These Twice Baked Potatoes are to-die-for with fluffy mashed potatoes inside and crispy skin outside topped with cheddar cheese and bacon!
My grandmother used to make us twice baked potatoes when I was a kid and I’ve been a fan ever since! It’s like having your favorite mashed potatoes and baked potatoes at once and somehow they are even better when combined.
Start by using a fork to poke holes on all sides of the scrubbed potatoes.
What are the best potatoes for baking?
The best potatoes for baking are ones with a high starch content and a low moisture content. Choose either russets or Idaho potatoes.
Rinse the potatoes with water, place them on a wire rack on a sheet pan, and sprinkle them with kosher salt on both sides.
Bake the potatoes at 450˚F for 45-55 minutes, until tender.
Remove the potatoes from the oven and cut them in half. Use tongs or oven mitts to hold the hot potaotes.
Allow the potatoes to cool slightly and then scoop out the insides leaving the skins intact. A metal ice cream scoop is the perfect tool for this step!
Mash the potatoes in a bowl and then add the milk, melted butter, sour cream, one cup of shredded cheddar cheese, and 1/3 cup of bacon bits. Stir to combine.
Additional Seasoning Suggestions
- garlic powder (or minced garlic)
- onion powder (or minced onion)
- black pepper
- parsley
- paprika
- powdered ranch dressing mix
Brush the potato skins with bacon grease and place them back on the wire rack. Fill the skins with the mashed potato mixture. I like using a medium-size dough scoop for this step. Return the filled skins to the oven and cook them for the second time at 450˚ for 10-13 minutes.
Remove the twice baked potatoes from the oven and top them with the remaining shredded cheddar cheese and bacon bits. Return them to the oven for 3-5 minutes, until the cheese is melted.
Toppings For Twice Baked Potatoes
There are so many toppings choices! You can add the topping before putting them in the oven for the second time or add the toppings afterward.
- Cheese: cheddar, pepper jack, parmesan
- Meat: bacon bits, diced ham, cooked sausage
- Veggies: cooked broccoli, sliced green onions, mushrooms, minced garlic
- Other: sour cream, black beans, salsa, mac and cheese, french fried onions
Twice Baked Potatoes Frequently Asked Questions
They are gummy because they were either over baked, under baked, or wrapped while baking. To make fluffy twice baked potatoes, you need to start by baking the potatoes perfectly the first time because when you return them to the oven for the second time it is only for 10-13 minutes.
They go well with a main dish such as steak, chicken, pork, or pot roast. Add a green salad, oven roasted veggies, and a dinner roll to complete the meal.
To reheat twice baked potatoes, preheat the oven to 350˚F. Place the potatoes on a wire rack on a baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes until heated through.
Want more side dish recipes? Try these next:
The perfect Roasted Asparagus is easy to make with only four basic ingredients. Make for a weeknight dinner or serve as a holiday side dish!
We make this classic boiled corn on the cob recipe all summer long. It’s the perfect summer side dish. Serve the corn while hot with lots of butter and salt.
These tender Glazed Carrots are sweet with a little spice. They are a great side dish to serve with chicken, beef, pork, or fish.
Mac and Cheese Spaghetti Squash is the healthier version of baked macaroni and cheese. It has all of the cheesy goodness with less carbs.
Twice Baked Potatoes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 medium russet potatoes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon bacon grease or use olive oil
- ¼ cup whole milk
- ¼ cup butter melted
- 2 tablespoon sour cream
- 1 ¼ cups shredded cheddar cheese divided
- ½ cup crumbled bacon divided
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450˚F. Pierce the potatoes with a fork on all sides. Rinse them with water and sprinkle them with kosher salt.
- Place the potatoes on a wire rack and bake at 450˚F for 45-55 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and cut each potato in half using tongs or an oven mitt to hold the hot potatoes.
- Allow the potatoes to cool slightly and then scoop out the insides into a mixing bowl, leaving the skins intact. Brush the skins with bacon grease (or use olive oil) and return them to the wire rack.
- Mash the potatoes. Then, stir in the milk, melted butter, sour cream, 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese, about ⅓ cup of the crumbled bacon (reserve the remaining bacon for topping), and the salt to the mashed potatoes. Spoon the mixture into the potato shells and return them to the wire rack.
- Bake at 450˚F for 10-13 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining shredded cheese and bacon bits. Return to the oven for about 3-5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
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