Twice Baked Potatoes – potatoes baked then mixed with cream cheese, Greek yogurt, cheese, butter and, of course, bacon and baked again! These potatoes could just about be a meal in themselves.
Anyone watch tennis last night?
I’m not a tennis player and have hardly ever played. We don’t typically watch it, but I think now I’m hooked. It all started when we watched that awesome men’s match the other night between Nadal and Fognini. That was spectacular and it made me want to start playing.
So, after that, we’ve watched a couple of matches here and there. I watched Cilic and Tsonga yesterday and that was pretty good towards the end, but last night’s match with the sisters, man! That was so exciting!
As a mother with two daughters, I can’t imagine how their mother was feeling. Chris Evert remarked before it started that Oracene Price said she’d probably go shopping as she didn’t know which box she’d sit in to watch it.
It’s probably much more difficult for the family than the girls.
Overall, I thought it was a great match and a lot of fun to watch. I’m excited now to watch the semis and finals!
SAVE THIS BAKED POTATO RECIPE TO YOUR FAVORITE PINTEREST BOARD!
Then we’re on to FOOTBALL!!!! Woo Hoo!!
While we’re waiting for the games to begin, let’s have potatoes! They’re hearty and will almost stick to your ribs. They’ll be great with a steak, chicken dinner or even on your Thanksgiving table for those who want to try something other than the mashed version.
So, a word of warning: these potatoes take some TIME! They’re super easy to make but require about 90 minutes of prepping and cook time.
Thankfully, most of that time is completely hands off. You can pop the potatoes in the oven and get other things done while they bake. HOORAY!
Then it’s a simple matter of cutting them open like a mad scientist, scooping out the insides (again like a mad scientist, there’s a theme here), and mashing the potato with all the other good stuff. Easy peasy!
It’s just that “easy peasy” doesn’t always mean “fast” so I wanted to give you a word of warning so you can plan accordingly.
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Easy Twice Baked Potatoes
Have you ever made twice baked potatoes? These were a favorite restaurant side dish for me and I was excited to find out how easy it was to make these potatoes at home.
Double baked potatoes are the perfect combination of baked potatoes and mashed potatoes. After its first trip through the oven, you scoop out the insides of the potato and mash them with all your favorite loaded baked potato toppings.
A sprinkle of even more cheese and then these puppies are back in the oven for one more turn. Once the cheese gets all melted and bubbly, your twice baked potatoes are ready to serve.
Twice Baked Potatoes Recipe
I went a little beyond the norm with these baked potatoes.
Instead of just using butter and sour cream for the insides of the potatoes, I tried nonfat Greek yogurt along with chive and onion flavored cream cheese!
Oh, yes, and still plenty of butter, green onions and bacon.
I think the cream cheese made the potatoes especially, well . . . creamy. The Greek yogurt added a great tanginess and fluffiness to these spuds.
Also, I’m no nutritional expert but I think
This recipe makes 8 potato halves which is enough to serve up to 8 people as a side dish if you use large potatoes. I like Twice Baked Potatoes enough that I could probably just eat two halves as an entree all on its own!
Serve your baked potatoes as a side dish with Roasted Pork, Herb Roasted Turkey, Marinated Chicken Breasts or your favorite steak. They pair well on a plate with a light garden salad and a basket of Texas Roadhouse Rolls for a full on feast.
Twice Baked Potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 Russett potatoes
- 8 tablespoons salted butter cut into tablespoons and room temperature
- 1 cup shredded cheddar / Monterey Jack cheese divided
- ½ cup chive and onion cream cheese
- ½ cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 pieces bacon cooked and chopped
- 2 green onions chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Wash and dry the potatoes.
- Prick each potato generously all over with a fork. We don't want those puppies exploding in the oven. They need to breathe - it's hot in there!
- Place on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a fork is easily inserted into them.
- Reduce heat to 350 degrees F. and remove sheet from oven and allow to cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, place the pieces of butter, 1/2 cup of the cheese, cream cheese, yogurt, Old Bay seasoning, pepper and bacon.
- Using a serrated knife and holding the potato with an oven mitt (as it may still be a...HOT potato!), Slice the potato in half lengthwise.
- With a spoon, scoop out each half of the potato into the mixing bowl, leaving just enough on the inside to support the skin and being careful to not make holes.
- Place the 8 halves onto the baking sheet.
- With a potato masher (or you can use a mixer), mix all the ingredients together until they're well incorporated.
- Evenly divide the mixture between the 8 potato halves.
- Place into the 350 degree F. oven to bake for 10 minutes or until heated through.
- Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
- Garnish with green onions.
We love baked potatoes and now we love twice baked even more! For some reason, I just don’t make them enough. That’s about to change.
With so many ways to have potatoes, here are a few that’ll do the trick…
Roasted Thyme Blue Potatoes
Vanilla Mashed Potatoes
Smashed Roasted Cheesy Potatoes
Oven Roasted Potatoes
They really are easy, just a tad time consuming because they have to bake for about an hour and a half total, but it’s well worth the wait! If you’re looking for a healthier version, try these from Yummy Healthy Easy.
Looking for even more ideas for amazing side dishes?
Butternut Spinach Multi-Grain Medley is a gorgeous and tasty side dish for any occasion but is especially wonderful for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Maple Roasted Sweet Potatoes bring just the right amount of sweet maple flavor to your meal.
Tropical Quinoa Salad is ideal for a summer dinner party!
Comments & Reviews
These look pretty darn good!
Thanks so much, Laureen!
Have you ever made these and then wrapped and froze them individually for later use?
Hi Vivian,
I have not frozen them, but through a Google search, I found that it’s easy to do. I found this from The Kitchn.
Make the twice-baked potatoes according to my recipe, but stop before baking them the second time. So, you’ll bake and stuff, but not bake again.
Cool the stuffed potatoes completely before wrapping individually in tin foil. If you’re going to bake the potatoes in their frozen state before thawing, wrap each one in plastic wrap and then in foil.
They can be frozen for up to 3 months. Store the foil-wrapped potatoes in a freezer bag or storage container. Remember to put a date on and label it.
To bake the frozen potatoes: preheat oven to 425°F, remove the foil and plastic wrap from the desired number of potatoes and place into a baking dish. Cover with tin foil and bake for 35 – 45 minutes. If desired, sprinkle with additional cheese and bake for an additional 15-20 more minutes or until potatoes are hot.
If you want to bake thawed potatoes, know that they will cook more quickly than frozen ones. Thaw the amount you plan on serving in the fridge the night before you intend to serve them. Unwrap from the plastic wrap and tin foil and place into a baking dish. Preheat oven to 425°F, and sprinkle tops with additional cheese. Bake for 15-25 minutes until hot and cheese has melted.
I make a batch (yes, batch) of twice-baked potatoes. As long as I’m making them, it takes no longer to fill a cookie sheet than a make just a few. To fill them make quickly with your yummy mixture, use a plastic bag, fill it and cut the corner for a tip and pipe the filling into your skins. I use my FoodSaver after they cool and seal each half by itself and freeze. It’s easy to have a couple ready when ever you want them this way. I’ve made up a bag of potatoes at one time and as long as you are “in the mess” you might as well take advantage of it. They freeze well too.