Twice Baked Potatoes {the BEST!} - Two Peas & Their Pod (2024)

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Quick Summary

Twice Baked Potatoes-Salty and crisp baked potato shells stuffed with light and fluffy mashed potatoes, cheese, and bacon. These cheesy potatoes are a family favorite side dish and go great with any meal!

Twice Baked Potatoes {the BEST!} - Two Peas & Their Pod (1)

Potatoes are always a home run at our house. Potato soup, potato wedges, mashed potatoes, the list goes on! Anytime potatoes are on the menu, in any form, I can guarantee the boys will be excited.

Twice Baked Potatoes are probably their favorite potatoes and I am not surprised because they are basically the ultimate potatoes!

What is a twice baked potato? Basically, a crispy baked potato shell that gets stuffed with creamy mashed potatoes, lots of cheese, bacon, and garnished with fresh chives.

They are called twice baked because they get baked twice, once to bake the potato and once to cook after they are stuffed with cheesy mashed potato goodness! They are basically the king of all potatoes. Hello, comfort food!

Table of Contents

  1. The Best Potatoes to Use
  2. Key Ingredients
  3. How to Make Twice Baked Potatoes
  4. How to Reheat
  5. How to Freeze
  6. Serving Suggestions
  7. FAQ
  8. More Potato Recipes
  9. Twice Baked Potatoes Recipe
Twice Baked Potatoes {the BEST!} - Two Peas & Their Pod (2)

The Best Potatoes to Use

Russet potatoes are the best potatoes to use. They are larger than red potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes and we want a larger potato because we are stuffing the potato halves with a delicious filling.

The skins are also thick and sturdy, making them easy to hollow out and stuff. They can hold all of the filling without falling apart.

Twice Baked Potatoes {the BEST!} - Two Peas & Their Pod (3)

Key Ingredients

  • Potatoes–washed, dried, and rubbed lightly with oil.
  • Butter– bring on the butter!
  • Sour cream– to make the potato filling creamy and rich!
  • Milk– we use whole milk, but use your favorite.
  • Bacon– cooked, chopped bacon goes in the potato filling. We also sprinkle cooked bacon on top of the potatoes because more is more!
  • Cheese– we use shredded cheddar cheese in the filling and we melt cheese on top!
  • Garlic powder– to add flavor to the filling.
  • Paprika– so good with potatoes!
  • Green onion– sliced green onions to stir into the filling.
  • Chives– for garnish!
Twice Baked Potatoes {the BEST!} - Two Peas & Their Pod (4)

How to Make Twice Baked Potatoes

  • First, wash the potatoes well and dry them. Pierce the potatoes with a fork and lightly oil them. Place on a large baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees F for 45 minutes to an hour or until potatoes are soft. If you are in a pinch, you can cook the potatoes in the microwave.
  • With a sharp knife, slice the potatoes in half lengthwise. Carefully scoop out the flesh with a spoon, leaving about a 1/4-inch thickness of flesh in each shell. Put the potato flesh into a medium bowl and place the potato shells back on the baking sheet.
  • Add the butter, sour cream, milk, chopped bacon, cheese, garlic powder, paprika, green onion, salt and pepper to the potato flesh. Mash until desired consistency.
  • Fill the potato shells evenly with the mashed potato filling. Top each potato with a shredded cheese and place in the oven. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
  • Remove from oven and top each potato with chopped bacon, chives, and season with salt and pepper. Serve warm.

How to Reheat

You can keep leftover baked potatoes in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, place them back in the oven until the cheese is melted. You can reheat in the microwave, but this isn’t our preferred method because the potatoes tend to get a little soggy.

How to Freeze

You can freeze twice baked potatoes. Here are a few tips!

  • If you are making them in advance, you can fill them and freeze them. Don’t top with the cheese, bacon, and chives. Wait until they are cooled and then put them on a baking tray and put in the freezer for 1 hour.
  • Remove and store in a freezer container or you can wrap them individually in foil or plastic wrap and put in a freezer bag. To reheat, thaw potatoes in the fridge for 24 hours. Add the cheese and bake according to recipe instructions or until heated through. Remove from oven and top with bacon and chives. You can heat in the microwave, but the oven is the preferred method.
  • If you twice baked your potatoes and want to freeze leftovers, let the potatoes cool completely. Place on a baking sheet and freeze for 1 hour. Remove and store in a freezer container or you can wrap them individually in foil or plastic wrap and put in a freezer bag. To reheat, thaw potatoes in the fridge for 24 hours. Bake according to recipe instructions or until heated through. You can reheat in the microwave is the preferred method.

Serving Suggestions

Twice baked potatoes are the perfect side dish to almost any meal and they are always a hit during the holidays. You will often find them on the menu at Easter and Christmas time.

You can serve them along side ham, chicken, fish, steak, soup, or salad! The options are endless. Here are some recipe ideas:

  • Lemon Butter Chicken
  • Pistachio Crusted Baked Salmon
  • Steak Salad
  • Honey Mustard Chicken
  • Buttermilk Oven Fried Chicken
Twice Baked Potatoes {the BEST!} - Two Peas & Their Pod (6)

FAQ

Why are my twice baked potatoes falling apart?

Do not wrap the potatoes in foil before baking. It softens the shells and will make them fall apart. Baking them unwrapped makes the skins crispy and stronger, which will help keep the potatoes together when scooping out the flesh and filling them.

Why are my twice baked potatoes gummy?

Again, don’t wrap them in foil when baking. The foil traps in moisture and will cause the potatoes to be too soft. Also, mash the potatoes when they are warm and use room temperature butter, sour cream, and milk. Don’t over mix your add-ins into the mashed potatoes. Finally, make sure you don’t over bake the potatoes after filling them.

How long do I cook twice baked potatoes?

The potatoes will be cooked twice, that is why they are called twice-baked). The exact time will vary depending on the size of your potatoes, but plan on 45-60 minutes or until your potatoes are fork tender for the first bake. The second bake will take about 15-20 minutes

More Potato Recipes

  • Scalloped Potatoes
  • Garlic Mashed Potatoes
  • Mashed Sweet Potatoes
  • Breakfast Potatoes
  • Potato Soup
  • Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
  • Baked Garlic Parmesan Potato Wedges

Side Dishes

Twice Baked Potatoes

Salty and crisp baked potato shells stuffed with light and fluffy mashed potatoes, cheese, and bacon. These cheesy potatoes are a family favorite side dish and go great with any meal!

4.75 from 4 votes

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

Cuisine American

Servings 8

Ingredients

For the potatoes:

  • 4 medium russet potatoes (washed, dried, and rubbed lightly with oil)

For the filling:

For the topping:

  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 3 pieces cooked bacon chopped
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives
  • Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Poke the potatoes with a fork and place the potatoes on a large baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the potatoes are soft. Remove from the oven and turn the oven temperature to 375 degrees F.

  • With a sharp knife, slice the potatoes in half lengthwise. Carefully scoop out the flesh with a spoon, leaving about a 1/4-inch thickness of flesh in each shell. Put the potato flesh into a medium bowl and place the potato shells back on the baking sheet.

  • Add the butter, sour cream, milk, chopped bacon, cheese, garlic powder, paprika, green onion, salt and pepper to the potato flesh. Mash until desired consistency.

  • Fill the potato shells evenly with the mashed potato filling. Top each potato with a shredded cheese and place in the oven. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

  • Remove from oven and top each potato with chopped bacon, chives, and season with salt and pepper. Serve warm.

Notes

Store leftover baked potatoes in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven.

Nutrition

Calories: 352kcal, Carbohydrates: 21g, Protein: 10g, Fat: 25g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Cholesterol: 64mg, Sodium: 339mg, Potassium: 537mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 665IU, Vitamin C: 6.5mg, Calcium: 202mg, Iron: 1.2mg

Keywords potatoes

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Twice Baked Potatoes {the BEST!} - Two Peas & Their Pod (2024)

FAQs

Why are my twice baked potatoes falling apart? ›

Do not wrap the potatoes in foil before baking. It softens the shells and will make them fall apart. Baking them unwrapped makes the skins crispy and stronger, which will help keep the potatoes together when scooping out the flesh and filling them.

What is the difference between baked potato and twice baked potato? ›

What Is the Difference Between a Baked Potato and a Twice-Baked Potato? Baked potatoes are whole potatoes (usually russet or Idaho) baked until the insides are tender and fluffy. Twice-baked potatoes take two trips into the oven. First the potatoes are baked until soft and tender on the inside.

