Twice Baked Potatoes

Twice-baked potatoes are a great go-to side dish for parties, potlucks or even company meals. Make them for two, or a crowd. Everybody loves them, and you can make them ahead of time.

Jump to:

• 🥔The Potatoes
• 👨‍🍳The Filling
• ❄️Storage
• 📖Potato Recipes
• 🖼️Instructions
• 📖 Recipe

📰Introduction and My Rating

Time to take your baked potatoes to the next level. And it is so easy to do. Make them "loaded potatoes" with lots of goodies or just add what you want or have on hand. Make them for every day, company, or the freezer.

I again read lots of recipes even though it is just a potato casserole in the potato skin. I will give the inspired by to Pioneer Woman since she keeps it basic.

So the summary of this is to bake a potato until well done. Scoop it out while still reasonably warm so it scoops easy and doesn't rip the skin apart. Mix the potato with some sour cream, cheese, milk, and anything else you have. Fill the skins back up and top with a little more cheese. Bake until brown. Not very hard concept and almost fool-proof.

My Rating

It is hard to give a 5 to a side dish, but I love potatoes.

🥔The Potatoes

Usually, a potato is a potato, and they can be interchanged. But not here. You need the thick skin of a Russet potato here. Others just will fall apart.

I suggest a bigger potato, and you will find that 1/2 of a potato is enough for a large serving.

The first step is to bake the potatoes so they are nice and tender and the outside is crispy. So a bit "over-cooked" is better than under-cooked.

Allow them to cool a bit, then carefully scoop out the cooked potato for the next step.

👨‍🍳The Filling

The base of the filling is the cooked potato combined with butter, cheese, sour cream, milk, and other add-ins of your choice.

Make them with what you want. I like loaded with green onion and bacon. I think some broccoli would be excellent. Just so many choices.

If storing, I would skip the onion.

❄️Storage

Once the potatoes are stuffed, they can be stored. Seal tightly, then they are good refrigerated for 3-4 days and can be frozen for about 3 months.

Frozen twice baked potatoes can be cooked without thawing. Remove from the freezer and unwrap. Place in a baking dish, and cover tightly. Bake covered for about 40 minutes at 425°, then uncover and bake another 15-20 minutes until hot.

But generally, frozen potatoes would be thawed first.

📖Potato Recipes

Easy Roasted Red Potatoes

Baked Parmesan Potato Wedges

Crispy Parmesan Baked Potatoes

Crispy Smashed Potatoes

🖼️Instructions

Special note: Pictures are for 8 servings but instructions and recipe card are written for 2 servings (one potato.) Use the serving adjustment in the recipe care to adjust for larger amounts.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees convection or 425 conventional.

Scrub the skin well. You will be eating it.

Brush the skin with a light coat of oil. This will help the skin not dry out and break as you scoop.

Bake for 1 hour or a little more. Be sure they are well done. If you want to use a thermometer, it would but 210 degrees.

While potatoes are cooking, combine of butter, sour cream, milk, shredded cheese, seasoning salt, and pepper. Mash together and set aside.

Remove from oven and let cool only a few minutes, cut in half then scoop out most of the potato leaving a small rim of potato left.

Add the potato to the butter mixture and mash together. No need to over mix. Rough is fine. You could add other things at this point.  Bacon bits would be about 2 Tbsp per half or 1 slice bacon per half. Green onion about one onion potato. If freezing or storing, do not use green onion.

Scoop the potato mixture back into the skins and top with a little shredded cheese. You could refrigerate or freeze them here.

Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes until hot and browning some.

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📖 Recipe

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4.46 from 11 votes

Twice Baked Potatoes

Twice baked potatoes are a great go-to side dish for parties, potlucks or even company meals. Make them for two, or a crowd. Everybody loves them, and you can make them ahead of time.

Prep Time1 hr 15 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time1 hr 35 mins

Author: Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

Servings/Adjust Amount: 2 servings

Ingredients

• 1 russet potato - larger
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese - plus a little for topping
• 1/4 teaspoon seasoning salt - I used Lowry's
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1-2 strips bacon - 8 Tbsp or 4 strips, optional
• 1 green onions - One per potato - optional
• anything else you want - optional

US Customary - Convert to Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400° degrees convection or 425° conventional.
• Scrub russet potato(es).
• Coat with some oil lightly.
• Bake until well done. About 1 hour or more.
• While potatoes are cooking, slice up butter and combine with sour cream, milk, shredded cheddar cheese, seasoning salt (Lowry's or similar), and pepper.
• When potato(es) are done, remove from oven and allow to cool just enough not to burn yourself.
• Scoop out the potato(es) leaving a small rim of potato in the skins. Mix the scooped potatoes into the butter mixture and mash together. This does not need to be smooth.
• You may add optional bacon, green onion or other things here if you want. If refrigerating or freezing, I suggest skipping the onion.
• Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes until hot and browning some.

Recipe Notes

Pro Tips

1. This is only for mature Russet potatoes.
2. The recipe is for 1 potato which makes two servings. You can easily adjust the ingredients for larger amount in this recipe card by changing the number of servings.
3. I find half of a potato is a good serving.
4. The milk, sour cream, and cheese are basic. So is the green onion usually, but I would skip it if refregerating or freezing.
5. Good sealed tightly in the refrigerator for 3-4 days and frozen for 2-3 months. So make them ahead.
6. You can cook a still frozen twice baked potato. Instructions are in the post. But generally, you would though first.
7.  

Course Potato

Cuisine American

 

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ADJUST THE RECIPE SIZE:

You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.  

Nutrition

Calories: 241 kcal | Carbohydrates: 21 g | Protein: 5 g | Fat: 16 g | Saturated Fat: 10 g | Cholesterol: 44 mg | Sodium: 211 mg | Potassium: 493 mg | Fiber: 1 g | Sugar: 2 g | Vitamin A: 505 IU | Vitamin C: 6 mg | Calcium: 110 mg | Iron: 1 mg

 

Nutrition is generally for one serving. Number of servings is stated above and is my estimate of normal serving size for this recipe.

 

All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.

Editor's Note: Originally published January 6, 2014. Updated with expanded discussion and options. Photes have been refreshed and a table of contents added to aid navigation.