Twice-Baked Potatoes

Twice-baked potatoes are one of my favorite side dishes when I want something a bit more spruced up than standard mashed potatoes, but without any extra work. Packed with sour cream, butter, green onions, and fresh herbs, this twice-baked potato recipe will soon become a favorite in your house as well!

These twice-baked potatoes require one extra step compared with your standard baked potato, but they’re still ridiculously easy, and they’re made up almost entirely from kitchen staples. It’s a very flexible, easy recipe, and yet it somehow feels a bit gourmet and fancy at the same time. I love it when that happens.

Jeff and I find ourselves having the same conversations more often than not when he gets home from work. “What’s for dinner?” he asks. My response is always the same. “I don’t know, what’s for dinner?”

We’re both very tired, and neither of us have put any thought into it. People often assume that because I work with food, there’s always dinner ready go. However, keep in mind that on many days I’m baking desserts.

I try to keep freezer meals ready to go for these days (like my homemade frozen pizza), but I don’t always succeed. If we have potatoes around, I know I can throw together a simple, brainless meal. Baked potatoes topped with leftover Cincinnati chili, for example.

Twice-Baked Potato Ingredients

• Russet potatoes
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Sour cream
• Unsalted butter
• Scallions
• Rosemary
• Thyme

If I don’t have sour cream, I’ll substitute yogurt (or a mix of yogurt and milk). The fresh herbs can be omitted or swapped for dry herbs (always use half the amount of dry herbs if you’re substituting for fresh, FYI).

What are twice-baked potatoes?

Twice-baked potatoes are, quite literally, potatoes that go through two separate bakes: once to actually cook the potato, and then a second time to cook the filling after it has been combined with add-ins (often similar to what you might find in mashed potatoes).

After the first bake, the filling is scooped into a bowl, mixed with additional ingredients, and then scooped back into the potatoes.

What is a good baking potato?

Starchy potatoes, like russet and Idaho potatoes, are best for baked potatoes and mashed potatoes. They’re fluffy, high in starch (obviously), and low in moisture, making them a great choice for baking, frying and boiling. The low moisture means they’re also very absorbent, which is why they work so well with butter and cream.

How long do you bake a potato?

At 425 degrees F (or similar), baked potatoes should be cooked through within 50-60 minutes.

How do you know if a baked potato is ready?

You can tell when the potatoes are done by look and feel. Fully cooked baked potatoes should appear wrinkly and papery on the outside, and when you squeeze them, they should give slightly. You can also test by inserting a small knife or toothpick into the center. It should go in easily.

How to bake potatoes in the microwave

If you want to cut down on the recipe cook time, you can microwave for the first bake instead of using the oven.

Lightly coat the potatoes with oil, and then prick numerous holes in each with a fork. Place on a microwave-safe dish and cook on HIGH power for 5 minutes. Carefully turn over the potatoes and microwave for an additional 3 to 6 minutes. If they still need additional time, microwave in one minute increments until fully cooked through.

Note: a microwave baked potato will have skins that are more tender and less crispy than if baked in the oven. I personally prefer taking the extra time to get crispy skins.

Looking for more easy side dishes?

You should check out my Brown Sugar Bacon Brussels Sprouts, Sweet Potato Biscuits, and Summer Ale Beer Bread! I also love these Crème Fraîche Mashed Potatoes from Love and Olive Oil.

Print Pin Recipe

Twice-Baked Potatoes

5 from 11 votes

Twice-baked potatoes are the perfect side dish when you want something a bit more spruced up than mashed potatoes (but without extra effort).

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword twice-baked potatoes

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 35 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 314

Author Jennifer Farley

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

• ▢ 4 medium to large russet potatoes, approximately 2 pounds
• ▢ 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 1 cup sour cream
• ▢ 3 ounces unsalted butter, melted
• ▢ 3 tablespoons chopped green onions (chives may be substituted)
• ▢ 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• ▢ 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme, finely chopped
• ▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste

Instructions

• ▢
  Place an oven rack on the center shelf, and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Using a fork, prick numerous holes all over the potatoes, and rub with the olive oil. Bake until the skins are crisp but the potatoes are tender when gently pressed, approximately 55-60 minutes.
• ▢
  Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, slice in half lengthwise using a serrated knife or sharp chef’s knife, taking care to avoid tearing the skin away from the sides (the potatoes will be used as cups to hold the filling).
• ▢
  Scoop the potato flesh into a medium-sized bowl. Add the sour cream, butter, green onions, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper, using a spatula or potato masher to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired.
• ▢
  Scoop the filling into 4 of the 8 potato skins (discard or save the remaining skins). Don’t pack too tightly to avoid breaking the skins.
• ▢
  Raise the temperature to 450 degrees F. Bake on the same foil-lined baking sheet for an additional 20-25 minutes, until the filling is fluffy and hot, and tops are browning in spots and turning a bit crispy.

Notes

You can decrease the total time by initially cooking the potato in the microwave (this will result in less crispy skins). Rub the potatoes with the oil and prick numerous holes in each with a fork. Place on a microwave-safe dish, then microwave at HIGH power for 5 minutes. Turn over the potatoes and microwave for an additional 3 to 5 minutes. If they still need more time, microwave in one minute increments until cooked through.
  
You can cut back on the fat and calories in these by decreasing the amount of sour cream and butter slightly, or substituting greek yogurt for the sour cream.
  
Loosely adapted from Bon Appetit.

Please read my full post for additional recipe notes, tips, and serving suggestions!

Nutrition

Calories: 314kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 75mg | Sodium: 630mg | Potassium: 93mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 970IU | Vitamin C: 2.6mg | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 0.3mg

Recipe Troubleshooting

For immediate help troubleshooting a recipe, please email me using the form on my contact page. I’ll try to respond to urgent questions as quickly as possible! For all general questions, please leave a comment here :)