Twice-Baked Potatoes
These overstuffed, double-baked potatoes boast a salty, crispy skin and smooth, fluffy stuffing. And the creamy filling is brimming with smoky bacon and sharp cheddar cheese, so it’s potato nirvana in every bite. Imagine a marriage of baked potatoes and restaurant-style potato skins. Served as a hearty appetizer, side dish, or satisfying main dish (with a salad on the side), these twice-baked spuds are sure to become a part of your regular recipe rotation (especially because the ingredient list is short, and the process is easy).
This recipe was written for the Arizona Republic.
What’s the difference between a baked potato and a twice-baked potato? Twice-baked potatoes actually start as regular baked potatoes. When done properly, baked potatoes are given a sheen of olive oil and baked until fork tender. Once cooked, the skin is crispy, and the flesh is light and fluffy. To make twice-baked potatoes, you take that fluffy flesh, mix it with butter, sour cream, bacon, and cheese and stuff the mixture back into the potato shells. After another generous sprinkling of cheese, the stuffed potatoes are baked a second time – to heat everything through and melt the cheese. While baked potatoes are a nice side dish, twice-baked potatoes can be considered an entire meal.
What ingredients do you need for twice-baked potatoes?
- Potatoes. But not any potatoes. The best (and basically only) choice for twice-baked potatoes is the russet potato. The flesh of these Idaho spuds bakes up soft and light, making it ultra scoop-able (meaning you can easily remove the flesh while leaving the potato shell intact). The science behind it: Russet potatoes are starchy and when cooked, the flesh tends to break apart, making it easy to create a creamy filling. Starchy potatoes also absorb more moisture, so they’re the ideal choice for mashed and twice-baked potato recipes. On the other hand, waxy potatoes (like red potatoes) have thin skins and hold their shape when cooked, making them difficult too mash and stuff. Yukon gold potatoes are considered somewhere in the middle – starchy AND waxy – so they’re an OK substitute, but you won’t get the same creamy filling and sturdy skin when stuffing. Pro tip: Don’t be tempted to wrap the potatoes in foil for baking; baking in foil softens and weakens the skin. Baking the potatoes unwrapped creates crispier, stronger potato skins (which will stand up to scooping and stuffing).Olive oil. Coat your potatoes with a sheen of olive oil and you’ll enjoy extra-crispy, flavorful skin. The skins of potatoes lose moisture during cooking, so adding a thin layer of oil adds the healthy fat needed to crisp up the skin.
- Bacon. Bacon is a classic ingredient in twice-baked potatoes, and any variety works here. Choose cured, or un-cured, and pork, turkey, or plant based. If you’re not a bacon fan, cooked sausage works too. Pro tip: I like to oven-cook my bacon, so I do it when the baked potatoes are cooling. To cook your bacon in the oven, place the strips on a parchment- or foil-lined baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes, until crisp.
- Cheese. We use cheese in both the filling and the topping of these potatoes. I prefer sharp cheddar cheese because the robust flavor partners well with the smoky bacon. That said, mild cheddar works too.
- Sour cream. Sour cream is tangy and rich and provides most of the moisture in the mashed potato filling. I prefer full fat here (this isn’t a diet recipe). If desired, you can substitute plain yogurt or plain Greek yogurt.
- Heavy cream. I add heavy cream to my twice-baked potatoes because it gives “mashed potato vibes”, which is awesome. The cream also balances the tang of the sour cream. You can substitute milk if desired.
- Butter. There’s no question potatoes and butter have a natural affinity. Butter adds creaminess and flavor to the filling. You can use salted or unsalted butter here.
- Chives. We use chives both IN the filling and as a garnish. The grassy, mild onion flavor is the ideal partner for the rich, creamy, bacon-and-cheese stuffed spuds. As I said, these stuffed potatoes are reminiscent of restaurant-style potato skins, and chives are a classic addition. If desired, you can substitute chopped fresh parsley or green onions.
Can you make twice-baked potatoes in advance? Absolutely. Prepare the stuffed potatoes as directed, up until the second baking. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days. When ready to serve, pull the potatoes from the fridge 30 minutes prior to baking. Transfer the potatoes to a lined baking sheet and bake as directed.
Can you reheat twice-baked potatoes? Yes! Pull the twice-baked potatoes from the fridge 30 minutes before reheating. Then, transfer them to a lined baking sheet and reheat in a 400-degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Reheating the potatoes at 400 degrees re-crisps the skins while heating up the stuffing. I don’t recommend using the microwave to reheat.
Twice-Baked Potatoes
Ingredients
- 5 russet/Idaho potatoes, about 12 ounces each, scrubbed clean
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, 8 ounces, divided
- 1 cup sour cream, preferably full fat
- 4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 4 ounces bacon, cooked until crisp and chopped
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives, divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
- Brush the olive oil all over the outside of the potatoes and then season the skin with salt and black pepper.
- Transfer the potatoes to the prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour, or until fork tender. Keep the oven at 400 degrees. Let the potatoes stand until cool enough to handle (this is a great time to cook the bacon).
- When cool enough to handle, peel 1 potato completely and discard the skin. Transfer the flesh to a large bowl.
- Using a sharp knife, slice into the four remaining potatoes, lengthwise from end to end, and about 1/4 of the way down. Using a small spoon or melon-baller, scoop the flesh from the potatoes, leaving a 1/4-inch-thick layer of flesh with the skin. Transfer the flesh to the bowl with the first potato.
- Return the potato shells to the baking sheet.
- Using a handheld masher or fork, mash the potato pulp until smooth. Add 1 cup of the cheddar cheese, sour cream, heavy cream, butter, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Mix until smooth. Fold in the bacon and 1 tablespoon of the chives.
- Spoon the potato mixture back into the potato shells. Top with the remaining 1 cup of cheddar cheese.
- Return the pan to the oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the potatoes are heated through and the cheese melts.
- Top with the remaining chives and serve hot.