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    🏠Home » Recipes » Potato Recipes

    Twice Baked Potatoes

    Jan 6, 2014 | Last Updated Apr 16, 2021 by Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

    Recipe Table of Contents    
    4.47 from 15 votes

    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.

    twice baked potato on white plate with meal

    Table of Contents
    • 🥔The Potatoes
    • 👨‍🍳The Filling
    • ❄️Storage
    • 📖Potato Recipes
    • 🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
    • 📖Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

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    Introduction

    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 inspiration by 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 a very hard concept and almost fool-proof.

    My Rating

    My rating system. Great 5 out of 5

    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 ½ 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

    This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.

    Potato Recipes, Side Dish Recipes
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    🖼️Step-by-Step Photo 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.

    potatoes with other ingredients

    Preheat oven to 400° convection or 425° conventional.

    scrubing a potato under running water

    Scrub the skin well. You will be eating it.

    brushing cleaned potatoes with oil

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

    potatoes on the oven rack

    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.

    butter chopped up on black board

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

    scooping potato out of the skins

    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.

    mixing potato with ingredients in a glass bowl

    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.

    stuffed potatoes with cheese on top

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

    four potatoes browned on baking tray

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

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    📖Recipe

    twice baked potato on white plate with meal

    Twice Baked Potatoes

    From Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
    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.
    Tap to leave a Rating
    4.47 from 15 votes
    Print Email CollectionCollected
    Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
    Servings #/Adjust if desired 2 servings

    Ingredients

    US Customary - Convert to Metric
    • 1 russet potato - larger
    • 2 tablespoons butter
    • 2 tablespoons sour cream
    • 2 tablespoons milk
    • ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese - plus a little for topping
    • ¼ teaspoon seasoning salt - I used Lowry's
    • ⅛ teaspoon pepper
    • 1-2 strips bacon - 8 Tbsp or 4 strips, optional
    • 1 green onion - One per potato - optional
    • anything else you want - optional

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 400° degrees convection or 425° conventional.
      potatoes with other ingredients
    • Scrub russet potato(es).
      scrubing a potato under running water
    • Coat with some oil lightly.
      brushing cleaned potatoes with oil
    • Bake until well done. About 1 hour or more.
      potatoes on the oven rack
    • While potatoes are cooking, slice up butter and combine with sour cream, milk, shredded cheddar cheese, seasoning salt (Lowry's or similar), and pepper.
      butter chopped up on black board
    • 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.
      scooping potato out of the skins
    • Mix the scooped potatoes into the butter mixture and mash together. This does not need to be smooth.
      mixing potato with ingredients in a glass bowl
    • You may add optional bacon, green onion or other things here if you want. If refrigerating or freezing, I suggest skipping the onion.
      stuffed potatoes with cheese on top
    • Bake at 375° for about 20 minutes until hot and browning some.
      baked potato halves on a pan
    See the step-by-step photos in the post. Some recipes have an option to display the photos here with a switch above these instructions but the photos DO NOT print.

    My Private Notes

    Click here to save your own private notes only you will see. These will print and be saved for your next visit.
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    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.  

    To 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 Estimate

    Calories : 241 kcal (12%) | Carbohydrates : 21 g (7%) | Protein : 5 g (10%) | Fat : 16 g (25%) | Saturated Fat : 10 g (50%) | Cholesterol : 44 mg (15%) | Sodium : 211 mg (9%) | Potassium : 493 mg (14%) | Fiber : 1 g (4%) | Sugar : 2 g (2%) | Vitamin A : 505 IU (10%) | Vitamin C : 6 mg (7%) | Calcium : 110 mg (11%) | Iron : 1 mg (6%)
    Serving size is my estimate of a normal size unless stated otherwise. The number of servings per recipe is stated above. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.
    Course : Potato
    Cuisine : American

    © 101 Cooking for Two, LLC. All content and photographs are copyright protected by us or our vendors. While we appreciate your sharing our recipes, please realize copying, pasting, or duplicating full recipes to any social media, website, or electronic/printed media is strictly prohibited and a violation of our copyrights.

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

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. rnowakowski@tiffinfranciscans.org

      April 25, 2020 at 1:46 pm

      You said that sour cream is basic but I don't have that ingredient. Please advise.
      Thanks.

      Reply
      • Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

        April 25, 2020 at 1:54 pm

        Welcome to the blog.

        You will see a lot of other types of recipes move between sour cream and plain yogurt or cream cheese. The yogurt might be ok but most people don't keep plain yogurt around. I do not think cream cheese is a good idea here.

        I would say, find a different recipe. I suggest https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/parmesan-garlic-baked-potatoes/ which is one of my personal favorite things to do to a russet potato.

        Dan

    2. Mrs Sharon Gosselin

      December 24, 2018 at 2:44 pm

      My husband has a allergy to sour cream can i use mayo instead of sour cream

      Reply
      • DrDan

        December 24, 2018 at 6:11 pm

        Hi Sharon,
        Welcome to the blog.
        Mayo or yogurt would be the commonly recommended substitutes. I have not tried it here and of course, there will be a taste difference.
        Thanks for the note and have a great holiday.
        Dan

    3. Alfred

      July 12, 2018 at 9:27 pm

      You explained the entire recipe EXCEPT the second baking process. This is a single baked potato with mixed guts.

      Reply
      • DrDan

        July 12, 2018 at 9:34 pm

        Hi Alfred,
        I was in the discussion above but didn't make it to the recipe card. Mixed and thanks for the proof-read.
        Dan

    4. Jim and Brenda Uren

      May 13, 2014 at 5:57 pm

      I'm sorry to say that we have been amiss in emailing and telling how we enjoy your site. In that we are Badger fans living in Memphis and you probably a Wolverine or Spartan fan might be the reason. Football aside, we have made dozens of your recipes. All have either been great or almost great! Now for our complaint.....how about coming out with a good pasty recipe? The rest of America could stand a little Cornish history and a good pasty recipe. Many thanks, Jim and Brenda Uren, Memphis

      Reply
      • DrDan

        May 13, 2014 at 8:24 pm

        I LOVE Memphis. I was at the Peabody last year for convention (the place with the ducks for your readers out there) and years ago got my Pediatric Oncology training at St. Judes. I'm an Iowa State guy and Michigan by marriage. The wife's family and my kids are true blue. I happen to be on MSU's clinical teaching staff. But football wise lean to the blue side.

        But Wisconsin football... do they ever graduate anybody because it seems to always be the same guys out there every year running the same running play. Huge huge lineman.

        Now for the complaint. Pasties... Not in my Iowa background and I have never though of trying to make one. I'll put it on the list and run it by the wife (the Michigander). The few I have had were in hospitals and I'm sure not good examples. I should be able to make a meat pie and if nothing else, I can make a great gravy to cover up my sins (is that allowed?).

        Thanks for the note and have some Marlowe's ribs for me.
        DrDan

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