Impress your family with this classic recipe for Twice Baked Potatoes. Butter, sour cream, green onions (or chives), and bacon get whipped together with mashed potatoes and then covered with cheese and baked to a golden, yummy perfection. This classic side dish is perfect for weekend dinners and holiday entertaining.
I don’t know what it is about twice baked potatoes. Maybe it’s nostalgia – or maybe they are just that darn delicious! I just love them.
First, I start by roasting large baking potatoes in the oven until fork tender; about 1 hour. Then, when just cool enough to handle, I slice each one in half lengthwise and carefully scoop out the creamy potato center – leaving some potato along with the outer edges of structure and support of the skin “shell.”
Next, add the scooped out potatoes into a mixing bowl [paid link] with the other ingredients and mix well. You want the mixture to be a little on the drier side so they do not ooze out of the shells but still moist like whipped (mashed) potatoes.
Spoon the whipped potatoes back into the shells. You want them full but not overflowing. You may have some mix left over which can be baked in a sperate dish on the tray or eaten like mashed potatoes. Any leftovers usually get eaten before they can hit a secondary dish in my house – so that’s never really a concern. ;)
As if all that yummy whipped goodness wasn’t enough, cover it will another layer of cheese and some reserved bacon crumbles, then bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly; about 20 minutes.
If you’re looking for an easy way to dress up baked potatoes that your family and holiday guests will absolutely love, you’ve got to give these babies a try. The recipe easily scales to feed any size crowd from a simple family dinner to any holiday meal or gathering. These tasty treats are always a welcome addition to any meal.
Roasted vegetables are so delicious. Roasting them brings out there natural sweetness. Check out these:
Do you have a fun flavorful twist on twice baked potatoes? I’d love to hear all about it in the comments below. Leave me a note and share your twist on this classic dish!
Twice Baked Potatoes
Ingredients
For the Baked Potatoes:
- 4 baking potatoes , washed
- 2 tablespoons olive , vegetable or canola oil
For the Mashed Potato Stuffing:
- 1/2 stick butter , room temperature
- 1/2 cup crumpled bacon bits , plus more for topping
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese , plus more for topping
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 green onions , sliced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Place the potatoes on a baking sheet. Rub them with the oil and bake for 1 hour, or until fork tender.
- Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
- When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, slice them open legnthwise to create a boat. Scoop out the cooked potato and place it into a large mixing bowl [paid link]. Leave some potato along the sides and bottom for structure and support of the skins.
- Lay the hollowed out potato shells on a baking sheet.
- Add the other ingredients into the mixing bowl [paid link] reserving cheese and bacon bits for the top of the baked potato boats.
- With a potato masher, fork, or electric mixer, mix the potatoes with the butter, bacon and sour cream. Add the cheese, milk, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and green onions, and mix together well. Taste and re-season as necessary according to your flavor preferences.
- Fill the potato shells with the mashed potato filling. Top each potato with a little more grated cheese and bacon crumbles.
- Return to the oven and bake until the potato is warmed through and the cheese is melted and bubbly; about 15 to 20 minutes.
Nutrition
So much easier than I expected. We served these with steak for a steak house style dinner for bf bday.
OMG! Love these. They were so tasty! Thanks for sharing. :)
Twice baked potatoes are delicious and I loved this recipe.
Thank you, Wendy. I’m glad you enjoyed it.