How to make the best twice baked potatoes with cream cheese, Cheddar cheese, bacon, and chives! The recipe also includes instructions for make-ahead twice baked potatoes.
I wasn’t exposed to the glorious twice baked potato until high school. The side dishes mom served up throughout the years were pretty vanilla, if you know what I mean, no offense mom. I was lucky if I got cheese on my broccoli. Such a deprived child, I know. It was mostly simple vegetables, baked potatoes, and the like. And really, the only time side dishes were even remotely exciting was on the holidays, and of course, they were casseroles.
Now, I’ve no beef with baked potatoes, vegetables, or side dish casseroles, but it sure is nice to spruce things up every now and again when it comes to dinnertime sides. So why not spruce up the easiest one of all — the baked potato. Cause that’s pretty much what a twice baked potato is, ya know? A decked out baked potato…baked twice, of course.
WHY ARE TWICE BAKED POTATOES BAKED TWICE?
Ok, so truth be told, mom’s baked potatoes were actually (wamp, wamp, wamp) microwaved potatoes. But folks, trust me when I say, baked potatoes that are actually baked in the oven are far superior in both flavor and texture. When we make baked potatoes, we bake them at 400°, which means we are essentially roasting them, not so much baking.
Anytime you cook vegetables or meat at this high of a temperature, the sugars are released from within and the outside takes on a crispy, browned exterior, causing the overall depth of flavor to go up exponentially. Win. So this is why you bake the potato once, but why twice? Cause this is where the really good stuff comes in. No. Like, literally, the good stuff — as in cream cheese, bacon, Cheddar cheese, chives…are you drooling yet?
To make twice baked potatoes you cut the potatoes in half lengthwise (a sharp, serrated knife is best for this task), and scoop out the filling, leaving the skin completely intact. The potato filling is transferred to a mixing bowl, and much like mashed potatoes, the potatoes get…well, mashed.
TWICE BAKED POTATOES WITH CREAM CHEESE
One of the first ingredients to go into the twice baked potato filling is cream cheese. Cream cheese not only helps the filling to stay creamy, but also helps the potatoes to stay moist especially if you’re making the twice baked potatoes in advance. In addition to the cream cheese, butter, milk, salt, and pepper are added to the base.
If the filling were left alone and served up at this point, they would likely be the most delicious mashed potatoes of all time, but alas — this is a recipe for twice baked potatoes, and things are only going to get better from here.
The Cheddar cheese, crispy, thick-cut bacon, and freshly minced chives go into the potato filling (decadent, much?) and the filling gets dispersed back into the potatoes. Then, they’re topped off with more cheese and bacon and baked until they’re all hot, melty perfection. Then, cause I just can’t help myself from taking things too far, I like to hit ’em with a dollop of sour cream and an extra sprinkle of chives. Oh, how I love twice baked potatoes.
MAKE-AHEAD TWICE BAKED POTATOES
Twice baked potatoes are perfect for entertaining and potluck gatherings because, in addition to being obsessively delicious, they’re also make-ahead friendly. To make make-ahead twice baked potatoes, you would simply perform all steps of the recipe except for the whole twice baked part. Hold off on placing them in the oven for the second go-round until it’s closer to serve time. Rather, you can cover them with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours in advance.
This recipe makes twelve servings, and the abundance was most definitely not by accident. If you’re making them for a crowd, trust, you just can’t have too many. And, if you’re making them for a special, spruced up family dinner side, not only do you want to be well-equipped with seconds, you’re gonna want leftovers as well. These bad boys are just as delicious the very next day. Enjoy!
How to make the best twice baked potatoes with cream cheese, Cheddar cheese, bacon, and chives! The recipe also includes instructions for make-ahead twice baked potatoes.
- 6 medium-sized Russet potatoes (about 3 lbs), rinsed and scrubbed
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons Kosher salt, separated
- 6 slices thick-cut bacon, diced
- 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ cup freshly grated Cheddar cheese
- 3 tablespoons freshly minced chives (plus extra for garnish, if desired)
- 1/2 cup sour cream (optional for serving)
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Preheat oven to 400° and have ready a rimmed baking sheet.
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Drizzle oil over potatoes, sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of kosher salt and rub in evenly on all sides. Place on a heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet, spacing evenly apart. Bake for 1 hour.
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In the meantime, place a skillet over medium-high heat, and sauté the diced bacon, stirring occasionally, until crispy -- about 5-7 minutes. Set aside cooked bacon on paper towel until ready to use.
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Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, use a sharp, serrated knife to cut the potatoes in half lengthwise and carefully scoop out the flesh with a spoon. Take care not to break the skin and leave about an 1/8” rim of flesh around the potato.
Reduce oven temperature to 350°.
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Transfer the flesh of the potatoes to a medium-sized mixing bowl, add the cream cheese, butter, milk, remaining 2 teaspoons Kosher salt, and pepper. Using a handheld mixer on low, mix together until just combined. Do not overmix. Add about two-thirds of the bacon, half of the cheddar, and all of the chives to the potato mixture. Stir to combine.
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Scoop the filling back into the potatoes and place on baking sheet, leaving at least one inch between each potato. You may need to bake in batches or use an additional baking sheet for proper spacing.
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Top potatoes with remaining cheese and sprinkle with bacon. Bake for 25 minutes. If desired, top with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of chives, serve and enjoy.
If making the potatoes ahead of time, place them on the baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours until ready to bake. Note, you may need to add 5-10 minutes to the bake time if the potatoes go into the oven cold.
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