Twice-Baked Potatoes Recipe

The potato is so nice, we baked it twice.
Twice-Baked Potatoes

Twice-Baked Potatoes

Delicious twice-baked potatoes can be frozen to have on hand for busy-day dining.

Photo by: Photo by Mick Telkamp

Photo by Mick Telkamp

Delicious twice-baked potatoes can be frozen to have on hand for busy-day dining.

The dinner table is no stranger to baked potatoes and mashed potatoes appear regularly at both everyday meals and holiday feasts, but there’s something special about the twice-baked potato. Maybe it’s because it takes a little longer to put together or perhaps it’s the decadence of a potato that has already been loaded with butter, sour cream, cheese and bacon before it gets to the table.  However you mash it, twice-baked potatoes are a hit any time of year, but especially during the holidays.

This surprisingly easy-to-make dish has another advantage during a busy holiday season. Whether feeding a small family or any army of in-laws, advance preparation can take a lot of the stress out of a season where a vacation doesn’t always mean relaxation. To have this delicious side ready to go, simply hold off on the garnish and pack the fully cooked spuds into ziploc bags for the freezer.  These spuds go freezer to table after 40 minutes in a 350 degree oven without any additional preparation. 

This takes about 2 hours to make, but an hour and a half of that is waiting for the potatoes to bake. If your plans include freezing, the recipe can be doubled or even tripled without significantly adding to the prep time. Take note that for every four potatoes actually twice-baked, there is a 5th “bonus” potato to provide plenty of filling to go around. 

While this recipe is fantastic as written, twice-baked potatoes are a flexible medium.  Skip the bacon (or add some more), use a different cheese, add some herbs, onions or garlic. It’s hard to go too far wrong and easy to get just right.

Twice-Baked Potatoes

8 servings

  • 5 large baking potatoes
  • 6 strips bacon, crumbled
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 4 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
  • 1 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • Fresh chives, for garnish

Wash potatoes, prick each several times with a fork and bake in a 400 degree oven for about 75 minutes, until tender.

Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes.

Once potatoes are cool enough to handle, slice 4 potatoes in half lengthwise and use a large spoon to scrape out most of the flesh, leaving enough on the shell to retain its shape.

Place removed flesh in a stand mixer bowl along with the 5th potato.

Add bacon, sour cream, cheese, butter, parsley, salt, pepper and paprika.

Mix using paddle attachment until well combined.

Spoon mashed potato mix into the 8 empty potato shells, piling high and using of the mashed potato.

Arrange filled potatoes on an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake 20-25 minutes at 400 degrees until slightly browned.

Snip chives onto potatoes to garnish.

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