My family gets more excited about Twice Baked Potatoes then almost any other side dish I make. What’s not to love about a hollowed-out baked potato stuffed with fluffy mashed potatoes and melty cheese?

Want more delicious side dishes? Try Buttermilk Cornbread, Wedge Salad, Garlic Knots, or Truffle Mac and Cheese.

Why I love this recipe:

• Versatile – These easy twice baked potatoes or “potato boats” as we call them make a great side with almost any meal. Serve them with something fancy like Prime Rib, or a simple Baked Ham or Pork Tenderloin.
• Easy – So quick to make, but they feel fancy, and even the pickiest eaters love them.
• Make Ahead – You know I love a good side dish I can prep ahead and stick in the oven just before dinnertime.

How to make Twice Baked Potatoes:

Cook Potatoes: Prick potatoes with a knife or fork. Rub them with olive oil then season with salt and pepper. Bake at 400 for about an 1 hour, or until fork tender. Remove from oven and allow to rest until cool enough to handle.

Scoop Out: Cut the top, lengthwise of each potato off and scoop out the flesh into a mixing bowl, leaving ¼ inch layer of potato flesh and skin, and the rest hollowed out.

Make Filling: Add butter, salt and pepper, chives, sour cream, garlic powder, chicken bouillon milk. Mash with a potato masher and then mix with beaters until smooth (but don’t over-mix them or they will be gluey instead of light and fluffy.) Add more milk if needed, the filling is better on the softer side since it will thicken in the oven.

Bake: Top potato boats with shredded cheese and bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes of until the cheese is bubbly. Twice Baked Potatoes get their name from this step of baking the potatoes a second time, with the mashed potato filling and cheese on top.

Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:

To Make Ahead: Prepare potatoes completely, without baking them the second time. Place them on a large sheet pan, lightly cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to one day, until ready to bake. If making them ahead, I suggest adding a little extra milk to the mashed potato filling so they are extra soft before sitting in the fridge for several hours.

To Freeze: Flash freeze them on a baking tray until they’re solid (about 30 minutes), then store in a freezer-safe bag of container for up to 3 months. Thaw completely in the fridge before warming in the oven. (I don’t think frozen and then baked Twice Baked Potatoes have the same quality as when freshly made, so I would only use this method if it was really necessary).

More Potato Recipes:

• Mashed Potatoes
• Baked Potato Salad
• Potatoes Au Gratin
• Air Fryer Baked Potato
• Air Fryer Potato Wedges
• Potato Skins
• Funeral Potatoes
• Homemade French Fries

Print

Twice Baked Potatoes

Our favorite twice baked potatoes are filled with flavorful, fluffy mashed potatoes and topped with melty cheese.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 326kcal

Author Lauren Allen

Cost 5

Equipment

• Potato Masher

Ingredients

• 6 medium size Russet potatoes
• 3 Tablespoons butter
• 3 Tablespoons chives , fresh, chopped
• salt and pepper , to taste
• 3/4 cup milk , (or evaporated milk. Add more as needed)
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon paste

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Bake Potatoes: Wash and dry the potatoes, then prick the outsides of the potatoes a few times with a knife or fork. Rub them with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake potatoes at 400 for about 1 hour, or until fork tender. Remove from oven and allow to rest until cool enough to handle.
• Remove potato flesh: Cut the top, lengthwise of each potato off and scoop out the flesh into a mixing bowl, leaving ¼ inch layer of potato flesh and skin, and the rest hollowed out.
• Season mashed potatoes: Add butter, salt and pepper, chives, sour cream, garlic powder, chicken bouillon, and milk. Mash with a potato masher and then mix with beaters until smooth (but don’t over-mix them or they will be gluey instead of light and fluffy.) Add more milk, if needed—it’s better if the filling is on the softer side because the potato mixture will thicken up as it cooks again in the oven.
• Bake: Top with shredded cheese and bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly.

Video

Notes

Tip: Don’t over mix the potato filling. Over-mixing causes mashed potatoes to become gluey instead of light and fluffy.

To Make Ahead: Prepare potatoes completely, without baking them the second time. Place them on a large sheet pan, lightly cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to one day, until ready to bake. If making them ahead, I suggest adding a little extra milk to the mashed potato filling so they are extra soft before sitting in the fridge for several hours.

To Freeze: Flash freeze them on a baking tray until they’re solid (about 30 minutes), then store in a freezer-safe bag of container for up to 3 months. Thaw completely in the fridge before warming in the oven. (I don’t think frozen and then baked Twice Baked Potatoes have the same quality as when freshly made, so I would only use this method if it was really necessary).

Nutrition

Serving: 8g | Calories: 326kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 276mg | Potassium: 982mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 481IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 221mg | Iron: 2mg

I originally shared this recipe in August 2010. Updated November 2018 and December 2023.