Crunchy Outside, Creamy inside Twice Baked Potatoes

Twice-baked potatoes are a fancy side dish that pairs beautifully with any meal.  Crunchy tops with creamy, tangy potatoes underneath make this double baked potato a popular choice for special occasion steak dinners at home!

When I shared the recipe for how to have a fancy steakhouse dinner at home I made twice baked potatoes to serve along with them. I love all things potatoes and while my personal favorite is probably super creamy scalloped potatoes my second favorite potato recipe to serve are the twice baked potatoes.

What is a twice baked potato?  It’s exactly what it implies.  It’s a potato that is double baked to get a delicious, creamy potato served in its own skin.  You bake it to cook it from a raw state to a fluffy texture.  Then after adding in things for additional flavors, you bake it again to get a crunchy outside and a creamy inside.

What makes this double baked potato recipe the best one?  These potatoes have a crispy flavorful shell, a crunchy top from the second bake but inside is a tangy, creamy potato that melts in your mount.  Full of butter and sour cream, they pair beautifully with any special occasion meal.

CHECK OUT THE VIDEO BELOW IN THE RECIPE CARD SHOWING HOW EASY IT IS TO MAKE CRUNCHY, CREAMY TWICE BAKED POTATOES!

I’ve got all the information for you on this delicious side dish and by the time you get to the end of this post, you’ll know all the low down on making the best twice baked potato recipe ever!  I’ll answer all the questions like:

• What kind of potato works best for baking?
• What is the trick to crispy skins, crunchy tops while still getting a creamy potato inside?
• Can you make twice potatoes ahead of time?
• What kinds of variations can you make on loaded double baked potatoes?

What potato should you use for baking?

To start let’s talk about selecting the right potatoes to use for baking.  The best baking potatoes are russet potatoes.  They have high starch, low moisture and after baking, they are light and fluffy.  That’s exactly what you are looking for in a twice baked potato.  While you will add wet ingredients for flavor, you do want the potato to finish light.

How do you make twice baked potatoes ( alt spelling: twice baked potatos) 

1.  Start with rinsing and scrubbing the potatoes with water.
2. Coat the potatoes with a little bit of olive oil then season generously with salt.
3. Bake until the knife comes out easily, or if you are really precise you can bake until a thermometer reads 210°.

   

4. Cut the potatoes in half and once cool enough to handle scoop out the filling into a bowl.  Leave a small amount of potato to help hold the shape of the shell.
5.  Use a potato ricer to mash the potatoes so there are no lumps.

   

6. Add in the melted butter and sour cream and stir quickly.  Don’t over mix or the potatoes will get very gummy.
7. Place the potatoes back into the shells.

   

8. Place back into the oven and broil to crisp up the topping and to reheat until hot.

PRO TIP:  To get the crispiest skins you’ll want to rub the russet potatoes in olive oil then generously season with salt.  The salt helps draw out the moisture and the olive oil gives some added flavor.  

Need more ideas for what to serve along side your meal? Find all the SIDE DISH recipes you need here!

All the other questions you might have when making stuffed potatoes?

I see recipes like this called potato jackets?  What does that mean?  Potato jackets are what baked potatoes are called often in Europe.  It’s essentially the skins of the potatoes.  If you make twice baked potatoes you can call them twice baked jackets and they are the same!

Can you make these double baked potatoes ahead of time?  Yes, you sure can make the baked potatoes ahead of time.  You can do the first bake, and prepare the filling and stuff the shells all ahead of time.

Do I need to do anything special if I make the twice baked potatoes ahead of time?  No special things, just be sure and store them in the fridge, sealed and covered until about an hour before doing the second bake.  Allow them to come to room temp before the broiling.  It may require some additional time in baking if they sit in the fridge for a long period of time.  Carefully make sure they are hot throughout before serving them.

Can I freeze this side dish?  You can freeze these potatoes but do the second bake after defrosting them.  You’ll also want to leave out any garnish like green onions or chives until after you do the second bake.

