Loaded Twice Baked Potatoes: Effortless Elegance on Your Dinner Table

My love affair with twice-baked potatoes began at a dinner party where these impressive-looking spuds stole the spotlight from the prime rib centerpiece. These loaded potatoes transform ordinary russets into extraordinary vessels of creamy, cheesy goodness topped with crispy bacon and fresh scallions. What makes them truly remarkable is their versatility – prepare them days ahead or freeze for future meals, creating an elegant side dish that consistently impresses guests while secretly being one of the easiest recipes in your collection.

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What Makes Loaded Twice Baked Potatoes So Good?

Russet potatoes are ideal for this dish because their high starch content creates a fluffy interior when baked, while their sturdy skins maintain shape. Oiling the skins before baking promotes crackling crispness, while adding dairy to the hot potatoes prevents them from becoming gluey. The brief final broil creates that irresistible golden cheese crust while maintaining the creamy interior, resulting in perfectly balanced textures and flavors.

Let This Be Your Make Ahead Twice Baked Potato Recipe

Baked potatoes are good with a wide range of main courses, but they take a long time to cook. That means that most people aren’t making them for weeknight dinner.

These loaded potatoes are not only more tempting than everyday baked potatoes, but they are super easy to prepare in advance and keep in the fridge or freezer for a quick and delicious side dish. Stop cooking oven fries or instant mashed potatoes when you can serve this easy twice baked potatoes recipe in just about the same amount of time.

Ingredients for Twice Baked Potatoes

For the Potatoes

• Russet potatoes – Their starchy composition creates the perfect fluffy interior and sturdy shell
• Vegetable oil – Helps create a crispy exterior on the potato skins
• Butter – Adds richness and silky texture to the filling
• Sour cream – Provides tanginess and creaminess to balance the starchy potatoes
• Salt – Enhances all flavors and helps crisp the potato skins
• Black pepper – Adds subtle heat and depth of flavor

For the Toppings

• Cheddar cheese – Creates a melty, golden crust when broiled
• Scallions – Add fresh, mild onion flavor and bright color contrast
• Bacon bits – Provide smoky flavor and satisfying crunchy texture

How To Make Twice Baked Potatoes in the Oven

To prepare this recipe:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Rinse the potatoes under cold water and use a clean kitchen towel or a potato brush to remove any dirt from the surface.
3. Coat the outside of the potato well with some vegetable oil. For extra-crispy skin, try sprinkling salt on the potato skin to help draw out the moisture.
4. Place the potatoes on a baking tray and cook for about 50 minutes, or when the potato is fork tender.
5. Remove the potatoes from the oven, and slice off the top third of the potato lengthwise as soon as you can handle them without burning yourself.
6. Use a spoon or potato scooper to remove the inside of the potato, leaving at least a 3/8 inch-thick edge.
7. Place the inside of the potato into a large mixing bowl. Scrape the flesh from the top third of the potato into the bow. Discard the skin.

8. Add the melted butter, sour cream, salt, and pepper to the mixing bowl. Mash with a potato masher.
9. Stir in half of the cheese, scallions, and bacon crumbles.
10. Use a spoon to fill the potato skins with the mashed potatoes.
11. At this point, you can stop the recipe and keep it for later. See the notes below.
12. Move a rack to the top position and preheat the oven to broil.
13. Sprinkle cheese on top of the filled potatoes.

14. Place the potatoes on a baking tray and put them in the oven until the cheese starts to crisp up.
15. Remove from the oven and garnish with sliced scallions and bacon bits.

Making Twice Baked Potatoes To Enjoy Later

To make the potatoes ahead of time, let them cool before wrapping the baked potatoes in plastic and keeping them in the fridge for up to two days, or place them on a baking tray and freeze.

When they are frozen solid, transfer them to a freezer-safe container and save them in the freezer for up to a month.

When you are ready to finish cooking the thawed potatoes, add the shredded cheese and broil them according to the recipe.

Possible Recipe Variations

There are lots of ways to make this recipe your own. Get creative, or try one or more of these changes:

• Use another cheese. Whatever cheese you want will probably work well. Swiss and Pepper Jack are great options.
• Use diced ham or other cooked meat in place of the bacon. Vegetarians can use plant-based bacon or leave it out entirely.
• Make loaded potato appetizers by slicing new Yukon Gold potatoes in half and following the recipe above.

Love Potatoes? Try These Recipes!

• Air Fryer Baked Potatoes
• Cheesy Hashbrown Potatoes
• Homemade Potato Soup
• Lipton Onion Soup Potatoes
• Mashed Potatoes Casserole
• Mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes
• Parsley Potatoes Recipe
• Potato Lyonnaise
• Potato Pancakes Recipe
• Roasted Red Skinned Potatoes

Popular Vegetable Side Dish Recipes

• Baked Broccoli and Cheese
• Creamed Corn Casserole
• Garlic Green Beans

Check out more of my easy side dish recipes and the best comfort food recipes on CopyKat!

Storage and Make-Ahead Options

Refrigerator Storage

• Make Ahead (Before Second Bake):
  1. Complete through filling the potato shells
  2. Cover with plastic wrap
  3. Refrigerate for up to 2 days
  4. When ready to serve, add cheese topping and broil as directed
• Leftover Storage:
  1. Allow to cool completely
  2. Wrap individually in plastic wrap
  3. Store in refrigerator for up to 3 days

Freezer Storage

• Freezing Method:
  1. Complete through filling the potato shells
  2. Place on a baking sheet and freeze until solid (about 1 hour)
  3. Wrap each frozen potato in plastic wrap then aluminum foil
  4. Store in freezer-safe container
  5. Freeze for up to 1 month