Twice Baked Potatoes
These decadent Twice Baked Potatoes feature rich, cheesy and creamy mashed potatoes in crispy potato skin, topped with more cheese, bacon and green onions. They are a steakhouse staple that is incredibly easy to make at home for a delicious, special occasion meal.
Easy Twice Baked Potatoes Recipe
For the past few years, my go-to birthday meal has been a perfect medium rare steak served with roasted broccoli and twice-baked potatoes.
For me, it’s the ultimate in indulgence while still being very simple to whip up, even when my birthday falls on a busy weekday. I’d rather spend my birthday money on a new perfume or purse than dining out at a steakhouse, so dining like a queen at home is where it’s at for me. (And for the record, yes, I have printed out my recipes and provided them to my partner for him to make for me on my birthday. I’m not leaving anything up to chance or creativity when it comes to MY birthday meal.)
This twice baked potatoes recipe is super simple to make yet yields steakhouse-worthy results. The potato shell bakes up gorgeously crispy while the flavorful mashed potato filling is luscious and creamy and it’s all topped with the perfect amount of melted cheddar cheese, crispy bacon and a little hit of acidic green onions.
The below recipe is a standard, classic twice-baked potato recipe, with the typical toppings of cheese, bacon and green onions. However, you can swap out the fillings and toppings to your heart’s content! We’ve made ours with broccoli and cheese, and even did a jalapeño-popper inspired version with jalapeños, cream cheese and bacon. There really are endless possibilities for reinventing this classic.
Here are some other Variations on Twice Baked Potatoes you can try:
- Taco Twice Baked Potatoes: add in 1/2 cup black beans and 1/2 cup taco-seasoned beef to the mashed potato mixture – serve with salsa and sour cream.
- Blue Cheese Twice Baked Potatoes: swap out all or some of the cheddar cheese called for in this recipe for blue cheese for a truly steakhouse-worthy version of this classic
- Buffalo Chicken Twice Baked Potatoes: you can use leftover buffalo chicken or just season about 1 to 2 cups of chicken with buffalo chicken sauce and swap out a couple tablespoons of milk for a couple tablespoons of ranch or blue cheese sauce.
- Rotisserie Chicken Twice Baked Potatoes: incorporate 1 cup of shredded rotisserie chicken into the mashed potato filling
What is the difference between a baked potato and a twice-baked potato? A baked potato is a full potato that has just been baked once and while it is fluffy, it doesn’t have that creamy texture of a twice baked potato. Twice baked potatoes have the potato flesh scooped out and mixed with sour cream, butter and sometimes milk, before being placed back in the potato skin for a second bake which creates a crispy shell with a creamy mashed potato interior. They are quite literally twice-baked.
What is the best potato for twice-baked potatoes? Russet potatoes are my go-to as they are starchy and fluffy while the skins are very nicely crisp and sturdy, perfect for holding up to generous stuffings. Plus the size is perfect for a serving.
Can you freeze twice-baked potatoes? Yes, you can! Make the twice baked potatoes completely as directed below and then cool completely before storing in your favourite airtight freezer containers or zip-top freezer bags. Freeze for up to 2 months. When ready to enjoy, bake from frozen by placing on a cookie sheet and baking at 350F for 35-45 minutes.
Why are my twice baked potatoes gummy? This can occur for three reasons:
1. Either over or undercooking the potatoes, so it’s important to do the fork-tender test on the first bake and then not exceed the cooking time indicated below for the second bake.
2. This can also occur when using waxy potatoes which contain less starch.
3. Over mixing the mashed potato filling. It’s important to not mix to the point that it is gummy, sticky and glue-like. Leave some lumps in!
Twice Baked Potatoes Ingredients
- Potatoes
- Cooking Oil, as needed
- Butter
- Sour Cream
- Milk
- Salt and Pepper, as desired
- Shredded Cheese
- Chopped Bacon
- Green Onions, optional garnish
Scroll down to the printable recipe card for full measurements.
Tip: add additional seasonings or fillings, as desired.
Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful
- Sharp Kitchen Knife
- Cutting Board
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Mixing Bowl
- Cheese Grater
- Sheet Pan
- Large Spoon
How to Make Twice Baked Potatoes
Preheat oven to 400F
Line a baking sheet with tinfoil.
Scrub each potato clean and then rub with cooking oil.
Place the potatoes on the lined cookie sheet and bake for 1 hour.
Allow the potatoes to cool until you are able to handle them comfortably.
Lower the heat of the oven to 350F.
Cut each potato in half, lengthwise, then use a spoon to scoop out the potato flesh, leaving about 1/4” to 1/2” flesh attached to the potato skin.
Place the scooped potato flesh in a large mixing bowl.
Once all of the potatoes have been scooped out, add the butter, sour cream, salt and pepper, 1/2 cup of the cheese and 1/2 cup of the chopped bacon to the mixing bowl.
Beat all ingredients together until completely combined.
Scoop the potato mixture back into the potato skins.
Top each potato with shredded cheese and chopped bacon.
Bake the potatoes until the cheese is melted, about 8-10 minutes.
Garnish with green onions before serving, optional.
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Twice Baked Potatoes
Ingredients
- 5 potatoes
- Cooking Oil, as needed
- 1/2 cup Butter
- 1/2 cup Sour Cream
- 1/2 cup Milk
- Salt and Pepper, as desired
- 1 cup Shredded Cheese
- 1/2 cup Chopped Bacon, plus 2 Tablespoons additional for garnish
- Green Onions, optional garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F
- Line a baking sheet with tinfoil.
- Scrub each potato clean and then rub with cooking oil.
- Place the potatoes on the lined cookie sheet and bake for 1 hour.
- Allow the potatoes to cool until you are able to handle them comfortably.
- Lower the heat of the oven to 350F.
- Cut each potato in half, lengthwise, then use a spoon to scoop out the potato flesh, leaving about 1/4” to 1/2” flesh attached to the potato skin.
- Place the scooped potato flesh in a large mixing bowl.
- Once all of the potatoes have been scooped out, add the butter, sour cream, salt and pepper, 1/2 cup of the cheese and 1/2 cup of the chopped bacon to the mixing bowl.
- Beat all ingredients together until completely combined.
- Scoop the potato mixture back into the potato skins.
- Top each potato with shredded cheese and chopped bacon.
- Bake the potatoes until the cheese is melted, about 8-10 minutes.
- Garnish with green onions before serving, optional.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
10Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 268Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 47mgSodium: 262mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 7g
Sugar, Spice and Glitter uses an auto-generate nutrition calculator. Nutrition information isn’t always accurate unless analyzed in a scientific lab, so these should be considered more of a guideline than medical information.
I hope your family loves these easy twice baked potatoes almost half as much as I do!
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