How to Make Twice Baked Potatoes
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees., Rub the potatoes with oil and place them on a baking sheet., Bake the potatoes for one hour., Remove the potatoes from the oven and cut them in half lengthwise., Combine the dairy ingredients., Scoop out the...
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Turn your oven on to “bake” and set it to 400 degrees.
As it is heating up, run through your ingredients to make sure you have everything you need.
For an average serving of twice-baked potatoes, you’ll need 4-5 large russet potatoes, olive or canola oil, milk, butter, sour cream, bacon, sharp cheddar cheese and diced green onions.This recipe will serve approximately 8-10 people.
Use more potatoes and increase the amount of other ingredients proportionately to serve more people. -
Step 2: Rub the potatoes with oil and place them on a baking sheet.
Start by washing the potatoes and removing any dark or bruised spots.
Coat the outside of the potatoes with a liberal amount of olive or canola oil.
Oiling the potatoes will allow them to cook faster, and will also make the skins crispy.
Arrange the potatoes on a large baking sheet.The shells of twice-baked potatoes are packed with nutrients and can be eaten along with the rest of the potato, much like potato skins., Put the potatoes in the preheated oven on the center rack.
Bake them for one hour or slightly longer until they are cooked through.
Since you’ll be scooping out the contents of the potatoes to make the filling, they’ll need to be done and slightly soft.
The outside of the potatoes should give a little to the touch when they’re fully cooked.Larger potatoes will need to cook longer, whereas smaller potatoes will get done faster.
For this reason, it’s better to test the potatoes by feel rather than simply timing them.
To make the best use of your time, begin cooking the bacon, shredding the cheese, dicing the onion or preparing other dishes as the potatoes are baking. , After the potatoes have finished, take them out of the oven.
Let them sit for a few minutes to cool until they’re ready to be handled.
When the potatoes have cooled sufficiently, use a sharp kitchen knife to cut each of them in half lengthwise and place them back on the baking sheet, skin-side down.Each potato will produce 2 twice-baked potatoes after it’s been halved and stuffed. , In a large mixing bowl, combine 4 tablespoons of butter, ½ cup of milk and ½ cup of sour cream.
Stir these together until the butter has melted.
Together, the dairy components will give the potatoes a creamy texture.You can add more butter or sour cream to taste, as long as you don’t use enough to change the consistency of the filling.
Avoid using too much milk, as this can oversaturate the filling with liquid and make it soupy. , Use a serving spoon to scrape the insides of the potatoes out into the mixing bowl.
Try not to damage the skin, as you’ll be refilling them later.
Use a potato masher or electric hand mixer to combine the potatoes with the dairy ingredients.
For best results, the mixture should be blended but still slightly chunky.Leave a small amount of potato in the shells to ensure that they’re sturdy enough to withstand refilling and baking.
Mash the ingredients more thoroughly or use an electric mixer on a higher setting to give the potatoes a smoother consistency.
Just don’t mix them too much, as this can cause the starches to separate and make them pasty., Take ½ to 1 full cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese and add it to the potato mixture.
Cook 4-6 strips of bacon and crumble them into the mixing bowl.
Mash everything together again until the cheese has melted and the bacon pieces are evenly distributed throughout the filling.You can also use pre-cooked bacon bits if you’re in a pinch, but the flavor and texture may not be as good as freshly cooked bacon.
Set aside some cheese and bacon to add to the tops of the potatoes before baking them a second time, or simply grate or cook a little more. , Add salt, cracked black pepper and/or seasoned salt or garlic powder to the filling mixture until it tastes the way you want.
Be careful not to oversalt.
The filling will be quite salty on its own due to the butter, bacon and cheese.
Mix the ingredients together once more after seasoning.A little salt and pepper is all you’ll really need to season the filling.
Otherwise, you risk overpowering and losing the flavor of the potato. , Spoon the completed filling back into the potato shells.
The potatoes should be full enough for the filling to rise above the edge of the shell.
Repeat until each potato has been stuffed.
Pack any leftover filling onto the top of the potatoes.You’ll likely have filling remaining after stuffing the potatoes.
This is because adding the other ingredients changes the volume of the filling.
Extra filling can be refrigerated or frozen to be used later, or simply eaten plain. , As an optional step, keep a little bacon and cheese set aside to cover the potatoes before you put them back in the oven.
As the potatoes bake, the toppings will form a crisp outer crust and their flavors will cook into the filling.
Once the filling is done, additional toppings are up to your discretion—pile each potato with cheese and bacon to your heart’s content!, Reduce the temperature of the oven to 350 degrees.
Place the potatoes back in the oven and let them bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until they’re heated through.
Keep an eye on the potatoes as they bake.
They likely won’t need to stay in the oven long since they have already been cooked.Sprinkling a little extra cheese on the top can also be a good indicator of when the potatoes are done.
Once the cheese is melted and forms a crust on the potatoes, they’re ready to eat. , Remove the potatoes from the oven.
The outer shell and filling will be extremely hot, so let them sit for a couple minutes before serving.
If you want, you can dice a fresh green onion and use it to garnish the potatoes for added zest and color.
Dig in!Some people prefer to mix in the green onions with the other filling ingredients, although this can make them chewy if they bake too long and may not please picky eaters who don’t like onions. -
Step 3: Bake the potatoes for one hour.
-
Step 4: Remove the potatoes from the oven and cut them in half lengthwise.
-
Step 5: Combine the dairy ingredients.
