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The Best Twice-Baked Potatoes: Creamy, Cheesy, and Loaded

Close-up of a loaded twice-baked potato topped with melted cheddar cheese, bacon bits, and fresh chives.
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Learn how to make perfectly fluffy, cheesy stuffed potatoes loaded with bacon and chives, finished with a golden, melty top. This is a great make ahead potato side for any gathering.

Ingredients

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

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Pierce each potato several times with a fork. Rub the potatoes lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
  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 just enough to handle. Slice each potato in half lengthwise. Scoop out the inside flesh into a bowl, leaving about a 1/4 inch shell of potato skin.
  4. Place the potato skins on a baking sheet. Set aside.
  5. To the scooped potato flesh, add the warm milk, softened butter, salt, pepper, sour cream, 1/2 cup of the cheddar cheese, all the crumbled bacon, and half of the chopped chives.
  6. Mash the mixture until it is smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. This is your best potato filling.
  7. Spoon the filling evenly back into the potato shells, mounding it slightly.
  8. Top each stuffed potato with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese.
  9. Return the party potato boats to the 400 degrees F oven and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until the filling is heated through and the cheese on top is melted and bubbly.
  10. Garnish with the remaining fresh chives before serving.

Notes

  • For make ahead potato side preparation, you can scoop and fill the potatoes, then cover and refrigerate them for up to 2 days before the final bake. Add 5 to 10 minutes to the final baking time if baking straight from the refrigerator.
  • If you want a crispier skin, you can bake the empty shells for 5 minutes after scooping before refilling.
  • You can freeze assembled, unbaked potatoes. Wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and then foil. Bake from frozen at 375 degrees F for about 45 minutes, then uncover and bake for another 15 minutes until hot.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://tastytribune.com/twice-baked-potatoes-recipe-cheesy-stuffed/