Ok, there's not much to say here. Who doesn't love a twice baked potato? It's all the good stuff about a baked potato, but the work is already done for you, plus you get the creamy delightfulness of a mashed potato all in one, neat package for your devouring pleasure.
These are very easy to make and honestly, making 10 doesn't take that much work than making 2. The most tedious part is scooping out the potato flesh. You don't want to rush this step because you need to make sure you're leaving a border of flesh so your potato keeps its integrity and you can re-stuff it. Check out the photos below to see how I make sure to not over scoop. Also, I use the microwave for the first round of cooking the potatoes. It cuts a TON of time over oven baking them and because they are indeed twice-baked, you will get the yummy, crispy skin in your second round of baking.
Another benefit of these? They freeze beautifully. Whenever I make them for just the two of us, I always make at least 4, if not more, and freeze the extras. That way, on a busy weeknight or a lazy Sunday sometime down the road, you have a perfectly delicious and satisfying side that all you need to do is pop it in the oven. Also for this reason, they are a great side to make for company because you can make them well in advance then all you have to do is re-heat them when your guests come over -- all the hard work is already done. And check out my suggestions in the recipe notes section for ideas of how to make these even more awesome or change up the flavor profile.
They're great for a cozy winter dinner or a summer cookout. One of the most versatile, crowd-pleasing sides you can make, in my humble opinion. Either way, they'll never disappoint.
Assembly Tutorial
Watch my TikTok to see me make these in action!
Twice Baked Potatoes
(Makes ~ 4 Servings)
Prep time: 20 minutes | Cook time: 15-20 minutesIngredients:
2 russet potatoes
2 TB butter
1 minced garlic clove OR 1/2 tsp. jarred minced garlic
1/3 C. sour cream
1.5 C. shredded cheddar cheese
1/2-3/4 tsp. salt (or to taste)
1/2 tsp. pepper
Directions:
Cook the potatoes either in the microwave or in the oven just like if you were making baked potatoes. I use the "potatoes" setting on my microwave. Or bake at 425° for 50-60 minutes. Let potatoes rest for 5 minutes after cooking, or until they are cool enough to cut the potatoes in half lengthwise. Let rest another 5 minutes or so until they are cool enough to handle.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small pan over low heat. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute until the garlic is fragrant.
Using a spoon scoop out the potato flesh into a bowl*, being careful to leave a border of flesh between the skin so the potato keeps its integrity and can still sit up on its own (see photos above). Don't scoop all the way to the skin!
In the bowl with the scooped-out potato flesh, add the melted butter and use a fork to start mashing the potatoes and mixing the butter in to get a smooth consistency.
Next add the sour cream, 3/4 C. of the cheese, salt and pepper and stir everything until it is totally combined. Alternatively, you can use a stand or hand mixer to get everything really smooth.
Put the potato shells on a baking sheet and fill each shell with the potato and cheese mixture. Top each potato with the remaining cheese.
Bake at 425° for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and lightly browned.
*Recipe notes + Variations*
*To make sure you don't scoop out too much potato flesh, I like to use my spoon to make indentations around the entire potato as a guide for where to not scoop past. Also make sure to leave enough border on the bottom of the potato too. See the "assembly tutorial" above for reference.
The amount of salt, pepper, sour cream and cheese and vary slightly depending on the size of your potatoes. If you have really huge or kind of dinky potatoes, you'll likely need more or less of everything. However, I don't think there's a thing as too much cheese, so add that to your heart's content.
This can actually be a really versatile recipe. You can really add anything you want to the potato mixture -- bacon, scallions, diced jalapeños or poblanos. Change up the cheese to pepper jack for a spicy kick or do a combo of cheeses. Use non-dairy alternatives to keep it vegan.
To freeze extras, do everything the same as above, but I recommend only baking them in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Allow to cool completely then freeze them on a tray until they are completely solid. Throw them in a tupperware or ziplock bag until you're ready to use them. Bake at 425° for 20-25 minutes from frozen or less if they are slightly thawed. Loosely cover with foil to avoid over-browning the cheese.
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