Description
Delicious Twice Baked Potatoes with a creamy, cheesy filling mixed with sour cream, butter, and green onions, topped with crispy bacon and melted cheese. Perfect as a hearty side dish or a comforting snack.
Ingredients
Scale
Potatoes
- 6 small russet or baking potatoes
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp coarse salt
Potato Filling
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 3 tbsp butter (softened)
- ½ cup milk
Toppings
- 6 slices bacon (cooked crisp, chopped, and divided)
- ¼ cup green onions (diced)
- 1½ cups shredded cheese (divided, typically cheddar)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Potatoes: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Scrub the potatoes clean and poke them several times with a fork to allow steam to escape during baking.
- Season and Bake Potatoes: Rub the potatoes with olive oil, then sprinkle coarse salt evenly over their skins. Place the potatoes directly on the oven rack and bake for 50-60 minutes until they are tender and soft inside.
- Cook Bacon: Meanwhile, cook the bacon until crispy, using your preferred method (stovetop or oven). Once cooked, transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess fat, then chop it and set aside.
- Cool and Hollow Potatoes: Remove the baked potatoes from the oven and allow them to cool completely. Once cool, cut each potato in half lengthwise, then scoop out the flesh, leaving a thin layer of potato attached to the skins to maintain structure.
- Prepare Filling: Place the scooped-out potato flesh in a large bowl. Add sour cream, black pepper, garlic powder, softened butter, and milk. Use an electric hand mixer or potato masher to blend until the mixture is creamy and smooth.
- Add Mix-ins: Fold in the diced green onions, half of the chopped bacon, and ¾ cup of shredded cheese, ensuring they are evenly distributed in the creamy potato mixture.
- Stuff Potatoes: Spoon the filling mixture back into the potato skins, dividing it evenly among all halves. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the tops, followed by the remaining chopped bacon.
- Final Bake: Return the stuffed potatoes to the oven and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted and bubbly. Serve hot.
Notes
- For best results, use russet potatoes as they have a fluffy texture when baked.
- You can substitute sour cream with Greek yogurt for a lighter option.
- Feel free to add chopped chives or parsley for added freshness.
- Shredded cheddar or a blend of cheddar and mozzarella cheese works well for melting and flavor.
- Make sure not to scoop out too much potato flesh so the skins remain sturdy enough to hold the filling.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: twice baked potatoes, baked potatoes, cheesy potatoes, bacon potatoes, party side dish, comfort food
