Easy Twice Baked Potatoes make the perfect holiday dish for any type of get-together. These tasty, cheesy potatoes never go out of style. A flavorful, classic recipe, it combines all your favorite flavors into one dish.
It was the Fourth of July. Desserts and Jell-O shots were made. But I needed one more dish to take to Papa’s house for our cookout.
Potatoes are always readily available in our household, along with other staples such as milk and cheese. I had procured some sour cream at the grocery store over the weekend and had just harvested and dried some chives from the garden.
Twice Baked Potatoes it was!
I hadn’t made or eaten them in probably years. I had been craving them for some time, though, so I would be darned if I wouldn’t get to eat them at this cookout.
These are too easy not to make.
Hollowed out, the potatoes go perfectly with cream of some sort, herbs, milk, salt… and cheese. Mash them up quickly and stir the remaining accompaniments, and it’s mainly done. I add them back to the potato skin boats and top them with more cheese before they bake in the oven just a little longer. Once heated through, the cheese is slightly browned on top.
You could even add some bacon bits or anything else you see fit because who am I to stop you…
Here are a few more details to make my Easy Twice Baked Potatoes.
Tools You Need
Measuring cups and spoons
Mixing bowl
Butter knife & sharp knife
Masher
Baking pan or cookie sheet
Spoon
Box grater
Vegetable brush, optional
Ingredients for Twice Baked Potatoes
Potatoes – Russet potatoes are the perfect size for making twice baked potatoes. However, if you have Yukon gold potatoes, they work just as well.
Cheddar cheese – Cheddar cheese is best for this recipe as it’s sharp enough to add flavor, but not overpowering to the taste buds. Block cheese is what I recommend using and then grating it yourself. It’s fresher this way.
Milk – Milk creates a creamy consistency in the mashed potatoes that get stuffed back into the hollowed out potatoes. I use whole milk, but a lower fat milk works, too.
Sour cream – Sour cream adds a bit of tang and more creaminess to the potatoes. Use light or regular.
Sea salt – Salt is a necessary addition to enhance the overall flavor of the dish. I use sea salt, but standard table salt is fine.
Garlic powder – This is one of few recipes that I prefer powdered garlic over fresh. Powdered garlic just combines more easily with the other ingredients in this potato dish.
Chives – Fresh or dried chives are a great addition to this recipe. Combine them into the potatoes and/or sprinkle on top after baking for a garnish and additional flavor.
How to Make Easy Twice Baked Potatoes
Start by preheating the oven to 375ºF. Scrub and rinse potatoes in the meantime.
Pierce the potatoes using a small knife or even a fork to let steam escape as they cook. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for about one hour, until the potatoes have softened enough to cut in half without much effort. The middle will be tender and flaky.
After the potatoes cool, begin scooping the flesh out into a bowl. Make sure to leave about ½-inch along the edges of the potato skins to make sure they are sturdy enough to hold the mashed potatoes you’ll be adding back in later.
After all the potatoes have been scooped out, add the sour cream and milk to the potatoes, mashing them all together.
Next, add in the salt, garlic powder, and half of the grated cheese. Stir until everything is thoroughly combined. Spoon the mixture back into the potatoes, leaving a small mound on top of each one and topping with more grated cheese.
Bake at 375ºF for 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and is a slightly golden brown color on top.
Remove from the oven, sprinkle with chives, and serve warm.
Tips for Making Easy Twice Baked Potatoes
Use a standard spoon for scooping the mixture out of and back into the potatoes. A large mixing spoon may be too large, especially if you have medium-sized potatoes.
To save time on the day you’re serving these twice baked potatoes, bake the potatoes the evening before and store in the fridge overnight. Then in the morning, slice them in half and follow the rest of the recipe.
For a slightly spicier dish, use pepper jack or jalapeño cheese. This flavor is out of this world. Just be sure everyone knows it has a little more flavor than usual before serving it to them.
More Recipe Inspiration
Easy Twice Baked Potatoes
Equipment
- mixing bowl
- measuring cups and spoons
- Chef's knife
- masher
- baking pan or cookie sheet
- box grater
Ingredients
- 8 medium-sized potatoes
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1-2 tsp garlic powder
- 1-2 tsp salt
- 8 oz block cheddar cheese, grated
- fresh or dried chives optional
Instructions
- Start by preheating the oven to 375ºF. Scrub and rinse potatoes in the meantime.
- Pierce the potatoes using a small knife or even a fork to let steam escape as they cook. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for about one hour, until the potatoes have softened enough to cut in half without much effort. The middle will be tender and flaky.
- After the potatoes cool, begin scooping the flesh out into a bowl. Make sure to leave about ½-inch along the edges of the potato skins to make sure they are sturdy enough to hold the mashed potatoes you’ll be adding back in later.
- After all the potatoes have been scooped out, add the sour cream and milk to the potatoes, mashing them all together.
- Next, add in the salt, garlic powder, and half of the grated cheese. Stir until everything is thoroughly combined.
- Spoon the mixture back into the potatoes, leaving a small mound on top of each one. Top with more grated cheese and bake at 375ºF for 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and is a slightly golden brown color on top.
- Remove from the oven, sprinkle with chives, and serve warm.
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