Description
This Twice Baked Potatoes recipe delivers the best ever comforting side dish with crispy potato shells filled with creamy, cheesy mashed potato filling mixed with scallions, bacon, sour cream, and buttermilk. Perfectly baked and broiled to golden perfection, these twice baked potatoes make an irresistible treat for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 2 lbs Russet potatoes (or large Yukon Gold potatoes; scrubbed and dried, about 4 potatoes)
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil (or canola oil)
- Kosher salt (to taste)
- Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
- 4 oz shredded cheese (sharp cheddar, Gruyere, Mexican blend, or your favorite; divided)
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter (room temperature and divided, ½ stick)
- 2-4 scallions (thinly sliced and divided)
- 4 strips bacon (cut into ¼-inch lardons, cooked until crisp, and divided)
- ¼ cup sour cream (or Greek yogurt)
- ¼ cup buttermilk
- Minced fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, cilantro, chives; for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 400°F and position the oven rack in the middle. Prepare a foil-lined baking sheet with a wire rack on top.
- Prepare Potatoes: Lightly rub each potato with vegetable oil and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place evenly spaced on the wire rack.
- Bake Potatoes: Bake the potatoes until fork tender and they reach an internal temperature of 209°F, approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Cool Potatoes: Remove the baked potatoes from oven and keep the oven on. Let potatoes cool on the wire rack for 10 minutes.
- Scoop Potato Flesh: Cut each potato in half lengthwise. Leaving a ⅛ to ¼ inch thickness of flesh in the shell, carefully scoop the remaining flesh into a medium-large mixing bowl.
- Crisp Potato Shells: Place the empty potato shells back on the baking sheet and bake at 400°F for 10 minutes to crisp them.
- Make Filling: In the bowl with potato flesh, mash together half of the shredded cheese, half of the butter, half of the scallions, half of the bacon lardons, along with all of the sour cream and buttermilk. Season with salt and pepper, mixing until smooth and creamy.
- Fill and Top Potatoes: Remove shells from the oven and set oven to broil. Fill each shell with the mashed potato mixture, mounding it in the center. Top with remaining cheese, scallions, bacon, and butter.
- Broil to Finish: Broil the filled potatoes until the cheese melts and the tops turn spotty brown and slightly crispy, about 5 to 10 minutes. Watch closely to prevent burning.
- Serve: Allow the potatoes to cool for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with minced fresh herbs if desired.
Notes
- Use Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes for the best texture and flavor.
- Keep the oven temperature at 400°F for baking and switch to broil for the final crisp topping.
- Adjust the amount of scallions and bacon to your taste preference.
- For a lighter version, substitute sour cream with Greek yogurt and use reduced-fat cheese.
- Watch the broiler carefully as cheese can burn quickly.
- The potato shells must be baked alone before filling to ensure crispness.