-
Step 6: Scoop out the potatoes and add them to the filling mixture.
-
Step 7: Mix in bacon and cheese.
-
Step 8: Season to taste.
-
Step 9: Stuff each potato shell with the filling.
-
Step 10: Top with extra cheese and bacon.
-
Step 11: Bake again for 15-20 minutes.
-
Step 12: Garnish and serve.
Detailed Guide
Turn your oven on to “bake” and set it to 400 degrees.
As it is heating up, run through your ingredients to make sure you have everything you need.
For an average serving of twice-baked potatoes, you’ll need 4-5 large russet potatoes, olive or canola oil, milk, butter, sour cream, bacon, sharp cheddar cheese and diced green onions.This recipe will serve approximately 8-10 people.
Use more potatoes and increase the amount of other ingredients proportionately to serve more people.
Start by washing the potatoes and removing any dark or bruised spots.
Coat the outside of the potatoes with a liberal amount of olive or canola oil.
Oiling the potatoes will allow them to cook faster, and will also make the skins crispy.
Arrange the potatoes on a large baking sheet.The shells of twice-baked potatoes are packed with nutrients and can be eaten along with the rest of the potato, much like potato skins., Put the potatoes in the preheated oven on the center rack.
Bake them for one hour or slightly longer until they are cooked through.
Since you’ll be scooping out the contents of the potatoes to make the filling, they’ll need to be done and slightly soft.
The outside of the potatoes should give a little to the touch when they’re fully cooked.Larger potatoes will need to cook longer, whereas smaller potatoes will get done faster.
For this reason, it’s better to test the potatoes by feel rather than simply timing them.
To make the best use of your time, begin cooking the bacon, shredding the cheese, dicing the onion or preparing other dishes as the potatoes are baking. , After the potatoes have finished, take them out of the oven.
Let them sit for a few minutes to cool until they’re ready to be handled.
When the potatoes have cooled sufficiently, use a sharp kitchen knife to cut each of them in half lengthwise and place them back on the baking sheet, skin-side down.Each potato will produce 2 twice-baked potatoes after it’s been halved and stuffed. , In a large mixing bowl, combine 4 tablespoons of butter, ½ cup of milk and ½ cup of sour cream.
Stir these together until the butter has melted.
Together, the dairy components will give the potatoes a creamy texture.You can add more butter or sour cream to taste, as long as you don’t use enough to change the consistency of the filling.
Avoid using too much milk, as this can oversaturate the filling with liquid and make it soupy. , Use a serving spoon to scrape the insides of the potatoes out into the mixing bowl.
Try not to damage the skin, as you’ll be refilling them later.
Use a potato masher or electric hand mixer to combine the potatoes with the dairy ingredients.
For best results, the mixture should be blended but still slightly chunky.Leave a small amount of potato in the shells to ensure that they’re sturdy enough to withstand refilling and baking.
Mash the ingredients more thoroughly or use an electric mixer on a higher setting to give the potatoes a smoother consistency.
Just don’t mix them too much, as this can cause the starches to separate and make them pasty., Take ½ to 1 full cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese and add it to the potato mixture.
Cook 4-6 strips of bacon and crumble them into the mixing bowl.
Mash everything together again until the cheese has melted and the bacon pieces are evenly distributed throughout the filling.You can also use pre-cooked bacon bits if you’re in a pinch, but the flavor and texture may not be as good as freshly cooked bacon.
Set aside some cheese and bacon to add to the tops of the potatoes before baking them a second time, or simply grate or cook a little more. , Add salt, cracked black pepper and/or seasoned salt or garlic powder to the filling mixture until it tastes the way you want.
Be careful not to oversalt.
The filling will be quite salty on its own due to the butter, bacon and cheese.
Mix the ingredients together once more after seasoning.A little salt and pepper is all you’ll really need to season the filling.
Otherwise, you risk overpowering and losing the flavor of the potato. , Spoon the completed filling back into the potato shells.
The potatoes should be full enough for the filling to rise above the edge of the shell.
Repeat until each potato has been stuffed.
Pack any leftover filling onto the top of the potatoes.You’ll likely have filling remaining after stuffing the potatoes.
This is because adding the other ingredients changes the volume of the filling.
Extra filling can be refrigerated or frozen to be used later, or simply eaten plain. , As an optional step, keep a little bacon and cheese set aside to cover the potatoes before you put them back in the oven.
As the potatoes bake, the toppings will form a crisp outer crust and their flavors will cook into the filling.
Once the filling is done, additional toppings are up to your discretion—pile each potato with cheese and bacon to your heart’s content!, Reduce the temperature of the oven to 350 degrees.
Place the potatoes back in the oven and let them bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until they’re heated through.
Keep an eye on the potatoes as they bake.
They likely won’t need to stay in the oven long since they have already been cooked.Sprinkling a little extra cheese on the top can also be a good indicator of when the potatoes are done.
Once the cheese is melted and forms a crust on the potatoes, they’re ready to eat. , Remove the potatoes from the oven.
The outer shell and filling will be extremely hot, so let them sit for a couple minutes before serving.
If you want, you can dice a fresh green onion and use it to garnish the potatoes for added zest and color.
Dig in!Some people prefer to mix in the green onions with the other filling ingredients, although this can make them chewy if they bake too long and may not please picky eaters who don’t like onions.
About the Author
Theresa Simmons
Writer and educator with a focus on practical home improvement knowledge.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: