Easy Twice Baked Potato Recipe
Twice Baked Potatoes are perfect for a family dinner any night of the week, and also a great side dish for a special occasion. Top these yummy potatoes with plenty of cheese and your favorite toppings for a different twist on traditional baked potatoes.
Baked potatoes are a simple, budget friendly dish that many families love. There’s just something about the crispy skin and of course, the toppings! Our family does a baked potato bar night at least a few times a month, and the kids love that they can create a complete meal with just one giant veggie.
However, eating them the same way each time can quickly become boring, especially if you have kids. Enter the twice baked potato, which is actually a lot easier to make then many people think.
If you loved mashed potatoes and cheese, you’ll love this twist. With a creamy filling loaded with cheese and sour cream, I love to top mine with bacon and a sprinkling of chives.
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What is a Twice Baked Potato?
Essentially, a twice-baked potato is a baked potato skin that is filled with mashed potatoes and cooked again.
They look fancy, but are actually are simple to whip up. Literally all that’s required is to:
- Cook the potatoes
- Make the filling (which is very much like making mashed potatoes)
- Add the filling into the baked potato skin
- Bake again.
Ingredients Needed for Twice Baked Potatoes
To make easy Twice-Baked Potatoes, you’ll need a few simple ingredients you can find at your local grocery store. Full measurements are included on the recipe card, which you can scroll to at the end of you’d like:
- Large potatoes
- Sour cream
- Milk
- Cooked and crumbled bacon
- Olive oil
- Unsalted butter
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Scallions or green onions
- Salt and pepper
You’ll also need a large mixing bowl, baking sheet and spoon.
My favorite baking potatoes to use for baked potatoes are Russet potatoes. They turn out great every time.
For this recipe you can use any kind of milk, including plant-based. Keep in mind that some plant-based milks have an extra flavor (like coconut milk, oat milk etc), so I recommend using only regular milk, skim milk or unsweetened soy for best results.
Home cooked bacon or bacon bites both work well for this recipe. While I use shredded cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, Colby jack cheese, Monterrey jack cheese, sharp cheddar cheese or other shredded cheeses will work too.
Whether you’re making these potatoes to serve with Keto BBQ Chicken Casserole or Hot Ham and Cheese Sliders on a weeknight or with star dish for the holidays, your family will love this alternative to the standard baked potato.
How to Make Twice Baked Potatoes
To make these easy Twice Baked Potatoes, you’ll first preheat your oven to 400°F.
Wash and scrub the baking potatoes thoroughly. Pat them dry with paper towel and prick them with a fork a few times to allow steam to escape during baking.
Rub the outside of the potato with oil and sprinkle with salt. Place them directly on the oven rack or on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Bake for about 60 minutes, or until they’re tender when pierced with a fork.
Remove the potatoes from the oven and let them cool slightly so you can handle them. Cut each potato in half lengthwise. Carefully scoop out the insides, leaving a thin shell to hold the filling.
In a mixing bowl, mash the potato insides with a fork or potato masher. Add the sour cream, milk, butter, half of the crumbled bacon, half of the shredded cheddar cheese, half of the chopped scallions, salt, and pepper. Mix well until the ingredients are combined and the mixture is creamy.
Spoon the potato mixture back into the potato shells, mounding it slightly. Top each potato with the remaining shredded cheddar cheese and crumbled bacon.
Place the potatoes back in the oven and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Remove the potatoes from the oven and sprinkle with the remaining chopped scallions, extra cheese or whatever your favorite toppings are.
Serve warm and enjoy!
Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
How to Reheat Twice Baked Potatoes
While this recipe serves 8, if you have a smaller family you might be left with leftover Twice-Baked Potatoes. Luckily, there are a few easy ways to reheat twice baked potatoes, and they taste great the next day.
My favorite reheating method is using the air fryer. To reheat twice baked potatoes in the air fryer, place them into the air fryer basket and cook at 400 degrees for 5-7 minutes. They’re ready quickly and the air fryer helps the skins crisp bake up after being in the refrigerator.
You can also use a conventional oven. Place the leftover potatoes on a baking sheet lined with foil, and bake in a preheated oven at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-15 minutes.
Tips for the Best Twice Baked Potatoes
Twice baked potatoes can easily be made up to a day ahead if you want to make these potatoes in advance.
Bake the potatoes and follow the steps to scoop out the flesh and mix the filling. Then, put the hollowed-out potato halves in one airtight container, and the potato filling in another. Store them in the refrigerator.
When you’re ready, spoon the filling into the already prepared potato halves and bake according to the rest of the recipe instructions. Don’t forget to top with cheese before popping into the oven!
For extra crispy potato skins, after washing be sure to dry the potatoes fully with paper towels before rubbing with oil.
If you love this twice-baked potatoes recipe, please be sure to pin this recipe on Pinterest for other families to find, too.
Twice baked potatoes can be frozen. Wrap each individual potato well in plastic wrap before placing in a freezer bag or freezer safe container.
You might also enjoy these potato dishes:
Crockpot Hamburger Potato Casserole
Easy Twice Baked Potato Recipe
Twice-Baked Potatoes are perfect for a family dinner any night of the week, and also a great side dish for a special occasion. Top these yummy potatoes with plenty of cheese and your favorite toppings for a different twist on traditional baked potatoes.
Ingredients
- 4 large baking potatoes
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup milk
- 4 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 scallions, finely sliced
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F
- Wash and scrub the baking potatoes thoroughly. Pat them dry using paper towels, and prick them with a fork a few times to allow steam to escape during baking.
- Rub the potatoes with oil and sprinkle with salt. Place them directly on the oven rack or on a baking sheet. Bake for about 60 minutes, or until they're tender when pierced with a fork.
- Remove the potatoes from the oven and let them cool slightly so you can handle them.
- Cut each potato in half lengthwise. Carefully scoop out the insides, leaving a thin shell to hold the filling.
- In a mixing bowl, mash the potato insides with a fork or potato masher. Add the sour cream, milk, butter, half of the crumbled bacon, half of the shredded cheddar cheese, half of the chopped scallions, salt, and pepper. Mix well until the ingredients are combined and the mixture is creamy.
- Spoon the potato mixture back into the potato shells, mounding it slightly.
- Top each potato with the remaining shredded cheddar cheese and crumbled bacon.
- Place the potatoes back in the oven and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Remove the potatoes from the oven and sprinkle with the remaining
chopped scallions, cheese and your favorite baked potato toppings. - Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
- Twice baked potatoes can easily be made up to a day ahead if
you want to make these potatoes in advance. Bake the potatoes and follow the steps to scoop out the flesh and mix the filling. Then, put the hollowed-out potato halves in one airtight container, and the filling in another. Store them in the refrigerator. - When you’re ready, spoon the filling into the already prepared potato halves and bake according to the rest of the recipe instructions. Don’t forget to top with cheese before popping into the oven!
- To reheat twice baked potatoes in the air fryer, place them into the air fryer basket and cook at 400 degrees for 5-7 minutes. They’re ready quickly and the air fryer helps the skins crisp bake up after being in
the refrigerator. - To reheat twice baked potatoes using a conventional oven, place the leftover potatoes on a baking sheet lined with foil, and bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-15 minutes.
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