Description
These twice-baked potatoes are the epitome of comfort food—fluffy mashed potato filling, creamy sour cream, melty cheese, and crispy bacon all stuffed back into the potato skins. Topped with extra cheese and baked to perfection, these potatoes make a delicious side dish or hearty snack.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 russet potatoes (large and firm)
- Olive oil (for coating the potatoes)
- Salt (for sprinkling on potatoes before baking)
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup Monterey Jack cheese, finely shredded
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, finely shredded (reserve ¼ cup for topping)
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼–⅓ cup milk (adjust for desired creaminess)
- 2 slices bacon, cooked crispy and chopped
- 1 scallion, thinly sliced for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Prepare the potatoes: Scrub the russet potatoes clean, then rub them with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Place the potatoes directly on the oven rack and bake for 45-60 minutes until tender when pierced with a fork.
- Cool and cut: Once the potatoes are cooked, allow them to cool for about 5 minutes. Slice each potato in half lengthwise and scoop out the insides, leaving about ¼-inch border along the skin to maintain the potato’s shape.
- Make the filling: In a bowl, mash the scooped potato with butter, sour cream, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Add milk a little at a time until the filling reaches your desired creaminess. Stir in both Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese (reserving ¼ cup of cheddar for topping), then fold in the crispy bacon.
- Stuff the potatoes: Spoon the mashed potato mixture back into the potato skins, packing it tightly and mounding the tops slightly.
- Top and bake: Sprinkle the reserved ¼ cup of cheddar cheese on top of each stuffed potato half. Return the potatoes to the oven and bake at 400°F (200°C) for an additional 15-20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the tops are slightly golden.
- Garnish and serve: Top with sliced scallions for garnish and serve warm
Notes
- You can make the filling ahead of time and refrigerate it for up to a day before stuffing the potatoes.
- For extra richness, add a dollop of sour cream on top before serving.
- If you want to make this dish vegetarian, you can omit the bacon or substitute with a plant-based bacon.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes (45 minutes for baking potatoes, 15 minutes for the second bake)
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Twice-baked potatoes, creamy potatoes, bacon potatoes, cheesy potatoes, side dish, potato recipe