Twice Baked Potatoes are the absolute perfect side dish for your family dinners or as a game day appetizer. The tender baked potato boats have a crispy shell from the double baking process, and the gooey, cheesy filling oozes flavor into every bite. They're commonly served in sports bars and chain restaurants, but the homemade version is so much better!
These special Potatoes are made by removing the fluffy insides of regular baked potatoes, then whipping them together with your favorite baked potato toppings like bacon, sour cream, cheddar, and green onions, before placing them back in the potatoes before baking once again. These loaded baked potatoes are a great side dish or appetizer for any party, and they're easy enough to make instead of mashed potatoes at your next event!
Why You'll Love These Twice Baked Potatoes
- Ultimate comfort food. The best part of baked potatoes is the toppings, which transform ordinary potatoes into something exceptional. Twice-baked potatoes bake the creamy, cheesy toppings you love inside the shell of a baked potato. They're warm, crispy, and salty, with a gooey, creamy, savory filling. You won't be able to eat just one.
- Easy to serve. Instead of setting up a loaded baked potato bar and having everyone choose their own toppings, these easy twice baked potatoes take care of all of that. Your guests can simply serve and go!
- Perfect textures. Since the potato gets cooked twice, the tender skin becomes nice and crispy in the oven. As you crunch through it, you find the creamy, cheesy potato filling on the inside. The balance of crisp skin and tender cheesy potato filling is a match made in heaven!
Ingredient Notes
To make these delicious twice baked potatoes, you will need the following ingredients (full measurements in recipe card below):
- Russet potatoes - stick with starchy Russets. Look for large, firm potatoes and wash them well.
- avocado oil - rub the oil over the potatoes before baking to help them develop a crispy crust. Olive oil is a good alternative.
- milk - this will thin out the potato filling to make it almost like creamy mashed potatoes. Use any type of milk.
- butter - use unsalted butter and cut it to 1-inch pieces.
- sour cream - sour cream adds a creamy, tangy flavor to these twice baked potatoes.
- cheddar cheese - add shredded cheddar to the creamy filling and sprinkle extra on top to melt in the oven.
- bacon - precook the bacon to add the bacon bits and leftover bacon fat to the creamy potato filling for extra flavor.
- green onions - finely chopped green onions are the perfect garnish.
- salt and black pepper
You will also need a fork (or knife), baking sheet, skillet, large mixing bowl, and spatula.
How to Make the Best Twice Baked Potatoes
- Bake potatoes. Scrub potatoes clean, then poke all over with a fork or knife, and rub the potatoes all over with oil. Place the potatoes in a large baking sheet and bake in a 400F preheated oven until cooked through and fork tender, about 1 hour.
- Cook bacon. While the potatoes are baking, add bacon in a skillet and cook over medium-high heat until browned on both sides and crisp, about 6-8 minutes. Reserve the bacon fat in a bowl and transfer the bacon onto a paper towel lined plate. Chop the bacon into small bits.
- Slice and scoop potatoes. Once cooked, allow the potatoes to cool for 15 minutes until cool enough to handle. Then, gently slice the baked potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out the insides without tearing the shells. Leave about a ¼ inch border of potato flesh on the skin. Set the potato shells aside.
- Make filling. Transfer the potato flesh into a large mixing bowl and add milk, butter, sour cream, 1 cup cheddar cheese, salt, pepper, and reserved bacon fat. Stir well with a spatula until evenly combined. Stir in half of the bacon bits.
- Stuff potato skins. Fill the potato shells evenly with the mashed potato mixture and top with extra cheddar cheese and bacon bits.
- Bake. Reduce the oven temperature to 350F and bake the stuffed mashed potatoes again for another 20 minutes until heated through and the cheese has melted.
- Serve. Sprinkle with green onions and serve warm.
Recipe Variations
- Buffalo twice baked potatoes. Instead of cheddar cheese, add your favorite blue cheese crumbles and a few dashes of buffalo sauce for a hot wing-inspired side dish.
- Air fryer twice baked potato recipe. If your oven is busy, follow the same steps to bake your hot potatoes in the air fryer. Adjust the cook time to 40-45 for the baked potatoes and 10-15 minutes after adding the toppings.
- Broccoli cheese twice baked potatoes. Add some chopped steamed broccoli to the potato filling for an extra dose of color and veggies.
How to Serve
This twice baked potato recipe is delicious served on its own, or paired with some of my favorite main courses and sides including:
- Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs
- Classic Juicy Hamburgers
- Game Day Buffalo Hot Wings
- Jalapeño Poppers
- Spicy Mac and Cheese
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Use the right potatoes. You need a potato with a high starch content to get a fluffy texture. Russet potatoes are the best option.
- Don't rush the potatoes. This twice-baked potatoes recipe only works if the inside of your potatoes is light and fluffy. If you underbake the potatoes, they will be dense and hard. Make sure they are perfectly fork tender first.
- Adjust to taste. Feel free to season the filling with your favorite spices like garlic powder, onion powder, a little smoked paprika, etc. Make it your own!
- Season well. Potatoes are very bland on their own. If you want your potatoes to be really flavorful, you need to taste the filling and season them well.
Storing and Freezing Instructions
How to Store
Store leftover twice-baked potatoes in an airtight container or cover them well with plastic wrap. Store in the fridge for 3-4 days.
How to Reheat
Although you can microwave the twice-baked potatoes, the preferred method is to bake them in a 400 degree F oven for 10-15 minutes until nice and warm. You can also reheat them in the air fryer at 400F for about 7-10 minutes.
How to Freeze
After chilling, place the potatoes in a freezer-safe container. They'll store well for up to 3 months. Allow the potatoes to thaw overnight in the fridge to room temperature before reheating according to instructions above.
FAQ
Regular baked potatoes are made by baking whole potatoes in the oven. That's all they are — hot, tender potatoes with a fluffy inside. To make twice baked potatoes, you remove the fluffy center of the potatoes and mix it with your favorite baked potato toppings like sour cream, cheddar cheese, butter and more. Then, the filling is added to the halved potato skins and baked a second time.
It's really important to use good food safety practices, especially at parties or the holidays. Twice baked potatoes should only stay out for a maximum of 2 hours before the leftovers need to be stored in the fridge. At room temperature, the bacteria on the food can grow extremely fast. In the fridge, they grow much more slowly. If you need them to sit out longer, keep them warm in a crockpot or chafing dish. Just remember that they need to be kept above 140 degrees F to stay fresh.
Twice baked potatoes are the perfect side dish or appetizer! For your next game day, serve them as an app with your favorite wings, creamy dips, and other finger foods. They also pair well with your favorite roasts, burgers, pulled pork, or brats as a side dish. Basically, any time you'd serve French fries or baked potatoes, you can serve twice-baked potatoes!
More Potato Recipes
- 40 Best Potato Recipes
- Mashed Potato Casserole
- BBQ Chicken Stuffed Baked Potatoes
- Potato Leek Soup
- Baked Mashed Potatoes
- Duchess Potatoes
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