Twice Baked Potatoes
Salty and crispy on the outside, tender and creamy on the inside, these twice baked potatoes are a family fave! Topped with cheddar cheese and chives, they are a super side! They can also hold their own as a main dish with a simple salad on the side.
Every year we serve these on Christmas Day with either prime rib or beef tenderloin and my Italian Salad. That is not to say that we only have these potatoes on special occasions. They are not too labor intensive that we can’t enjoy on a regular basis, which we do! There are smiles everywhere when my fam hears we are having Twice Baked Potatoes.
These potatoes can be made a day in advance and refrigerated, which is what I usually do if I am serving a crowd. You simply set out an hour or two before cooking to take the chill out. Then add the cheese on top and you are good to go. Any potatoes that are fully cooked and cheesed up can also be frozen and reheated later.
Bonus: The “stuffing” portion of the recipe is actually how I make mashed potatoes. So if you don’t want to stuff the potatoes and twice bake them, you can always serve the potatoes as is without the skins. Just place in a serving dish, and if desired, sprinkle with cheese and chives. I will warn you though–the salty, crispy skins are worth keeping to munch on! I will often cut them in strips with kitchen shears, spray with olive oil spray and add a bit more salt. Then pop them in a hot oven for a minute or two to crisp them up. SO GOOD!
Twice Baked Potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 baking potatoes
- olive oil
- kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 1/2-3/4 cup whole milk or half and half
- 1/2 cup butter cut in slices
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 Tbsp fresh chives chopped
Instructions
- Begin preheating oven to 450. Scrub outside of potatoes well and place on foil covered baking sheet. Rub each potato with olive oil and then sprinkle salt all over each one. Place in oven and bake for 1 hour – 1 hour 15 minutes, until tender.
- Put the slices of butter into the bottom of the bowl of a standing (ie Kitchen Aid) mixer. While potatoes are still hot, cut the top of the potato off lengthwise about 1/4 the way down each potato. This is done so that the potato can release some of the steam and won't get gummy before you have a chance to scoop out the interior. It also forms a kind of "boat" with the skin that holds the potatoes well. Gently scrape the inside of each potato into the top of a potato ricer, one at a time, and push through into the bowl of the mixer on top of the butter. If you don't have a potato ricer, just scrape the insides directly into the mixing bowl.
- Using a paddle attachment, turn mixer on lowest setting to help the hot potatoes melt the butter. Add a good amount of kosher salt and the white pepper while mixing. Turn the mixer off and drizzle the milk (or half and half) over the potatoes. Carefully turn the mixer on low and when just combined add the sour cream. You may want to add more or less of the milk depending on the consistency you desire. Do not over mix or the potatoes will get stiff.
- Stuff each potato skin with a good amount of the potato mixture. At this point, if I am making ahead, I let them cool completely and then cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. If I am delivering to loved ones, I will go ahead and put the cheese and chives on top and package them in a foil baking pan (that has a plastic top).
- To heat/reheat, place potatoes in a 375 degree oven and cook for about 20-30 minutes, until warm. Place cheese on top and put back in oven until cheese melts. Sprinkle with chives. Enjoy!