Twice Baked Potatoes

As a busy mom of 8, I love these Twice Baked Potatoes Recipe. It makes the perfect side dish recipe and always a family favorite. It is the ultimate comfort food and even taste better with your favorite toppings.

My kids usually want me to make these Homemade Mashed Potatoes, Au Gratin Potatoes Crock Pot Recipe or Hasselback Potatoes with their Grilled Chicken Dinner. But are now starting to request these Easy Twice Bake Potatoes.

Why This Recipe Works

These twice baked potatoes, with a crispy potato flesh texture and a soft center is now my go-to side dish recipe. We love the cheesy center and the amazing flavor after they are baked.

If you are feeding a crowd, this is the perfect budget side dish to make. You can easily prepare ahead of time and bake from frozen.

What are the Best Potatoes to Use?

We find that the best potatoes to use is the Russet Potatoes. These potatoes can hold up to the stuffing and the potato is light and fluffy.

Ingredients

• Russet Potatoes – We used small potatoes. Russet potatoes is a great high starch option
• Milk – Use milk of choice but we like using whole milk
• Sour Cream – For a lower calorie option, use Greek Yogurt
• Garlic Salt – See The Best Garlic Salt Substitute if you are out. Garlic powder is a great substitute
• Butter – We used unsalted butter
• Green Onions – Optional topping
• Bacon – Chopped crispy bacon or use bacon bits
• Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese – Use other types of shredded cheese

Scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe and ingredients in the recipe card.

Variations Ideas

• Potatoes – Feel free to use a potato that you prefer. Choose from Red Potatoes or Yukon Gold Potatoes.
• Cheese – You can easily use different types of cheese to top the potato. Blue cheese is delicious sprinkle on top after the potato is baked.
• Topping – When serving these potatoes, feel free to add your favorite toppings. Cooked chopped broccoli, chili, and shredded BBQ Pork are always a great idea.
• Cream Cheese – To add flavor, feel free to add a cream cheese spread to the potatoes. You can also use Greek Yogurt instead of sour cream for a lower calorie option.

How to Make Twice Baked Potatoes

Step 1 – Wash potatoes and allow to dry. Rub with olive oil and season with salt. Bake in a 375 degree oven oven for 1 hour (or you could cook them easily in the crockpot) until fork tender on the oven rack. Allow to cool slightly. You want the potatoes to be cool enough to handle.

Step 2 – Slice the potatoes in half and spoon out the insides so that you have the potato shells.

Step 3 – In a large bowl, mash potatoes with potato masher, sour cream, butter, garlic salt, teaspoon salt and pepper until smooth. Add milk as needed to create a creamy potato texture. Stir in chives, bacon and ¾ cup cheddar cheese.

Step 4 – Stuff the potato mixture back into the shells. (You can even top with cheese and/or bacon -YUM!). Then bake for an additional 15 minutes to 20 minutes until warm, cheese is melted and delicious. Then serve and enjoy.

Recipe Tips

• Combining Ingredients – Mash the potatoes in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer. Then mix in the remaining ingredients until it creates a smooth and creamy texture.
• Scooping Cooked Potato – When scooping the potato from the shell, make sure to gently remove the majority of the potato. You want to make sure to leave about ¼ inch potato skin to fill with the potato mixture.
• Cover Potatoes – If you have a problem with the cheese burning before they are heated through, you may need to cover with aluminum foil.

Serving Suggestions

Serve these Twice Baked Potatoes with many different meals. They are perfect to serve with your holiday meal or for an easy weeknight side dish recipe.

They are delicious served with Garlic Butter Steak Bites, 35 Easy Grilled Chicken Thigh Recipes, Beef Roast or Grilled Salmon in Foil Recipe. Whenever you serve them, they are always a crowd favorite.