Twice Baked Potatoes

This is the ultimate twice baked potatoes recipe! The crispy potato skins are filled with a flavorful mashed potato filling that is so creamy thanks to the sour cream and cream cheese. Topped with sliced green onions, shredded cheese, bacon and paprika, you can say goodbye to dry, bland potatoes!

Growing up in Idaho, potatoes were an automatic side dish at many dinners. The beautiful thing about this delicious vegetable is the many ways you can transform potatoes into tasty sides! If you love potatoes, be sure to try my buttery parsley potatoes, funeral potatoes, creamy scalloped potatoes, and hasselback potatoes.

Why This Recipe Works

• Moist and flavorful! I’ve never been a fan of twice baked potatoes because they always seemed bland and dry. So, of course my recipe needed to be flavorful and moist! Thanks to the paprika, bacon and green onions, the flavor of these potatoes are SO good. And not only are we adding milk to the potato filling, but sour cream and a bit of cream cheese really give this dish the moistness it needs.
• Great side dish to make ahead or freeze. Check out my recipe tips below on how to freeze twice baked potatoes! It’s so easy and they hold up really well. This is the perfect recipe to make lots of and store in the freezer for lunches or dinner in a pinch.
• Cream cheese sets these apart. Typically you don’t have twice baked potatoes with cream cheese. Sour cream, yes, but cream cheese is a bit different. Trust me, you’ll love it! It really gives the potatoes an added flavor and added moisture that sets this recipe apart from the rest.

Ingredient Notes

• Potatoes: Use baking potatoes, or russets, since these will hold up better due to their sturdier skins.
• Cream Cheese: This is just enough cream cheese to add flavor and creaminess to the dish without being overpoweringly tangy.
• Cheese: I used cheddar cheese, but other delicious options would be pepper jack cheese, Monterey jack cheese, or Colby jack cheese.
• Paprika: Adding the paprika gives the dish a nice smokey flavor so the potatoes aren’t bland.
• Milk: We need a bit of adding moisture to the potato filling so it doesn’t dry out when baked.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Scrub the potatoes well and pierce them with a fork in 3 places. 
2. Place the potatoes directly on the oven rack and bake at 400°F for 1 hour or until fork tender (since I used large potatoes mine baked for 1 hour 15 minutes). Remove from the oven and let cool enough to handle them. Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F.
3. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop the insides into a large bowl, doing your best to keep the potato skins intact. Place the potato skins on a foil-lined baking sheet. 

4. To the large bowl with the potato pulp, add the cream cheese, sour cream, butter, salt, pepper, and milk.

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5. Using a hand mixer, whip the mixture until smooth. Be careful not to over mix as this can make the potatoes gummy. Alternatively you can use a potato masher. Stir in ¾ cup of cheddar cheese.

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6. Scoop the filling back into the potato shells. Top with remaining ¾ cup of cheddar cheese and a sprinkling of paprika. Bake for at 375°F for 20 mins or until heated through. 

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7. Remove and garnish with sliced green onions and crumbled bacon. Serve immediately.

Recipe Tips

Potatoes: Use russet or baking potatoes as they hold up best. This is due to their thicker skin.

Make sure your potatoes are warm when whipping or mashing them, as cold potatoes tend to get gummy. For fluffier potatoes, whip them with a mixer — just be careful not to over mix as this can make them gloppy.

You can use smaller sized potatoes and bake more of them, just have the total weight of the potatoes equal at least 4 pounds.

Turn this side dish into a main dish by added browned ground beef on top of the potato filling, then top with the cheese and bake.

Storing

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.

Freezing

Can you freeze twice baked potatoes? Sure can! This is a great recipe to make ahead of time and freeze. Once the potatoes are stuffed, let them cool completely. Flash freeze on a baking sheet for 15-20 minutes or until solid. Wrap each twice baked potato individually in aluminum foil. Store in the freezer for 2-3 months.

If you are planning on baking the potatoes frozen, wrap the potatoes in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil before storing in the freezer. You’ll remove the aluminum foil AND the plastic wrap prior to putting the frozen potatoes on the baking sheet and baking.

Reheating

You can microwave twice baked potatoes for 1 minute or reheat in the oven at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until warmed through.

If baking the potatoes from frozen, remove all the wrappings and place on a baking sheet. Cover and bake for 35-40 minutes at 400 degrees. Remove from the oven, uncover and add any toppings (such as shredded cheese), then return to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted.

If baking the frozen potatoes after they’ve been thawed, you’ll remove the frozen twice baked potatoes from the freezer and let thaw in the fridge overnight. When ready to bake, remove the wrapping, place on a baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until heated through.

FAQs

More Side Dishes

• Cauliflower Gratin
• Orzo Rice
• Mexican Street Corn Casserole
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon