Twice baked potatoes make an easy side dish. Cook the spuds until tender, cut them in half, and hollow them out like potato skin boats. Load the savory filling inside and broil to create bubbly, melted cheese tops that you can sprinkle with crispy bacon and green onions.
Recipe Science
- For crispy bacon, cut it into strips and start in a cold pan. Increase the heat gradually to avoid burning.
- Russet or Idaho potatoes are best for their flaky texture, which absorbs butter, milk, and sour cream for a smooth, light filling.
- Coat potato starches with butter to prevent a gluey texture, and keep mashed potato filling light and creamy.
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Featured Comment 11
“Delicious and easy to put together. I used a leftover baked potato, plain non-fat yogurt in place of sour cream, and a sprinkle of smoked paprika instead of bacon. Each and every recipe from Jessica Gavin’s cookbook and website has been a phenomenal success in my rookie kitchen. Very grateful.”—Dennis N.
Why It Works
This twice-baked potato recipe takes a simple side dish to the next level by filling each potato with flavorful, delicious stuffing. The extra step allows you to create a concentrated, flavorful filling topped with cheese and garnish. If you’ve never tried this recipe before, you’re in for a treat, and guests will be delighted.
I cook the spuds using my perfect baked potato recipe. After the initial bake, the inside flesh is scooped out and combined with sour cream, butter, milk, bacon, and green onions. It’s a delicious appetizer for game day, parties, or other holiday gatherings.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Potatoes: Russet potatoes or Idaho are the best to use because they have a flaky texture when cooked. The starchy centers effortlessly absorb the butter, milk, and sour cream, creating a smooth yet light filling. For this recipe, I use larger-sized potatoes, 12 to 14 ounces, which make generous dinner portions. Smaller sizes, about 5 to 8 ounces in size, can be used for appetizers.
- Butter: Adds richness to the filling and keeps it smooth and creamy.
- Bacon: Bacon provides a smoky flavor for the topping. I use thick-cut bacon, which holds its shape better and is less brittle once cooked.
- Potato Filling: Whole milk and sour cream make the filling smooth and light. Green onions give fresh herbaceous notes. The aged cheddar cheese binds the filling together with the potato mixture.
- Seasoning: Olive oil and salt season the potato skins. Black pepper adds a mild spicy kick for garnish.
See the recipe card below for all ingredients and measurements (US and metric).
Ingredient Substitutions
These twice baked potatoes are easy to customize! Try these delicious options:
- Potato Substitutes: Other types of potato can be used like Yukon Gold potatoes, red bliss, white potatoes, or even sweet potatoes. The waxy and creamy potatoes will be denser in texture compared to starchy russets.
- Sour Cream Swaps: Use plain Greek yogurt for more protein, creme fraiche, or cream cheese.
- Bacon Alternatives: Add bacon bits, chopped ham, sausage, prosciutto, pepperoni, salami, grilled chicken, or pulled pork.
- Cheese Options: Try Monetery Jack, Pepper Jack, Parmesan, mozzarella, or smoked gouda.
- Herbs: Garnish with fresh herbs like chives, dill, basil, tarragon, or thyme.
- Sauce: Drizzle on pesto sauce, buffalo sauce, barbecue sauce, or ranch dressing.
How to Make Twice Baked Potatoes
Step 1: Heat the Oven
Position the rack in the center and preheat the oven to 400ºF (204ºC). Place a wire rack on top of a foil-lined, rimmed baking sheet for easy cleanup and even baking, then set it aside. This setup helps the potatoes cook evenly, giving them a perfectly crisp outer skin.
Step 2: Prepare the Potatoes
Scrub and rinse the potatoes under cool water, then dry them. Pierce each potato about 8 times with a fork, making ⅛-inch deep pricks all around. Arrange them on the wire rack, lightly brush the surface with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt. This step helps achieve a crispy, flavorful skin.
Step 3: Bake the Potatoes
Bake the potatoes until a fork easily pierces the center, and the internal temperature reaches 200 to 205ºF (93 to 96ºC), which takes about 60 to 80 minutes, depending on their size.
Step 4: Cook the Bacon
A quick way to make crispy bacon on the stovetop is to cut it into thin strips and fry it in the pan. Start the bacon in a cold pan and then turn the heat to medium. This prevents it from burning too quickly on the surface before the bacon is cooked through.
Step 5: Cool the Potatoes
Remove the potatoes from the oven and let them cool for 10 to 15 minutes until they are cool enough to handle.
Step 6: Remove the Flesh
To create sturdy potato skin boats, carefully remove the potato flesh with a spoon, leaving a rim about ¼-inch thick around the edges.
Step 7: Bake the Potato Skins
Place the potato skins cut-side up on a wire rack set on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes to dry them out slightly before adding the filling.
Step 8: Make the Potato Filling
Use a potato masher to crush the scooped-out potato flesh with butter before adding the wet ingredients.
Combine with cheddar cheese, sour cream, milk, green onions, and bacon.
Ingredient Chemistry: Coating the potato starches with fat prevents them from interacting with the water molecules in the milk, which can make the consistency gluey instead of light and creamy. I do this step when making homemade mashed potatoes for a fluffy texture.
Step 9: Fill the Potato Skins
Fill each potato skin with about ½ cups of the mashed potato filling, shaping it into a mound. Sprinkle cheddar cheese on top for an extra-cheesy finish.
Step 10: Broil the Potatoes
Broil the potatoes for about 5 minutes. The high heat blasts the potatoes one last time to melt the topping and give the skins a final char.
