Loaded Twice Baked Potatoes
Twice baked potatoes with a creamy sour cream and cheddar filling, crisp bacon, and green onions, baked twice until the tops are golden and bubbling.
This post may contain affiliate links. See our disclosure policy.
Twice baked potatoes are the side dish my kids notice. Russets go in the oven until the skins are papery and the insides are fluffy, then the flesh gets scooped out, mashed with butter, sour cream, and sharp cheddar, piled back into the shells, and baked a second time until the tops go golden and bubbling. Crisp bacon and green onions on top, and they disappear before whatever they were served with.
The whole thing hinges on how you handle the potato flesh once it’s out of the skin. Mash it while it’s still hot with softened butter first, then the sour cream and warm milk, and stop as soon as it’s smooth. Overworking cooked potato releases too much starch and turns the filling gluey, which is why a food processor is the fastest way to ruin a batch. A fork or a hand masher is all this needs.
Leave about a quarter inch of potato clinging to the skin when you scoop. That thin layer is what keeps the shell from folding in on itself under the weight of the filling, and it’s the difference between a stuffed potato that holds its shape and a sad collapsed boat. This is also the rare side dish that’s genuinely better made a day ahead.
Why You’ll Love This Twice Baked Potatoes Recipe
- A creamy, loaded filling. Butter, sour cream, and warm milk whipped into hot potato give it a texture no plain baked potato gets close to.
- Golden, cheesy tops. Sharp cheddar and parmesan brown and bubble during the second bake instead of just melting.
- Make them a day early. Stuff them, refrigerate, and slide them into the oven right before dinner.
- Picky-eater approved. Familiar flavors, handheld shells, and cheese on top make these an easy sell at the table.
Twice Baked Potatoes Ingredients
Russets are the only potato worth using here. Their skins are thick enough to hold up as a shell, and the flesh is starchy and dry, so it mashes fluffy instead of waxy. Yukon Golds taste great but go dense and sticky when you mash them this much.
- 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
Recipe Variations
- Leave out the bacon and stir in a cup of chopped steamed broccoli for a broccoli-cheddar version the kids still go for.
- Swap half the cheddar for pepper jack and add a diced jalapeno to the filling if your table likes heat.
- Fold in a cup of shredded rotisserie chicken and serve them as a light main course instead of a side.
How to Make Twice Baked Potatoes
- 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.
Recipe FAQs
Can I Use the Air Fryer for the First Bake?
Yes, and it’s faster. Cook them the way you would for our Air Fryer Baked Potato, then scoop, fill, and finish the second bake in the oven so the tops brown evenly across all eight halves.
Can I Make Twice Baked Potatoes Ahead of Time?
This is one of the best dishes to prep ahead. Stuff the shells, cover, and refrigerate for up to 2 days, then bake at 400°F for 30-35 minutes straight from the fridge instead of the usual 25.
Why Is My Filling Gummy?
It was mashed too hard or too long, usually with a mixer or food processor. Cooked potato releases starch when it’s worked, and past a certain point that starch turns the filling into paste. Use a hand masher and stop early.
Should I Wrap the Potatoes in Foil for the First Bake?
No. Foil traps steam and gives you a soft, damp skin, and the skin is doing structural work in this recipe. Bake them bare on the rack so the outside dries out and firms up.
How Many Does This Serve?
Four potatoes give you 8 halves, which is 8 servings as a side or 4 as a light main. They double easily; just use two baking sheets so the shells aren’t crowded.
Cooking Tips
- Warm the milk before it goes in. Cold dairy hitting hot potato cools the whole bowl down and makes the filling stiffer than it should be.
- Shred the cheddar off a block. Pre-shredded cheese is coated in starch to keep it from clumping, and that coating keeps it from melting into the filling smoothly.
- If a shell tears while you’re scooping, patch it with a spoonful of filling and press it back into place. Once the second bake browns the top, nobody can tell.
Storage and Freezing
To store: Cover and refrigerate baked or unbaked stuffed potatoes for up to 4 days.
To freeze: These freeze well, which is unusual for a potato dish. Freeze the stuffed, unbaked halves on a sheet pan until solid, then bag them for up to 3 months and bake from frozen at 400°F for 40-45 minutes.
To reheat: Warm in a 350°F oven for 15-20 minutes until heated through. The microwave works in a pinch but softens the crisp top.
How to Serve Twice Baked Potatoes
Twice Baked Potatoes go with almost any roasted or grilled main. They’re a natural next to a simple steak, roast chicken, or our Smothered Pork Chops, with something green like roasted broccoli or a crisp salad to cut the richness. Two halves and a salad also make a perfectly good dinner on their own.
Loved This Recipe?
Twice Baked Potatoes take one extra step past a regular baked potato, and that step is the whole reason people ask for them by name.
Leave a star rating in the comments below, it helps other people find this recipe. Made it? Tag @allwellfed on Instagram, I love seeing this one in other people’s kitchens.
Loaded Twice Baked Potatoes
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.
