Twice-baked potatoes made with 4 different flavor combinations! This easy recipe is a super tasty, naturally gluten-free side dish or appetizer for any occasion! Fluffy mashed potatoes are loaded with various add-ins, stuffed into a baked potato shell, and baked to perfection. Try each flavor combo: Roasted Garlic and Fontina, Cheddar Bacon, Parmesan Pesto, and Blue Cheese & Chive!
I couldn't decide. So you're getting 4 ways.
The humble russet potato is transformed into a crispy potato skin and used as the magical vessel for carrying creamy, dreamy, loaded mashed potatoes to your mouth and soul.
4 flavors. 4 loves. The hardest part is deciding which one to make first. So just make them all. Your mouth and soul will be glad you did.
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🌟 Why you'll love this recipe
If we're being completely honest, potatoes in any form are a gift from God. French fries, tater tots, hasselback, roasted, mashed (especially with a little butternut squash added in), au gratin, and definitely these twice-baked spuds.
They will be loved because they are over-the-top delicious.
And they will be loved because we can make them ahead of time, we can freeze them for later, or we can just eat them now. They adapt to your schedule. Isn't that nice? Not many other things in life can claim the same.
Perfect for parties, holidays, a tasty mealtime side dish, or even as dinner itself. Be inspired by the 4 flavor combos below or go crazy and create your own twice-baked flavor riff. Then tell me what you did. Curious minds need to know.
🛒 Ingredients (4 Flavor Combos!)
There are SO many ways to load up a twice-baked potato. Experiment with your own flavor combinations and have fun with it! You could even transform this side dish into a full meal on its own with all of the endless ingredient possibilities.
For a full list of ingredients and quantities see the recipe card at the end of this post.
Here are a few more ideas to try your tastebuds on:
- Add some veggies! Add finely chopped broccoli to the Bacon Cheddar or Roasted Garlic & Fontina twice-baked potatoes or add finely chopped cauliflower to the Parmesan Pesto option.
- Add some extra protein! Top your potato with ground turkey, or shredded or chopped chicken, steak, or carnitas.
- How about a Chili Cheese Twice-Baked Potato?! Mix in your favorite chili to the mashed potatoes and top it off with some cheddar cheese, sour cream, jalapeños, and avocado!
- Or a Southwestern Twice-Baked Potato! Add ground beef, a bit of taco seasoning, black beans, tomatoes, and cheddar cheese to the potato filling. After it's twice-baked top it off with some sour cream and guacamole!
Some ideas for simple substitutions:
- Swap out sour cream for Greek yogurt or crème fraîche.
- Swap out whole milk for unsweetened, plain almond or oat milk.
- Exchange basil pesto for sun-dried tomato pesto!
- Try turkey bacon instead of pork bacon.
- Can't find chives? Use green onions (aka scallions) instead.
🔪 Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Prick each potato several times with a fork.
Step 2: Brush each potato all over with olive oil.
Step 3: Sprinkle all sides of the potatoes with salt and pepper and rub to evenly distribute. Bake in the oven at 400°F for 45-60 minutes or until fork tender.
Step 4: Once the potatoes have finished baking, allow them to cool slightly (so you don't burn your hands!) and slice each potato in half lengthwise.
Step 5: Scoop out each potato half leaving about ¼” border of potato on the skin.
Step 6: Mash the potato flesh with a potato ricer (this is the one I use) or a potato masher.
Step 7: Add in your filling ingredients. Taste test to make sure it's super tasty. If it doesn't make you smile maybe add a little more salt, a little more butter, and definitely more cheese. Don't be timid with your add-ins.
Step 8: Give your potato filling a quick stir (don't overmix!)
Step 9: Mound each potato skin with the loaded mashed potato filling.
Step 10: Add any additional toppings that make you giddy (like cheese) and bake the potatoes a second time for another 15-20 minutes. Then serve those amazing spuds.
👩🍳 Recipe tips
- Russet potatoes, also called Idaho or baker potatoes, are the best kind of potatoes to use for this recipe providing the fluffiest mashed potato filling due to their low moisture and high starch content. Their skins are also a little more sturdy compared to other potato varieties, which makes them easier to hollow out and stuff.
- For a smooth and creamy mashed potato filling use a potato ricer or a potato masher to mash your potatoes before adding in your additional ingredients. No matter how tempting it may be, don't use a blender, hand mixer, or food processor to mash your potatoes (unless you like eating gluey textured potatoes).
- Don't bake the potatoes wrapped in foil. Bake them on a baking pan or directly on your oven's top rack with a baking sheet or piece of foil on the lower rack to catch any drips. Potatoes wrapped in foil will trap moisture causing the skin to be wet and the inside to become gummy or soggy.
- Prep your filling ingredients while the potatoes are baking so that they are ready to add to the mashed potatoes while the potatoes are still warm. This will also help to prevent gluey, gummy potato filling.
- If you like your potato skins extra crispy, pop the potato shells back in the oven for 10 minutes while you make the filling.
- To prevent gummy potatoes be careful not to overmix your add-ins into the mashed potatoes and be sure to warm any milk, cream, butter, or sour cream that you are using prior to adding it to the mashed potatoes.
💭 Frequently asked questions
There are several reasons why your potatoes may be gummy. If you baked your potatoes during the first bake wrapped in foil this will retain moisture in the potato and make them soggy and ewww. Over-mixing your potato filling is a second possibility. And lastly, make sure your potato filling ingredients are warm before you add them to the mashed potatoes.
The potatoes will be cooked twice (hence the name twice-baked), unless you decide to pop the skins back in the oven for 10 minutes to crisp up a bit more while you prepare the potato filling. Depending on the size of your potatoes, the first time they bake you will bake them for about 45-60 minutes or until your potatoes are fork tender. The second time you bake them will be about 15-20 minutes
You can! Make them as stated in the recipe instructions stopping after stuffing the potato skins with their filling. Allow the potatoes to completely cool then wrap well with plastic wrap or foil. They can remain wrapped in the refrigerator for several days before baking. When ready to eat, simply remove the plastic wrap, add your additional potato toppings, place in a 400°F preheated oven, and cook until potatoes are hot throughout, about 20-25 minutes.
Yes! Who else is excited about a freezer full of these tasty taters?! Bake and prepare the potatoes as stated in the recipe instructions but postpone the 2nd bake until you are ready to eat them. Allow the prepared potatoes to cool to room temperature. Once fully cooled, wrap each potato with plastic wrap and then double-wrap with aluminum foil. This will fully protect the potatoes and the plastic will keep the foil from sticking to the filling making them easier to unwrap.
To reheat frozen twice-baked potatoes, take them out of your freezer and unwrap them completely. Place potatoes on a baking sheet and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Bake for 45 minutes at 400°F. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes or until the potatoes are heated through.
That's a twice-baked potato platter of happiness right there. ⇧
Grab a fork and dig in! Or lead the charge and just pick it up with your hands and take a big bite.
Which flavor combo will you try first? I can't wait to hear! ♡
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📖 Recipe
Twice Baked Potatoes (4 Ways!)
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Yield: 8 Servings
Description
Fluffy mashed potatoes are loaded with tasty add-ins and stuffed in a baked potato shell and baked to perfection. Try these four different flavor combinations or experiment and create your own flavor combo!
Ingredients
Cheddar Bacon
- 4 medium-sized (about 3 ¼ pounds) russet potatoes
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 ½ cups cheddar cheese, shredded, divided
- 4 ounces (5-6 strips) bacon, cooked and chopped, divided
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ cup sour cream or greek yogurt
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup whole milk, warmed
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped
Parmesan Pesto
- 4 medium-sized (about 3 ¼ pounds) russet potatoes
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 tablespoons prepared or homemade basil pesto
- ½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano, shredded
- ½ cup sour cream or greek yogurt
- ½ cup whole milk, warmed
- ¼ cup pine nuts, toasted, divided
Roasted Garlic & Fontina
- 4 medium-sized (about 3 ¼ pounds) russet potatoes
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 head of garlic
- 1 ½ cups (6 ounces) fontina cheese, shredded, divided
- ⅓ cup sour cream or greek yogurt
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup whole milk, warmed
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped
Blue Cheese & Chive
- 4 medium-sized (about 3 ¼ pounds) russet potatoes
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup blue cheese, crumbled, divided
- ¼ cup fresh chives, finely chopped, divided
- ½ cup heavy cream, warmed
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Bake the potatoes: Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Scrub the potatoes clean under running water and pat them dry. Poke holes all over each potato with the tines of a fork. Place the potatoes on the baking sheet and brush each potato all over with olive oil. Sprinkle each side of the potato with salt and pepper. Bake potatoes at 400°F for 45-60 minutes or until fork tender, turning the potatoes once during baking. Note: If you are making the Roasted Garlic & Fontina potatoes, cut off the top from the head of a whole garlic to expose the cloves. Place garlic head on a piece of foil and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Wrap up the garlic into a tight foil pouch, place on the pan with the potatoes, and roast for 45 minutes.
- Prepare the potato halves: Allow the potatoes to cool for 5-10 minutes, or until cool enough to handle. Slice each potato in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop out the inside of each potato half, leaving about ¼" border of potato on the skin. Add the potato flesh to a large bowl.
- Prepare the potato filling: Mash the potato flesh with a potato ricer or a potato masher.
- For Cheddar Bacon potatoes: To the mashed potatoes add ¾ cup cheddar cheese, half of the cooked bacon, garlic powder, sour cream, melted butter, warmed milk, and 1 tablespoon chives. Mix just until combined, being careful not to overmix. Adjust potato filling to taste adding more garlic powder, salt, or pepper if needed. Spoon potato filling back into the potato skins. Top with remaining ¾ cup cheddar cheese and bake at 400°F for 15-20 minutes or until heated through. Top potatoes with remaining bacon and chives.
- For Parmesan Pesto potatoes: To the mashed potatoes add pesto, Parmigiano Reggiano, sour cream, warmed milk, and half of the pine nuts. Mix just until combined, being careful not to overmix. Adjust potato filling to taste adding more pesto, salt, or pepper if needed. Spoon potato filling back into the potato skins. Bake at 400°F for 15-20 minutes or until heated through. Top potatoes with remaining pine nuts and an extra drizzle of pesto.
- For Roasted Garlic & Fontina potatoes: Remove the roasted garlic from the foil pouch. Press the bottom of the garlic cloves to remove the garlic pulp from the skin. To the mashed potatoes add the roasted garlic pulp, half of the fontina cheese, sour cream, melted butter, warmed milk, and half of the chives. Mix just until combined, being careful not to overmix. Adjust potato filling to taste adding more salt and pepper if needed. Spoon potato filling back into the potato skins. Top with remaining ¾ cup fontina cheese and bake at 400°F for 15-20 minutes or until heated through. Top potatoes with remaining chives.
- For Blue Cheese & Chive potatoes: To the mashed potatoes add half of the blue cheese, 3 tablespoon chives, warmed heavy cream, and melted butter. Mix just until combined, being careful not to overmix. Adjust potato filling to taste adding more salt and pepper if needed. Spoon potato filling back into the potato skins. Top with remaining ½ cup blue cheese and bake at 400°F for 15-20 minutes or until heated through. Top potatoes with remaining chives.
Notes
The equipment section above contains affiliate links to products I use or recommend.
The recipes for each flavor combination are flexible which makes it wonderful for adapting to your own tastes. Use the amounts for each flavor as a guideline to create your own drool-worthy twice-baked potato!
If you like your potato skins extra crispy, pop the potato shells back in the oven for 10 minutes while you make the potato filling.
To make ahead of time: Make the potatoes as stated in the recipe instructions but stopping after stuffing the potato skins with their filling. Allow the potatoes to completely cool then wrap well in plastic wrap or foil. They can remain wrapped in the refrigerator for up to 5 days before baking. When ready to eat, simply remove the plastic wrap, add your additional potato toppings, place in a 400°F preheated oven, and cook until potatoes are hot throughout, about 20-25 minutes.
Freezing twice-baked potatoes: Bake and prepare the potatoes as stated in the recipe instructions but postponing the 2nd bake until you are ready to eat them. Allow the prepared potatoes to cool to room temperature. Once fully cooled, wrap each potato with plastic wrap and then double-wrap with aluminum foil. This will fully protect the potatoes and the plastic will keep the foil from sticking to the filling making them easier to unwrap.
Reheating frozen twice-baked potatoes: Remove potatoes from the freezer and unwrap them completely. Place frozen potatoes on a baking sheet and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Bake for 45 minutes at 400°F. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes or until the potatoes are heated through.
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
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