Twice Baked Potatoes Three Ways

Twice Baked Potatoes are the ultimate make-ahead side dish. They are a delicious indulgence with their fluffy white interior mixed with creamy butter, tangy sour cream, grated cheddar cheese, and sweet and savory bacon.

But wait, did you know you can easily take the basic but oh-so-good Twice Baked Potato, add a few ingredients, and have a yummy light entrée the whole family will love?

Variations:

If you love Twice Baked Potatoes, my guess is you will also love delicious Broccoli Stuffed Twice Baked Potatoes, and Buffalo Chicken Twice Baked Potatoes.

Either variation is very easy to make and yes, all can be made ahead and frozen, ready to reheat at a moment’s notice for a quick and easy weeknight meal.

It is just as easy to make up a large batch of Twice Baked Potatoes as it is to make two.

Broccoli Stuffed Twice Baked Potatoes are nothing more than the basic Twice Baked Potato recipe with broccoli florets mixed in.

Buffalo Chicken Twice Baked Potatoes contain a mixture of cooked chicken, a little buffalo sauce, and a small amount of ranch or blue cheese dressing. Both are delicious in their own right, and both would make a grand lunch or light dinner.

This recipe is really more of a guide than an exact recipe. Depending on how many potatoes you are making and your family’s taste, you can add more or less of pretty much all of the ingredients and make them your own.

Pretty basic stuff! But sometimes in life, it’s the simplest things that are the best and Twice Baked Potatoes, no matter how you prepare them, are really simple!

Here’s how to make them:

Preheat the oven to 375° F.

Wash and dry the potatoes. Rub the potatoes all over with a little olive oil or vegetable oil. Lightly sprinkle the potatoes on all sides with salt and pepper.

Prick the potatoes in a few places with the tines of a fork and place them on a baking sheet. Bake for 1-1/2 hours or until the potatoes are soft when squeezed.

Let the potatoes cool just until you can handle them, do not let them cool completely.

Place the butter, sour cream, one tablespoon of heavy cream, half and half, or milk, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.

When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut the top off of each potato and carefully scoop out the pulp leaving about a 1/4 inch shell. Place the pulp in the bowl with the butter and sour cream mixture.

Use a potato masher or fork to mash the potato mixture until it is fairly smooth and everything is well combined. If the mixture looks dry, add an additional tablespoon of heavy cream, half and half, or milk. Add the cheese and bacon bits and stir to combine.

Mound the potato mixture back into the potato shells and sprinkle with a little cheese.

When you are ready to bake them for the second time, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, place the potatoes on a baking sheet and bake the potatoes for 30 minutes.

What to serve them with:

These potatoes pair beautifully with most main dishes like my New York Strip Roast, Southern Fried Chicken, and Southern Crispy Oven-Fried Chicken. 

Sharon’s tips:

To make Broccoli Stuffed Twice Baked Potatoes, follow the directions above and add 2 cups of frozen or fresh broccoli florets to the potato mixture before stuffing the potatoes and baking for the second time.

To make Buffalo Chicken Twice Baked Potatoes, follow the directions above and add 2 cups of cooked chicken, 2 Tbsp ranch or blue cheese dressing and 2 Tbsp buffalo sauce to the potato mixture before stuffing the potatoes and baking for the second time.

If you are not going to serve the potatoes immediately, freeze in a single layer in the freezer. When frozen, place in a zip-lock freezer bag and return to the freezer. When ready to use, defrost in the refrigerator or the microwave until no longer frozen and follow the directions below for baking.

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5 from 3 votes

Twice Baked Potatoes Three Ways

Twice Baked Potatoes are the ultimate make-ahead side dish and a delicious indulgence with creamy butter, tangy sour cream, cheddar cheese and savory bacon.

Course Lunch, Main Dish, Side Dish

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword twice baked potato recipes, potato recipes

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 2 hours

Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 218kcal

Author Sharon Rigsby

Ingredients

Twice Baked Potatoes

• 8 large Russet baking potatoes8 large Russet baking potatoes
• 8 slices of bacon cooked and crumbled8 slices of bacon cooked and crumbled
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
• 1 cup sour cream1 cup sour cream
• 1-2 Tbsp heavy cream half and half, or milk1-2 Tbsp heavy cream half and half, or milk
• 2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1 tsp kosher salt1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Broccoli Stuffed Twice Baked Potatoes, add

• 2 cups fresh or frozen broccoli florets cut up into bite size pieces2 cups fresh or frozen broccoli florets cut up into bite size pieces

Buffalo Chicken Twice Baked Potatoes, add

• 2 cups cooked chicken cut up into bite size pieces2 cups cooked chicken cut up into bite size pieces
• 2 Tbsp ranch or blue cheese dressing2 Tbsp ranch or blue cheese dressing
• 2 Tbsp buffalo sauce2 Tbsp buffalo sauce

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Wash and dry the potatoes. Rub the potatoes all over with a little olive oil or vegetable oil. Lightl sprinkle the potatoes on all sides with salt and pepper. Prick the potatoes in a few places with the tines of a fork and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 1-1/2 hours or until the potatoes are soft when squeezed.
• Let cool just until you can handle them, do not let them cook completely.
• Place the butter, sour cream, 1 Tbsp of heavy cream, half and half or milk, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
• When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut the top off of each potato and carefully scoop out the pulp leaving about a 1/4 inch shell. Place the pulp in the bowl with the butter and sour cream mixture. Use a potato masher or fork to mash the potato mixture until it is fairly smooth and everything is well combined. If the mixture looks dry, add an additional tablespoon of heavy cream, half and half or milk. Add the cheese and bacon bits and stir to combine.
• Mound the potato mixture back into the potato shells.
• If you are not going to serve the potatoes immediately, freeze in a single layer in the freezer. When frozen, place in a zip-lock freezer bag and return to the freezer. When ready to use, defrost in the refrigerator or the microwave until no longer frozen and follow the directions below for baking.
• When you are ready to serve the Twice Baked Potatoes, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, place the potatoes on a baking sheet and bake the potatoes for 30 minutes.

Notes

To make Broccoli Stuffed Twice Baked Potatoes, follow the directions above and add 2 cups of frozen or fresh broccoli florets to the potato mixture and bake as directed.

To make Buffalo Chicken Twice Baked Potatoes, follow the directions above and add 2 cups of cooked chicken, 2 Tbsp ranch or blue cheese dressing and 2 Tbsp buffalo sauce to the potato mixture and bake as directed.

Nutrition

Calories: 218kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 1344mg | Potassium: 170mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 700IU | Vitamin C: 3.3mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 0.2mg

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