Twice Baked Stuffed Potatoes
This stuffed baked potato is an easy do ahead for those busy nights when you just want to pull a meal together in a short amount of time. They freeze well so make a large batch, then just pull them out the night before, or the day you need them, thaw and bake them to get that little bit of crispy texture on the top.
Ingredients
- 3 medium to large sized Russet potatoes
- olive oil
- salt
Potato stuffing
- ½ cup cheddar cheese shredded
- 2 tbsp butter
- ¼ cup milk or cream
- ¼ tsp salt and pepper each
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°
- Wash and dry the potatoes and rub with olive oil
- Place on a sheet pan and sprinkle with kosher salt
- Poke potatoes with a fork (or knife) to allow some vents
- Put in the oven and bake until done, about 35 min to an hour depending on size of the potatoes
- Once the potatoes are done (check with a skewer) remove them from the oven and let them cool a bit
- Once they are cool enough to handle, slice the potatoes in half lengthwise creating two "boats"
- Carefully scoop out the flesh of the potato halves, leaving a small ridge along the sides and bottom (like for potato skins).
- Put all of the scooped out potato in a bowl or pot, so you can mash them
- Mash the potatoes with a hand masher at first, then add your butter, cream (or milk) and salt and pepper.
- Whip the potatoes with your hand masher or electric beater to remove as many lumps as you can. Creating a creamy mashed potato.
- Once they are mashed, add your cheese and stir it through. Feel free to add extra cheese if you want them really cheesy.
- If using bacon, add it now as well. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Fill each half shell with a generous scoop of the mashed potatoes
- Return to the oven and bake for a further 10 minutes to create a bit of a crust and some golden brown color on your potoates.
- Serve with sour cream and whatever other toppings you like.
Notes
These cheesy stuffed twice baked potatoes are a great time saver if you make a large batch and freeze a few. They thaw nicely overnight, then just put them in a hot oven to heat through and get that golden crust on top before you serve them.
I suggest individually wrapping each stuffed potato, then placing them on a sheet tray in the freezer until they are solid. Then remove them from the tray and put them in a large freezer bag so you can just reach in and pull out however many you need on any given night.
If you want them to be a real show stopper, then I suggest putting the mashed potato into a piping bag with a large fancy tip and piping the potatoes into the shells. This makes a great "presentation" for guests. If you're just doing it for a weeknight family meal, then I wouldn't bother with piping.