Are twice cooked potatoes good for you? ›

Incorporating Potatoes into a Healthy Diet

Double cooking potatoes can improve the absorption of starch-based carbohydrates, encourage SCFA production, and promote gut health and weight loss. So next time you're cooking up a batch of potatoes, consider giving them a double cook for maximum nutritional benefit.

Why are my twice baked potatoes gummy? ›

Tip: Don't over mix the potato filling. Over-mixing causes mashed potatoes to become gluey instead of light and fluffy.

Can you eat the skin of a twice baked potato? ›

Can You Eat the Skins? The skins of twice-baked potatoes can absolutely be eaten. They are salted and crispy and are absolutely excellent to eat. In addition, there is quite a bit of nutrient in the potato skins.

Do you cover twice baked potatoes when reheating? ›

If you want to use a conventional oven to reheat them, place any leftover potatoes on a baking sheet and over with foil. Bake at 425 degrees Farenheit for about 15 minutes. My favorite way to reheat them, though, is in the air fryer.

What goes well with twice baked potatoes? ›

The best side dishes to serve with twice-baked potatoes are Mississippi pot roast, chicken drumsticks, roasted duck, braised beef, vegetarian chili, kalua pork, lamb chops, grilled salmon, roasted vegetables, shrimp scampi, steak, chicken Caesar salad, BBQ ribs, mushroom gravy, and green beans almondine.

How long can twice baked potatoes sit out? ›

You want to be able to eat your potato without worrying if you are going to get food poisoning or botulism. Here's how you can ensure that your baked potatoes are safe to eat. DON'T let your potato sit out in the open at room temperature for over four hours regardless of whether or not it is wrapped in aluminum foil.

Why are restaurant baked potatoes better? ›

The olive oil helps the seasonings adhere to the surface of the potato. To save time, restaurants often apply the oil with a spray bottle. Thanks to their naturally high starch content, which creates a plush texture under heat, Russet potatoes make a good fit for baking.

Is it better to bake or microwave a baked potato? ›

Because a microwave steams the inside of the potato rather than baking it from the outside, the resulting potato has a fluffier inner texture. The only downside of microwaving potatoes is that the skin gets soggy and doesn't have the crispy texture that you get from the oven.

Are baked potatoes healthier than bread? ›

Of rice, pasta, potatoes, and bread, potatoes are the healthiest of these starchy and complex carbohydrate foods. This is because potatoes are dense in nutrients, containing essential minerals, vitamins, and other micronutrients. Potatoes are also high in fiber, helping to satiate hunger and regulate blood sugar.

Is it okay to eat a baked potato every day? ›

Eating one medium-size potato a day can be part of a healthy diet and doesn't increase cardiometabolic risk — the chances of having diabetes, heart disease or stroke — as long as the potato is steamed or baked, and prepared without adding too much salt or saturated fat, a study by nutritionists at The Pennsylvania ...

Are baked potatoes good for your stomach? ›

Like soluble fiber, the resistant starch in potatoes acts as a prebiotic, compounds that are helpful to the bacteria in your gut. Like insoluble fiber, it can prevent or treat constipation and irritable bowel syndrome.

How many potatoes a day is too much? ›

A. As a general rule in the potato diet, one can consume 0.9 to 2.3 kg of potatoes daily. A study shows that eating one medium-size potato, either baked or steamed a day, is a part of a healthy diet process that will reduce the risk of cardiometabolic risk, stroke, and diabetes.

How does Gordon Ramsay cook potatoes? ›

You'll just have to boil the potatoes for only about 10 to 15 minutes, or until you can easily poke through them with a fork, then proceed with the baking as usual. And for even more crispiness, Ramsay suggests sprinkling the potatoes with a bit of flour right before putting them in the oven.

How to make smashed potatoes Gordon Ramsay? ›

Gordon Ramsay begins by boiling the potatoes in salted water. Next, he drains the potatoes. After that, he stirs in butter, sour cream, herbs, and seasoning. This is Gordon Ramsay's version of smashed potatoes, which differs from the one in this recipe.

How long does it take potatoes to get soft in the oven? ›

Heat oven to 425°F. In ungreased 15x10x1-inch pan, mix all ingredients; spread evenly in pan. Roast uncovered 25 to 35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender and browned.

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