Twice Baked Potatoes
Instead of regular baked potatoes, we have the twice-baked potato- full of cheese, sour cream, and other flavors, they’re easy and amazing!
I like baked potatoes but the classic version can seem awfully boring at times. Enter the twice-baked potato, chock full of cheese, sour cream, potatoes (of course) and other delicious flavors.
A snap to prepare, the only real work is trying not to burn your fingers while scooping out the hot potato innards.
Once that step is over, I let my kids loose and they have a grand ol’ time smashing the guts out of the potatoes in the bowl.
I think they are trying to release the anti-potato aggression they feel when I announce we are having potatoes with dinner.
I’m simply trying to provide them with the therapy they need to survive life where potatoes make an appearance at mealtime.
I served these babies with the grilled pork chops and it was a meal made in heaven.
One Year Ago: Chicken Tortellini Casserole
Two Years Ago: Penne Gorgonzola Chicken
Twice Baked Potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 large russet potatoes, scrubbed clean
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
- 4 green onions, white and green parts thinly chopped
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Pierce each potato three or four times with a fork and place in the oven (or on a baking sheet). Bake for about an hour, until a fork can easily be inserted into the potato. Remove the potatoes from the oven. Let them cool for about 5-10 minutes.
- Carefully cut each potato in half lengthwise, so you get two “boat” shapes from each potato. Using an oven mitt or potholder, hold the potato in one hand and with a spoon scoop out the flesh into a bowl. Leave a thin border (a little less than 1/4-inch) of potato innards around the skin so that it isn’t too fragile to hold the pumped up potato mixture.
- Mash the potato flesh with a potato masher or fork until mostly smooth. Stir in the melted butter, 1 cup cheese, green onions, sour cream, milk, salt and pepper. Mix well.
- Preheat the broiler and move an oven rack about 3-4 inches away from the broiler heating element.
- Scoop the potato filling into the shells, mounding each potato shell full of the good stuff. Sprinkle the potatoes with the remaining 1 cup cheese and broil the potatoes until the cheese is golden and bubbly, about 5 minutes.
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Recipe Source: My Kitchen Cafe (www.melskitchencafe.com)
Hi, Mel,
These were perfection, and I had many compliments. (I doubled the recipe.)
Your recipes never disappoint, and I am certain that I can serve them to guests without “trying them out” first.
I always make your recipes exactly as you write them. And I have made many, many of your recipes.
Thank you, once again!
Nancy
Thank you so much, Nancy!
I was looking for a simple side dish recipe that my picky son could help me cook for dinner last weekend. These were fantastic. He now calls them deviled potatoes and has requested to make them twice this week.
Another great one Mel! I’ve never had twice baked potatoes and obviously have been missing out. They were wonderful!
Super yummy! My family loved these. I thought it was gonna be tricky but it was actually easy to make. I usually do boring mashed potatoes, same thing every time, so they were happy to have a new version. 🙂 Will definitely make them again!
I make a huge batch of these. Freeze them individually on a cookie sheet. Once frozen I put them in a zip top bag. That way I can take as many as I need out for dinner. I’ve thawed them and baked them and have also put them in a low oven and baked them frozen. My daughter will even put them in the microwave.
I’ve always thought these little babies were loaded with fat, but they really aren’t bad compared to what I do to make a baked potato not so dry. These were great! Used bacon bits (didn’t have onions handy) and plain yogurt instead of sour cream. Sooo good! Thank you for the recipe!
Angelique – I’ve never made these ahead of time but I think they would be ok made the morning of (or maybe even the night before). You’ll want to increase the cooking time by a bit if they are coming out of the refrigerator. Good luck if you try it!
I want to make these for Father’s day tomorrow and was wondering if you have made these ahead of time and did the final few minutes just before serving. I’m wondering if they will get soggy.
I have been following your blog for some time now, and I just want to let you know it is ALWAYS the first place I go to for ideas. I have made MANY of your recipes and as I type am preparing the twice baked potatoes (well the oven is) for dinner tonight. I am thrilled to try them. I have always wanted to make them and never have. Thank you for sharing all of these recipes, I like another reader trust your blog with my life when it comes to cooking. I have yet to make something and be dissapointed. 🙂
Ok. I love twice baked potatoes, and this is actually my first post ever to a recipe, even though I read a ton of everyone else’s. I have made my recipe for a while now and it’s still my favorite. I add broccoli (heads), bacon bits, I roast my garlic with olive oil, salt, and pepper at 350 for about ten minutes. I also add chives. Basically you are making a mashed potato, then adding the rest of the ingrediants.
First time I have ever made twice baked potatoes…I couldn’t have picked a better recipe. These are incredible and just the perfect side dish.
I have never made twice baked potatoes before, but my husband was talking about them the other night, Giada DeLaurentis made them on GMA yesterday, and then I came across your blog and this recipe this morning. I think the universe was telling me something. I had planned to make chicken cordon bleu for dinner tonight, and let me tell you – chicken cordon bleu-twice baked potatoes is a big winner at my house! I cut boneless, skinless chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces, sauteed them with a little onion, threw in the ham and cheese, and mixed it all with the mashed potato insides before stuffing the shells. I threw a little more swiss cheese on top and broiled for a minute or so. Everyone had 1/2 of a potato with all the filling, and some steamed broccoli on the side. Yum! My 12-year old stepson even went so far as to tell me that I should go on Chopped and win $10,000. Victory! So, thanks for the final push to get me to try twice baked potatoes. I have a feeling this won’t be the last time.
My husband and I are suckers for chili with potatoes, in your opinion, (because I literally trust you with my life when it comes to dinners) would the potatoe stuffing still turn out ok? Or would it be too mushy? Thanks for all the great recipes!
Kelli – I think this is a great idea to stuff the potatoes with chili but I’d make a few changes: 1) make the wall of the potato even thicker than the recipe suggests to prevent the liquid from the chili seeping through the potato skin 2) de-juice your chili as much as possible – if you are using a recipe that has a lot of liquid to it, I’d drain some or most of that off first so that you are left with the flavors of the chili but actually end up with more of a meat/bean mixture with a tad bit of juice. Hope that helps!
Just made these tonight with your glazed meatloaf and WOW! Best meatloaf ever and ooh the potaotoes were like dessert they were so good. Thanks for some more great recipes!
Katie – glad you loved both of these recipes! Thanks for checking in to let me know (and making me smile with the “dessert” comment).
Ye gads, I do love a good twice baked potato. Can fancy up just about any meal. These look so good!
I LOVE reading your blog! 🙂 Just wanted to let you know that! Oh, and I will be making these tomorrow night for a birthday dinner!
My sister is visting from TN, and we have planned a menu for the next week and a half. My mom and I will be preparing the meals for all 10 of us. Every recipe is from you- I can’t wait for them to try all the food my husband and I have been enjoying lately. Thank you for all the recipes. We may have to consider squeezing this one in there somehow!
Twice baked potatoes were something that my grandma always made for us on Thanksgiving when I was a child. I always try my best to make them like she did, not really having a clue as to how they really should be made. It’s good to know that I have come pretty close, from reading the recipe from a trusted, tried, and true source like you. And thanks for the sweet reminder of my grandma, who we lost just a few years ago.
Have a good Memorial Day weekend.
What, no bacon?!!!!! 😉
I love twice-baked potatoes! (any kind of potato, actually) Thank you for this recipe.
A tip on scooping out the potatoes, without burning your fingers, is to get a silicone pot holder. It works great and doesn’t get all gunky with potato, like a fabric one would. It’s makes it easier to grip the potatoes, too.
baked potatoes don’t please me very much–it seems like a lot of waiting for little return. twice-baked potatoes, however, are very appealing. even though they take longer, they’re oh-so-divine. nice post!
One way to do this in the summer when you don’t want to heat up your house with the oven is to just nuke the potatoes first… then put them in the oven just to let the cheese melt (about 5 minutes). I do this in the summer to avoid excess heat in the house… and any other time I’m running short on time (which is always… I’m a stay at home mama also)! I also put the crumbled bacon in there. As my husband says, “there can never be enough meat in one meal!”
These are definitely my most favorite sides – always has been!
This looks so good! I love twice baked potatoes, and I like to serve them with steak. I like to add crumbled bacon, too! Thanks for sharing, Melanie!
Have a great holiday weekend! 🙂