nothing wrong with just butter and cheese!
How To Make Twice Baked Potatoes
If you know how to make a baked potato, then you can definitely make a twice baked one! Here’s a brief summary:
(For all the details, scroll below to the complete printable recipe card.)
- Prep and bake the potatoes: Clean and dry the potatoes, then prick them all over with a fork. Rub them with the vegetable oil and bake for 1 hour at 400 degrees F, or until tender.
- Slice the potatoes and scoop out the flesh: Slice potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop flesh into a large bowl, leaving a small rim of the potato intact so you don’t tear the shell. Lay the hollowed out potato shells back onto the baking sheet.
- Add the mix-ins: Add cooked bacon, sour cream, half of the cheese, the scallions, milk, butter, salt, pepper, and garlic powder into the bowl. Using a handheld mixer, blend until combined and creamy.
- Stuff the potato shells: Divide mixture among the potato skins, then sprinkle with reserved bacon, cheese, and onion.
- Bake again: Place back into the oven for 15 minutes at 350 degrees F until warmed through and cheese had melted.
Make Ahead and Storage
Not only are these potatoes absolutely delicious, but everything can be made ahead of time, if necessary.
- Make Ahead: Prep them up to 3 days ahead, stored in an air tight container in the refrigerator, then just pop them in the oven when you’re ready.
- Can you freeze twice baked potatoes? Yep! You can freeze them individually on a baking sheet and once solid, store them in a freezer-safe resealable plastic bag up to 2 months.
- How to reheat twice baked potatoes: To reheat the potatoes, you’ll basically be baking them a third time. Reheat chilled potatoes in the oven at 400 degrees F for 15-20 minutes, or about 30-40 minutes if they’re frozen.
More Potato Recipes:
- Baked Sweet Potato
- Funeral Potatoes
- Roasted Potatoes
- Mashed Potato Cakes
- Smashed Potatoes
- Mashed Potatoes
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Twice Baked Potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 large russet potatoes, (about 3 pounds)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 12 ounces bacon, , diced
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 8 scallions, , diced
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup butter, , softened
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Place the potatoes on a baking sheet; prick them in several places with a fork. Rub them with the vegetable oil and bake for 1 hour, or until tender. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.
- Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
- In the meantime, cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high until crispy, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
- Slice potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop flesh into a large bowl, leaving a small rim of the potato intact so you don’t tear the shell. Lay the hollowed out potato shells back onto the baking sheet.
- Add the bacon (reserving some), sour cream, half of the cheese, the onions (reserving some), milk, butter, salt, pepper, and garlic powder into the bowl. Using a handheld mixer, blend until combined and creamy.
- Divide mixture among the potato skins, then sprinkle with reserved bacon, cheese, and onion. Place back into the oven for 15 minutes until warmed through and cheese had melted.
- Dig in and enjoy!
Notes
- These can be made up to 3 days ahead, stored in an air tight container in the refrigerator, then just pop them in the oven when you’re ready.
- You can also freeze them individually on a baking sheet and once solid, store them in a freezer-safe resealable plastic bag up to 2 months.
- To reheat the potatoes, you’ll basically be baking them a third time. Reheat chilled potatoes in the oven at 400 degrees F for 15-20 minutes, or about 30-40 minutes if they’re frozen.
Nutrition
Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.
Did you make this? Leave a rating below!
I love these twice baked potatoes!
I’m tired of thinking what to make up for supper. Its just my husband and I now. I’m trying to cut back on the amount of food I make since the children are gone.
Made see last Christmas for my family and they got rave reviews! I’m making them for a larger crowd this year. Is it safe to double ingredients for twice the number of potatoes?
Yep, that should be fine. Enjoy!
If you are prepping the day before, do you still bake them the second time the day before or do just make the filling and put in the potato shells and refrigerate and then bake the next day?
Hi Pat! You’ll prep/assemble/refrigerate and bake the second time the next day.
This is my first time making these . They were absolutely delicious! Even my picky 10 year old loved them after he took a bite.
`I was looking for a great potato recipe to add for thanksgiving day. I tried it out tonight. Fantastic. Can’t wait to make it again for thanksgiving this year
My brother made these for our family for Mother’s Day. His wife is a retired cooking teacher so he has never cooked ANYTHING! I coached him through but he did the work. We had to use chives instead but they tasted wonderful. We also doubled the recipe which was very easy and baked the potatoes the day before.
Made these and loved them!! Had leftovers a few days later and they reheated beautifully.
Thank you for another great recipe…
Thanks, Patricia! So happy you loved them.
I am a sucker for anything potatoes, and these here twice baked potatoes were delicious and perfect in texture and flavor!
LOVED these!! We left out the bacon, but they were still fantastic!
Potatoes are my love language, Amy! Can’t wait to try these!
These are wonderful!!!