Simple and delicious, these easy Twice Bake Potatoes are creamy, cheesy, and packed with bacon and other things you love—the perfect side dish comfort food for any meal.
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👍Why you should make this recipe
- This easy twice-baked potato recipe is delicious with cheesy potatoes and your choice of additives or toppings.
- Perfect for steak or many other meals or load on the topping, and it can be the main course.
- Make it "loaded" with bacon, cheese, and onion.
- Make them for two or a crowd.
- Easy to make ahead and freeze for later.
- Take your baked potatoes to the next level with the simple step-by-step photo instructions.
Inspired by Pioneer Woman since she keeps it basic.
🥔Ingredients
- Potatoes—large russet only
- Butter—chopped into small pieces
- Sour cream
- Milk
- Cheese—shredded cheddar cheese or others
- Seasoning salt—Lowry's or similar
- Black Pepper
- Bacon—optional but highly recommended
- Optional ingredients include green onion, chives, broccoli, or anything else.
👨🍳How to Make Twice-Baked Potatoes
- Scrub russet potatoes, coat with oil, and bake until fully cooked—about 1 hour.
- Combine with sour cream, butter, milk, shredded cheddar cheese, seasoning salt (Lowry's or similar), and black pepper. Optional ingredients can be added here. Do not add onion if storing for later.
- After the potatoes are cool, scoop out the potato insides leaving a small rim of potato in the skins.
- Mix the scooped potatoes into the sour cream mixture and mash together. This does not need to be smooth.
- Refill the potato skins, then cover them with shredded cheese.
- Sprinkle with optional bacon, green onion, or other things here.
- Bake at 375° for about 20 minutes until hot and browning some.
✔️Tips
- Use only russet potatoes for twice-baked potatoes. You need the starchy center and the thicker skin to hold it together.
- While still warm, the potato should be mixed with the sour cream, or the texture may be gummy.
- Do not over-mix the potato mixture. Mix by hand or gently with the mixer unless you want a fluffy mashed potato texture.
- Be careful to spoon out the potato leaving about ¼ inch to protect the skin.
- Do not use onion if you plan to store or freeze the potatoes. The taste will dominate.
- Most optional ingredients may be added to the potatoes or on top before baking.
❓Making ahead and how to store leftovers
Once stuffed, the potatoes can be sealed airtight and refrigerated for 3 days or frozen for 3 months. If doing either, do not add onion which will dominate the flavors.
Generally, frozen potatoes would be thawed first, but frozen twice-baked potatoes can be cooked without thawing. Remove from the freezer and unwrap. Place in a baking dish and cover tightly with foil. Bake covered for about 30 minutes at 425°, then uncover and bake another 15-20 minutes until hot.
Store leftovers sealed in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 days. Leftovers can be frozen depending on your optional ingredients.
Reheating in the oven, air fryer, or microwave.
📖Potato Recipes
Crispy Parmesan Baked Potatoes
This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.
🖼️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.
Preheat oven to 400° convection or 425° conventional.
Scrub the skin well.
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 unsure, check for an internal temperature of 200° to 210°.
While potatoes are cooking, combine butter, sour cream, milk, shredded cheese, seasoning salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add optional ingredients but do not add onion if storing for later. Mash them together and set them aside.
Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes; cut in half, then scoop out most of the potato with a large spoon leaving a ¼ inch rim of potato.
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 tablespoons or 1 slice of bacon per half of the potato. The green onion is about one onion per whole 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 at this point.
You can add more optional ingredients before baking. Place on baking tray sprayed with PAM and bake at 375° for about 20 minutes until hot and browning.
Recipe
Easy Twice Baked Potatoes
Ingredients
- 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° convection or 425° conventional.
- Scrub the potato skin well.
- 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 unsure, check for an internal temperature of 200° to 210°.
- While potatoes are cooking, combine butter, sour cream, milk, shredded cheese, seasoning salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add optional ingredients but do not add onion if storing for later. Mash them together and set them aside.
- Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes; cut in half, then scoop out most of the potato with a large spoon leaving a ¼ inch rim of potato.
- 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 tablespoons or 1 slice of bacon per half of the potato. The green onion is about one onion per whole 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 at this point.
- You can add more optional ingredients before baking. Place on baking tray sprayed with PAM and bake at 375° for about 20 minutes until hot and browning.
Your Own Private Notes
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- This is only for mature Russet potatoes.
- The recipe is for one potato which makes two servings. You can easily adjust the ingredients in this recipe card by changing the number of servings.
- I find half of a potato is a good serving.
- The milk, sour cream, cheese, and usually bacon are basic. So is the green onion usually, but I would skip it if refrigerating or freezing.
- Good sealed tightly in the refrigerator for 3-4 days and frozen for 2-3 months. So make them ahead.
- You can cook a still-frozen twice baked potato. Instructions are in the post. But generally, you would though first.
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
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Editor's Note: Originally published January 6, 2014. Updated with expanded discussion and options. Photos have been refreshed, and a table of contents has been added to aid navigation.
rnowakowski@tiffinfranciscans.org
You said that sour cream is basic but I don't have that ingredient. Please advise.
Thanks.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
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
Mrs Sharon Gosselin
My husband has a allergy to sour cream can i use mayo instead of sour cream
DrDan
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
Alfred
You explained the entire recipe EXCEPT the second baking process. This is a single baked potato with mixed guts.
DrDan
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
Jim and Brenda Uren
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
DrDan
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