Twice-Baked Potatoes Recipe

Twice Baked Potatoes are the perfect party food. Stuffed with sour cream, green onions, and cheese and baked to perfection, they are one crowd-pleaser of a side dish. 

Obsessed with spuds? While you’re at it, try out our Air Fryer Baked Potatoes, Creamy Potato Soup, and Garlic Mashed Potatoes. 

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What are Twice Baked Potatoes?

Twice-baked potatoes are a classic American side dish that is essentially stuffed potatoes. It blends two favorites – Creamy Mashed Potatoes and tender baked potatoes. They are called “twice baked” because the whole potatoes are first baked, then you scoop out the flesh and season it, re-stuff the potatoes, and bake them one more time in the oven until golden brown. The result is an ultra-creamy, decadent stuffed potato that’s worth writing home about. 

Ingredients

The ingredients for making stuffed twice-baked potatoes are simple pantry and refrigerator staples. This recipe is also very versatile and you can change up the fillings based on what you have on hand. Feel free to experiment with various herbs and cheeses.

• Russet Potatoes – Select similar-sized potatoes for even cooking. 
• Sour Cream – Full-fat sour cream brings a nice tang to the filling. If you’d like, you can use half sour cream and half Greek yogurt instead. 
• Half and Half – Half and half will help thin out the filling and give it that mashed potatoes texture. You can substitute with equal parts of milk and heavy cream.
• Green Onions – Fresh, minced green onions or chives provide a pop of color and freshness.
• Bacon Bits – cook up some bacon using our Oven-Baked Bacon Recipe or Crispy Air Fryer Bacon Recipe (make sure to drain the bacon of excess grease before adding it to the filling). 
• Cheddar Cheese – Extra sharp cheddar cheese is our top pick, but feel free to switch things up and use the cheese blend you love best. Sometimes we do half cheddar cheese and half bleu cheese for the extra tang and depth of flavor. 
• Garlic Parsley Salt – This all-in-one seasoning blend adds nice garlic and herb flavor to the filling. Alternatively, you can use equal parts salt and garlic powder. If you like, you can also add a bit of fresh cracked black pepper. 

Pro Tip: Russet Potatoes are the best potatoes for making twice-baked potatoes because they are sturdier than other potatoes so their shells/skins are perfect for stuffing. They also have a high starch content that makes for the creamiest filling.

How to Make Twice Baked Potatoes 

1. Prepare Potatoes – Wash potatoes under cold water and pat them dry. Set on a baking sheet, leaving space between each, and poke each potato several times with a fork.
2. Bake the Potatoes – at 400°F for about 60-75 minutes until easily pierced with a fork.
3. Scoop out the potatoes – cut the potatoes in half and keeping the skins intact, scoop out the insides into a large mixing bowl and mash with a potato masher or fork.
4. Make potato filling – Add sour cream, half and half, and parsley salt to the potato flesh and mash the mixture until it’s creamy. Then, stir in the green onions, bacon bits, and 1 cup of cheddar cheese. 
5. Stuff the potato shells with the mashed potato filling and sprinkle the tops with more cheddar cheese. 
6. Bake Again – Bake stuffed potatoes at 350°F for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and heated through. 

Pro Tip: To prevent the potatoes from bursting on the first bake, you must poke holes or slice slits in each one in several places. This vents the potato and prevents internal pressure (and a mess) from building up. 

Serve Twice Baked Potatoes with

Stuffed potatoes are a super versatile side dish that pairs well with just about any meat or salad. Pair your stuffed potatoes with:

• Beef – We like to serve them alongside Pan-Seared Steak or Beef Kabob. 
• Chicken – Air Fryer Chicken Wings or Spatchcock Chicken are the perfect matches. 
• Salad – add freshness with Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad or Caesar Salad.
• Kid-Friendly – If you’re whipping up the potatoes for kids pair them with Baked Chicken Nuggets or Popcorn Chicken.

Common Questions

Make-Ahead

• Storing: keep up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
• Make-Ahead: stuffed potatoes can be prepared 1-2 days in advance, do all the steps except for the last bake. Just before serving, bake until heated through.
• Reheating: Place them on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil and bake at 350°F for 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the potato is warmed through. Avoid reheating the potatoes in the microwave, as they will turn dry, and gummy. 

More Delicious Potato Recipes

• Instant Pot Baked Potatoes
• Easy Boiled Potatoes Recipe 
• Breakfast Potatoes
• Crispy Baked Potato Wedges
• Easy Scalloped Potatoes Recipe

Twice Baked Potatoes are also a wonderful stand-by to repurpose leftover baked potatoes for an easy lunch and they never taste like leftovers. How do you make your stuffed potatoes? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.