Step 11: To Serve
I like to crumble chopped bacon, green onions, and a sprinkle of black pepper on top right before serving. This makes the twice-baked potatoes look fantastic and adds that final burst of flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, not for twice-baked potatoes. Wrapping the potato in foil steams it, creating soft centers but not crispy skin. The skin should be as dry as possible from start to finish to help it stay crisp as it bakes in the oven. This is important as most people often eat the entire thing.
Yes, ensure the potatoes have cooled to room temperature after broiling. You can individually wrap them with plastic and store them in resealable bags in the freezer for up to one month. To reheat, unwrap the potatoes and bake at 350°F (177°C) on a wire rack or foil-lined baking sheet until warmed through, about 30 to 45 minutes, checking every 5 minutes.
Leftover twice baked potatoes can be covered with plastic wrap or foil and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat one at a time in the microwave on the “high” setting in 30-second intervals until warmed through, about 1 to 2 minutes.
A baked potato is cooked once and served with topping. A twice-baked potato is baked, stuffed with a creamy filling, then baked again for extra flavor and texture.
More Appetizers
If you tried this Twice Baked Potato Recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Twice Baked Potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 russet potatoes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, more for seasoning
- 8 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into ¼" thick pieces
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
- ¾ cup sour cream
- ½ cup whole milk
- ½ cup sliced green onions, divided
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Heat the Oven – Set the oven rack to the center position. Preheat to 400ºF (204ºF). Place a wire rack on top of a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet and set aside.
- Prepare the Potatoes – Scrub and rinse the outside of the potatoes with cool water. Dry with a towel. Pierce each potato with a fork 8 times, about ⅛-inch deep pricks all around. Evenly space the potatoes on top of the wire rack. Lightly brush olive oil over the surface of the potatoes. Sprinkle with salt.
- Bake the Potatoes – Bake until the center of the potato pierces easily with a fork and registers between 200 to 205ºF (93 to 96ºC), about 60 to 80 minutes, depending on size. Meanwhile, cook the bacon.
- Cook the Bacon – Add the bacon to a cold large cast iron skillet. Turn heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally until crispy, about 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Reserve 2 tablespoons for topping.
- Cool the Potatoes – Remove the potatoes from the oven and allow them to cool until cool enough to touch, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Remove the Flesh – Slice each potato lengthwise down the center. Use a spoon to remove the flesh and transfer to a large bowl. It helps to place the potato in a paper towel for better grip. Make sure to leave about ¼-inch thick shell of flesh around the edges. There should be about 3 ½ cups of flesh. Set aside.
- Bake the Potato Skins – Place the potato skins, cut side up, on the sheet pan on top of the wire rack. Bake for 10 minutes to help dry the skins.
- Make the Potato Filling – Lightly mash the reserved potato flesh with the butter. Add 1 cup of cheddar cheese, sour cream, milk, ¼ cup of green onions, and bacon. Use a spatula to combine the ingredients.
- Fill the Potato Skins – Fill each potato skin with about ½ cups of filling and shape it into a mound. Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of cheddar cheese on top.
- Broil the Potatoes – Broil until the cheese is melted, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- To Serve – Top with reserved bacon, green onions, and black pepper.
Notes
- Larger Serving Size: Select 12 to 14-ounce potatoes.
- Make it an Appetizer: Use 5 to 8 ounces of smaller potatoes.
- Storing and Reheating: Refrigerate covered for up to 3 days. Reheat one at a time in the microwave on the “high” setting in 30-second intervals until warmed through, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Freezing: Individually wrap potatoes in plastic, place them in resealable bags, and store them in the freezer for up to 1 month. To reheat, unwrap and bake at 350°F (177°C) on a wire rack or foil-lined baking sheet until warmed through, about 30 to 45 minutes, checking every 5 minutes.
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
Denis Netto says
Delicious and easy to put together. I used a leftover baked potato, plain non-fat Fage yogurt in place of sour cream, and a sprinkle of smoked paprika instead of bacon. Each and every recipe from Jessica Gavin’s cookbook and website has been a phenomenal success in my rookie kitchen. Very grateful.
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you, Denis! I love how you improvised with the ingredients you had on hand. Bravo!
KenR says
What do you think of micro-waving the potatoes instead of baking in the oven? Sometimes we do it this way and then cut them in half then grill them on the BBQ.
Jessica Gavin says
I love microwaving potatoes! Especially if you will be adding more flavor with another cooking method like grilling. I have this cooking technique on my website for how to bake a potato. A great quick method!
Karen says
Hi. I love you recipes so I looked you up to make the twice baked potatoes. I have them all stuffed and ready for the broiler for company tomorrow but I was wondering if I could possibly bake them instead tomorrow? I have no idea how often you check these questions so I’m taking a chance! LOL
Jessica Gavin says
Hi Karen! Once you have them stuffed, you can refrigerate and then bake. It will take a little longer to heat, I would use 375-degrees. This will ensure the potatoes are warmed through and the top will be melted.
Tom says
Just Great!! My boats look just like yours. I’ve been making these for 40 years. I love them with all your stuff plus chopped garlic..HMMM Always a hit at a pot luck party!!
Tom says
Forgot …A little paprika dusting makes them pretty too!!!
Jessica Gavin says
Great tasty tip Tom!
Andre Cote says
Hi Jessica,
Love your site and have prepared several of your recipies. Question:
Ingredients
4 ounce Russet Potatoes, (12 to 14 ounces)
Should this read as : 4 Russet Potatoes (12 to 14 ounces)?
Kind Regards
Jessica Gavin says
Thanks for the catch! It’s been updated to reflect “4 russet potatoes”.