I don’t own a potato ricer, what can I use instead?  No problem at all.  You can use a fork or a potato masher to remove all the lumps for the stuffed potatoes.  It’s tempting to use a hand mixer, but that will make the potatoes really gummy and heavy.  Still with a fork or masher!

I’m in a hurry can I make these any faster?  You can cut down the baking time on these side dish potatoes but doing the first bake in an instant pot or in a pinch you can microwave them.  In both of these cook methods, I would still use salt to help keep the shells crispy, but they will not be as crispy as they would be if they are baked in the oven.  That being said, they still taste wonderful!

Can you eat the skins on a baked potato?  Yes, absolutely you can eat the skins of the russet baked potatoes.  That is the most nutritious part of the potato.

How can I make this “company worthy?”  Want to step up your entertaining presentation.  Instead of just spooning the filling into the potato jackets place the stuffed potato filling in using a piping bag.  You’ll want a tip that has ridges on it to get some added crunch.  If you don’t have a piping bag you can use a ziplock bag with any pastry tip.

Want even more flavor in your twice baked taters?  Add cheese and bacon into the mashed potatoes before filling the shells.  You can also place flavored compound butter on top like this steakhouse butter or this cajun butter?

Meals that pair beautifully with Twice Baked Potatoes:

• Pan Seared Steak
• Oven Baked Ribs
• Grilled No fail Lamb Chops
• Horseradish Crust Ribeye Roast
• Leg of Lamb

As you can see twice baked potatoes work great with casual meals for entertaining and also with fancy meals.  I’ve included 2 halves for each person in the recipe, because I guarantee people will want more than one.  This recipe is easily adapted for more…. and I suggest you make more than what you need for dinner as they heat up well for the next days lunch too!

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Yield: 4

Twice Baked Potatoes~ Make Head Side dish

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Twice-baked potatoes are a fancy side dish that pairs beautifully with any meal.  Crunchy tops with creamy, tangy potatoes underneath make this double baked potato a popular choice for special occasion steak dinners at home!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 medium russet potatoes
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• salt and pepper
• olive oil
• paprika

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°
2. Scrub and rinse  the russet potatoes very well.
3. Rub a small amount of olive oil on the outside of the potato, then generously season the potato with salt.    Pierce with a knife at the center of the potato.  You will be cutting the potatoes in half once baked, you want the line of the piercing to be along the same place you will cut the potato in half.   By lining up the piercing the cutting line your potato shell will remain intact after cutting.
4. Bake for 45 minutes until the potato when pierced with a knife easily pulls out.  (The size of the potato can cause longer or shorter cooking times. ). If you want to use a thermometer cook potato until 210°.  
5. Remove potatoes from the oven, cut them in half and let them cool until they are cool enough to handle.  Using a large spoon scoop out the potato filling leaving just a small amount of potato attached to the skins.  If baking immediately, raise the temperature of the oven to broil.
6. Place the potatoes in a ricer and run the potatoes thru the ricer to get all of the lumps out.  Alternatively mash with a fork or potato masher.  (Do not use a mixer, it will make the texture way too heavy and gummy.
7. Add sour cream and melted butter to the mashed/riced potatoes, season with salt and pepper and mix well.
8. Pipe or spoon filling back into shells.  If you want extra crunchy tops, you can run a fork across the top to give some ridges that will get even crunchier. 
9. If you are making the potatoes the day ahead, at this point place the potatoes into a baking dish, cover with plastic and store in the fridge.  (See notes for baking info on refrigerated potatoes)
10. Broil for 10-15mins until tops are golden and crunchy.  Watch them carefully so they do not burn.  Serve immediately. 
11. Optional.  Serve with additional butter or steakhouse butter on the top.  Garnish with chives or parsley.   Sprinkle paprika on for additional color for presentation!

Notes

If you are making these ahead of time, remove them from the fridge an hour before baking to allow them to come to room temperature.  Bake at 400° for 15 minutes to warm, then raise the temp to broil and follow the broiling instructions in the recipe.  

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

4 Servings
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 351Saturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 52mgSodium: 145mgCarbohydrates: 39gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 5g

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