Twice Baked Potatoes: Crispy, Creamy, & Loaded

Baked to golden perfection, Twice Baked Potatoes are the perfect party food! Filled with fluffy mashed potato, cheddar cheese, sour cream, and savory bacon, what’s not to love? These baked potatoes are always a crowd-pleaser!

Twice Baked Potatoes

What is a twice baked potato?

Well, they are exactly what they sound like! This potato variation is baked twice.

Make your baked potatoes any way you prefer. Then, scoop out the flesh and mix it with cheese and seasonings before restuffing the potato skins and baking them again.

The result is a fluffy, indulgent side dish or appetizer that you can top with anything from homemade sour cream to green onions. 

I have been making my twice baked stuffed potatoes this way for over two decades!

Always delicious, twice-baked potatoes are the appetizer you make when you want to win people over.

Why You’ll Love Twice Baked Potatoes

• Ultimate Comfort Food: Warm, creamy, and cheesy, these easy twice-baked potatoes are pure comfort food at its best.
• Packed with Flavor: From butter, creamy sour cream, seasoned salt, black pepper, and cheddar cheese, to crispy bacon bits and fresh green onions—every bite is full of the best flavor combination!
• Perfect for Any Occasion: These aren’t just for a weeknight dinner. They make a great recipe for special occasions, holiday meals, or a fun side for fried chicken or steak.
• Great for Meal Prep: Make a batch, store them in an airtight container, and reheat in the air fryer or oven the next day. 

Ingredients for Twice Baked Potatoes

• Russet Potatoes: These are the best potatoes for this recipe because they have a high starch content, which makes the best creamy filling. 
• Canola Oil: Rubbing a little bit of oil on the whole potatoes before baking helps create a crispy skin. 
• Bacon Bits: Nothing beats bacon fried ’til crisp and chopped into tiny pieces.
• Butter: Adds richness to the cheesy potato filling and makes the creamed potatoes extra smooth. 
• Sour Cream: The creamy sour cream makes the mashed potato filling tangy and extra smooth. 
• Milk: Helps make the potatoes extra fluffy. 
• Seasoned Salt: I love using Lawry’s Seasoned Salt for the perfect flavor combination. 
• Black Pepper: A little black pepper adds a little bit of spice and balances out the richness.
• Cheddar Cheese: Shredded sharp cheddar cheese melts into the potato mixture, making it extra cheesy and delicious. 
• Green Onions: Freshly chopped green onions add a mild, oniony bite that goes great with the creamy potatoes. 

Other Appetizers You’ll Love

• Crockpot Taco Dip
• Mac and Cheese Balls
• Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers
• Baked Ham and Swiss Sliders
• Mexican Corn Dip
• Beanie Weenies

How to Make Twice Baked Potatoes

1. Preheat Oven: Set your oven temperature to 400 degrees. 
2. Prepare the Potatoes: Wash potatoes well, then rub each russet potato with canola oil (or olive oil) to give it them a crispy skin. Place them on a baking sheet in a single layer and bake for 1 hour, or until fork tender.
3. Hollow Out the Potatoes: Once baked, let them cool just enough to handle. Grip them with a kitchen towel and slice potatoes in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop out the potato flesh, leaving a thin layer behind so the potato shells hold their shape. Set the hollowed potato skins back on the baking sheet.
4. Make the Creamy Filling: In a large mixing bowl, combine butter, sour cream, bacon bits, milk, seasoned salt, and black pepper. Add the scooped-out potato flesh and mash it all together using a potato masher until smooth.
5. Mix in the Good Stuff: Stir in half of the cheddar cheese and chopped green onions for a classic loaded baked potato flavor.
6. Fill the Potatoes: Spoon the mashed potato filling back into each potato shell, smoothing the tops. Leave a little bit of room to add extra cheddar cheese on top.
7. Second Bake: Lower the oven temperature to 300 degrees and bake the potatoes for about 15 minutes, until they are hot and the cheesy potato filling is melted and gooey.
8. Top and Serve: Sprinkle with the reserved bacon bits and green onions. Serve hot and enjoy this perfect side dish with your favorite toppings like fresh chives or even a dollop of sour cream.

Recipe Tips

• Scooping the Flesh: To ensure that your potatoes don’t fall apart, when you’re scooping out the flesh make sure to leave a little bit of the flesh on the skin. Otherwise, the skins become too unstable and fall apart when stuffing.
• Mixing the Potatoes: When you’re mixing the potato flesh with the sour cream and other ingredients, don’t overmix. You want the filling to remain light and fluffy. Overmixing will cause a thick, gooey texture.
• Meal Prepping: These can easily be pre-made in advance of when you need them. To do this, make the stuffed potatoes completely, filling each skin with the mashed potato mixture. Place them in a casserole dish covered in plastic wrap. When you’re ready to bake, top the potatoes with additional cheddar cheese and bake them in the oven.

Ways to Serve Twice Baked Potatoes

The best part about this recipe is it can be used as an appetizer for game days, a light lunch, or a tasty side dish for dinner.

Pair it along with your favorite chicken breast recipe, or cast-iron skillet steak along with a salad, and you’ve got a complete meal. 

How to Store Leftovers

If you have leftovers, they will stay fresh in the fridge in an airtight container for up to four days and in the freezer for up to 6 months. Store them in an airtight container. You can reheat them from the fridge in the microwave or oven.

Freezing Twice Baked Potatoes

Make the potatoes but don’t add the green onion. If possible, vacuum seal them to keep them extra fresh, but a freezer-safe container will also work.

Reheating Twice Baked Potatoes

When you’re ready to enjoy them, let them thaw in the fridge overnight. Reheat them in the oven at 400F until warmed through and the cheese is starting to bubble. They also reheat great in an air fryer.

Note: Twice-baked potatoes that have been frozen won’t be as delicious if thawed, and then microwaved. Opt for reheating them in the oven for the best texture.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Twice Baked Potatoes

Fluffy potato flesh mixed with sour cream and bacon bits before being topped with cheese and baked until golden. These twice baked potatoes are the perfect appetizer or side dish.

Ingredients

• 8 large baking potatoes scrubbed clean
• canola oil
• 10 slices bacon fried til crisp & diced
• 1/2 pound 2 sticks of butter, cut into slices
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt I like Lawry's Seasoning Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 heaping cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 bunch green onions chopped

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Rub the outside of the potatoes with canola oil. Place the potatoes in a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour. Remove the potatoes from the oven and reduce the oven's heat to 300 degrees.
• Combine the butter, sour cream, 3/4 of the bacon, milk, seasoned salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
• While the potatoes are still warm, grip them with clean kitchen towel and slice in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, hollow out the potatoes. Repeat until all the potatoes have been hollowed out. Place the potato shells on a large baking sheet.
• Add the potatoes to the bowl with the sour cream mixture and combine using a potato masher. Stir in half of the cheddar cheese and 3/4 of the green onions to the mixture.
• Fill each potato with the mashed potato mixture, leaving a little room for the reserved cheddar cheese. Top with the shredded cheddar.
• Bake for about 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the potatoes are hot. Sprinkle with the reserved bacon and green onions.