March 29, 2024

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Cooking Is My World

Twice Baked Potatoes {+VIDEO} | Lil’ Luna

Several twice baked potato halves topped with bacon, cheese, and green onions.

Easy Twice Baked Potatoes are loaded with sour cream, cheese, bacon, and seasonings for the perfect savory side or main dish!

Twice Baked Potatoes can easily star as the main dish with a few sides such as Cobb Salad and Baked Beans, or it can be served as a side for a main dish like Slow Cooker Chili or Grilled Steak.

A tray filled with 6 twice baked potato halves.

A favorite side!

Have you tried making Twice Baked Potatoes before?

If not, you’ve been missing out. These savory potatoes are packed with sour cream, bacon, and cheese for the ultimate side dish!

What’s a Twice Baked Potato? Essentially, they are baked in the oven like a normal baked potato and cooled. The insides are spooned out and mixed with cheese, sour cream, bacon, and all kinds of other delicious stuff. The mash is put back into the skins and baked a second time.

It’s almost like a baked potato filled with Loaded Mashed Potatoes!

Sounds amazing, right?? Believe me, it is!

We even have a Twice Baked Potato Casserole that is delicious! These easy Twice Baked Potatoes do take a little time, but they are delicious and easy.

How to make Twice Baked Potatoes

These potatoes do require more time than regular baked potatoes, but the same amount of effort. The most time-consuming part is baking them in the oven!

BAKE ONCE. Start by piercing the potatoes (we recommend using Russet Potatoes) with a fork several times, and baking them for an hour at 400°F. Once they come out of the oven, let them cool for 10-15 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine oil, parmesan cheese, salt, garlic powder, paprika, and pepper. Mix well.

FILLING. Cut potatoes in half, spoon out most of the potato insides, and place them in a bowl. Brush the oil mixture over the tops and bottoms of each potato skin.

Mix about 1 cup of cheese, sour cream, bacon pieces, salt, and pepper with the insides of the potatoes. Mix well. NOTE: To keep your potatoes from getting gummy: keep the potatoes warm and do not over-mix.

BAKE TWICE. Spoon the potato mixture back into the skins. Sprinkle potatoes with cheddar cheese and bake for 16-18 more minutes.

Cooked, poked potatoes on a baking sheet for making twice baked potatoes.

Recipe tips

Grilling Twice Baked Potatoes. Wrap the potatoes in foil and place them on the upper grill gate.

  • Heat the grill to 400°F and bake until the potatoes are tender. This will take about 75 minutes.
  • Remove the potatoes from the grill, cut them in half, and follow the recipe directions.
  • Once the potatoes have been filled, place them back in the heated grill on the lower grate for 15-20 minutes until hot and the cheese is melted.

Piercing the potato with a fork is an important step, it allows the built-up steam to escape and prevents the potato from exploding.

How to scoop the potato flesh. Use a teaspoon to scoop out the inside of the cooked potato. I like to start in the center and work outward from there.

Do not scrape the inside clean. Leave a thin layer of potato so that the skin keeps its shape and doesn’t crack and break apart.

Making Twice Baked Potatoes for a large crowd.

We always run out of these potatoes at functions since most people end up grabbing two. Just note the recipe should make fewer than double the amount of potatoes cooked because they are filled with more filling than what you get from one-half potato.

Here are some numbers to help with that:

  • 5 potatoes = 8-9 twice baked
  • 10 potatoes = 16-18 twice baked
  • 12 potatoes = 20-21 twice baked
  • 15 potatoes = 24-27 twice baked

Load it up!

Once you have your best Twice Baked Potatoes done, top them off with all your favorite toppings! Sour cream, cheese, and bacon are already mixed into the potatoes, but you are welcome to add more. Other toppings include:

  • more cheese
  • more bacon
  • chives
  • green onions
  • meat (we love adding a bit of pulled pork)

They really are such a great side dish and perfect for any potato lover.

Variations

Storing Info

Make ahead of time. Follow the recipe as written, except for baking a second time. Place the filled potatoes in a covered container and store them in the fridge for 1-2 days.

When you are ready to use, place the potatoes on a baking sheet. Bake at 400°F for 15-20 min or until hot and the cheese is bubbly.

REHEAT. Bake at 400°F for 20-25  minutes or until hot and the cheese is bubbly. Microwave a thawed potato. The result may be a little more “mushy” than heating in the oven, but still delicious.

FREEZE. After making the recipe allow the potatoes to cool. Wrap individually using plastic cling wrap and place in a freezer bag or other airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months.

  • When you’re ready to use, take the desired amount, thaw overnight in the fridge, unwrap and top with additional cheese.
  • Bake directly from the freezer. Remove wrapping, place on a baking sheet, put in a preheated oven at 400°F, and bake for about 45 minutes or until hot and the cheese is bubbly.
Several twice baked potato halves topped with bacon, cheese, and green onions.

For more potato recipes:

MORE COLLECTIONS: Sides, Thanksgiving Side Dishes

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 16 minutes

Cool 10 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 36 minutes

Servings 10

Calories 328 kcal

Author Lil’ Luna

  • Begin by piercing the potatoes with a fork in several places. Bake potatoes for an hour at 400°F.

  • Let them cool for 10-15 minutes.

  • In a small bowl, combine oil, Parmesan cheese, salt, garlic powder, paprika, and pepper. Mix well.

  • Cut potatoes in half. Spoon out most of the inside of the potatoes and place it in a bowl.

  • Brush the oil and Parmesan mixture over the tops and bottoms of each potato skin.

  • Mix in 1 cup or so of cheese, sour cream (you can use more or less to your liking), cut-up bacon, and salt & pepper with the insides of the potatoes. Mix well.

  • Spoon the potato mixture back into the skins. If you fill generously, there may not be enough to fill all potato skins. Throw away excess skins. Sprinkle the potatoes with cheddar cheese.

  • Bake at 400°F for 16-18 more minutes.

And for the casserole version of this recipe, check out: Twice Baked Potato Casserole