Description
Twice Baked Potatoes are a comforting and flavorful dish featuring crispy potato skins filled with creamy mashed potato mixed with bacon, cheddar cheese, butter, cream, and green onions, then baked again until golden and bubbly. Perfect as a hearty side or a satisfying snack.
Ingredients
Scale
Potatoes
- 4 x 300g / 10oz potatoes (Sebago, Russet, Maris Piper, or King Edwards)
- 1 tbsp canola or vegetable oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
Bacon and Filling
- 200g / 7oz streaky bacon, chopped into small batons
- 120g / 8 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup cream (pure, thickened, or heavy)
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- 3 green onions, finely sliced
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Garnish
- 1 1/2 tbsp chives, finely chopped
- Sour cream (recommended!)
Instructions
- Bake potatoes: Preheat your oven to 220°C / 430°F (200°C fan). Place a rack on a tray to allow even heat circulation.
- Prick potatoes: Wash, scrub, and dry the potatoes well. Prick each potato around 8 times with a fork to allow steam to escape during baking.
- Oil and salt: Place the potatoes in a bowl, pour over the canola or vegetable oil, and rub it evenly onto the potatoes. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt and use your hands to coat the potatoes as best as possible.
- Bake: Arrange the potatoes on the rack and bake them for about 75 minutes, or until a small knife pierces the potatoes easily without resistance.
- Cook bacon: While the potatoes bake, place the chopped bacon in a cold non-stick pan over medium heat. As the fat renders, increase heat to high and cook until the bacon is golden and crisp. Drain on paper towels to remove excess fat.
- Heat butter and cream: Melt the unsalted butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the cream and warm until hot, but avoid boiling. Alternatively, you can heat this mixture in a microwave.
- Prepare potatoes for stuffing: Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle or using a tea towel, cut each potato in half lengthwise. Carefully scoop out the potato flesh, leaving approximately a 0.7cm (1/3 inch) thick layer attached to the skin to maintain structure.
- Mash potato: Place the scooped potato flesh into a bowl and mash while still hot until smooth.
- Add-ins: Mix into the mashed potatoes half of the shredded cheddar, most of the cooked bacon (reserving some for garnish), all the sliced green onions, and the hot butter and cream mixture. Season with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper and stir thoroughly to combine.
- Stuff and top potatoes: Spoon the creamy mixture back into the potato skins evenly. Sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese over the tops to create a cheesy crust.
- Bake again: Reduce the oven temperature to 200°C / 390°F (180°C fan). Place the stuffed potatoes on a baking tray and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted, golden, and bubbly.
- Serve: Remove from the oven and serve immediately. Garnish with sour cream, the reserved bacon pieces, and finely chopped chives for a fresh finish.
Notes
- Use starchy potatoes like Russet, Sebago, Maris Piper, or King Edwards for the best texture.
- Adjust bacon amount or substitute with smoked ham for variation.
- Cheddar cheese adds a rich flavor and melts well; you can substitute with other sharp cheeses if preferred.
- Baking potatoes on a rack allows even heat distribution and crispier skins.
- Ensure not to scoop all the potato flesh out to maintain the potato’s structure while stuffing.
- Rest the potatoes briefly after the first bake to handle safely.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 100 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American / British
Keywords: twice baked potatoes, stuffed potatoes, loaded jacket potatoes, baked potato recipe, cheesy potatoes, bacon potatoes
