Loaded Twice Baked Potatoes
Twice baked potatoes with a creamy cheddar and sour cream filling, crisp bacon, and green onions, baked until the tops are golden.
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 4 large russet potatoes about 10 oz each, scrubbed and dried
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt divided
- 6 slices bacon chopped
- 4 tbsp butter softened
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/3 cup whole milk warmed
- 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar divided
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 3 green onions thinly sliced, divided
Instructions
- Bake the potatoes: Heat the oven to 400°F. Pierce each potato 5 or 6 times with a fork, rub all over with the olive oil, and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Bake directly on the oven rack for 55-65 minutes, until a knife slides into the center with no resistance and an instant-read thermometer reads 205-210°F.
- Crisp the bacon: While the potatoes bake, cook the chopped bacon in a skillet over medium heat for 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
- Scoop the shells: Let the potatoes cool for about 10 minutes, until you can handle them. Slice each one in half lengthwise and scoop the flesh into a large bowl, leaving about 1/4 inch of potato attached to the skin so the shells hold their shape. Set the shells cut side up on a baking sheet.
- Mash the filling: Mash the hot potato flesh with the softened butter until it's mostly smooth. Add the sour cream, warm milk, garlic powder, pepper, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and mash just until combined. Stop as soon as it comes together; overmixing turns it gluey.
- Fold in the good stuff: Stir in 1 cup of the cheddar, all of the parmesan, two-thirds of the bacon, and two-thirds of the green onions. Taste and adjust the salt.
- Refill and bake again: Spoon the filling back into the shells, mounding it slightly. Bake at 400°F for 15 minutes, then scatter the remaining 1/2 cup cheddar over the tops and bake another 8-10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the edges are golden.
- Top and serve: Scatter the reserved bacon and green onions over the hot potatoes and serve right away.
Notes
Bake the potatoes bare on the rack until the centers hit 205-210°F, which is what gives you fluffy flesh and a shell sturdy enough to stuff. Mash the filling by hand and stop as soon as it's smooth, since overworking cooked potato turns it gluey. Cook the bacon until fully crisp and browned before it goes into the filling.