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Ultimate Twice Baked Potatoes: Creamy Filling and Crispy Skin

A close-up of a fully loaded twice baked potatoes topped with melted cheddar cheese, bacon bits, and green onions.
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Learn how to make the best loaded baked potato experience with a fluffy, cheesy interior and perfectly crisp skin. This recipe brings back delicious memories.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 large Russet potatoes
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 cup whole milk
  • 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
  • 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Rub the potatoes with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Pierce each potato several times with a fork.
  2. Bake the potatoes directly on the oven rack for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the skins are crisp and the insides are tender when squeezed.
  3. Remove potatoes from the oven and let them cool slightly until you can handle them safely. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
  4. Carefully slice each potato in half lengthwise. Scoop out the flesh into a large bowl, leaving about a quarter-inch shell of potato intact.
  5. Place the potato shells on a baking sheet. Brush the inside of the shells lightly with any remaining olive oil mixture if desired.
  6. To the scooped potato flesh, add the softened butter, sour cream, milk, half of the shredded cheddar cheese, crumbled bacon, chives, and garlic powder. Mix gently until just combined; do not overmix.
  7. Spoon the cheesy potato filling back into the potato shells, mounding it slightly. Top each stuffed potato with the remaining cheddar cheese.
  8. Return the twice baked potatoes to the 375 degrees Fahrenheit oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the filling is heated through and the cheese on top is melted and lightly golden.
  9. Serve your loaded baked potato immediately.

Notes

  • For extra crisp skin, you can bake the empty shells for an additional 5 minutes before filling them.
  • You can prepare the filling completely ahead of time and refrigerate it. When ready to bake, fill the shells and add the extra baking time needed to heat through.
  • Use high-quality sharp cheddar for the best flavor in your cheesy potato filling.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://delishdiarist.com/twice-baked-potatoes/