These make-ahead Twice-Baked Potatoes are loaded with bacon, cream cheese, sour cream, cheddar, and chives! They are the perfect decadent side dish for a holiday or special dinner, plus they are great to prep in advance!
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Why you'll love this recipe
- These loaded potatoes are made with cream cheese, which adds a slight tang and richness!
- Serving a large (or intimate!) dinner party? Make a big batch of these the day before and just pop them in the oven before dinner!
- The crispy bacon gets cooked at the same time as the potatoes, saving you time!
- For the ultimate dinner, serve these with steak and horseradish mustard sauce!
Key ingredients
- Potatoes: Russet potatoes work best for this! Their hearty skin will stay intact while stuffing them.
- Bacon: to keep things easy, I like to bake the bacon while the potatoes are baking! To make these vegetarian, you can leave out the bacon.
- Cream cheese: the cream cheese makes these potatoes extra cream and rich. Look for a block of cream cheese at the store, as opposed to the whipped kind in a tub.
- Cheddar cheese: opt for freshly shredded cheese! Preshredded bagged cheese won't melt as well. For a fun twist, try a combination of cheddar and gruyere cheeses!
- Sour cream: The sour cream adds a slight tangy taste and makes these potatoes super creamy.
- Chives: the chives add a mild onion taste! I like to reserve some chives for garnishing. Finely chopped green onions would be a great substitute!
How to make loaded twice-baked potatoes
1. Coat the russet potatoes with oil, salt and pepper and puncture with holes. The oil will help the skin get crispy! Bake until tender.
2. In the same oven, bake the bacon while the potatoes are cooking. Roughly chop.
3. Slice the potatoes in half and scoop out the middle, leaving about ¼ inch intact around the skin.
4. Mash the potato filling with the sour cream, cream cheese, bacon, chives, butter, and some of the cheddar cheese.
5. Stuff each potato with the filling and top with more cheese.
6. Bake until hot and bubbly. Top with more chives for garnish and serve!
How to prep double-baked potatoes ahead
Twice-baked potatoes can be prepped up to 2 days in advance. Make them through the stuffing step but wait to bake. When the potatoes have cooled completely, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
When ready to enjoy, allow them to come to room temperature while your oven preheats. Proceed with the second bake and enjoy!
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Reheating tips
These potatoes are great reheated even after being made completely! Reheat extra twice-baked potatoes in the oven at 350 degrees until warmed through, about 20 minutes.
Freezing twice-baked potatoes
To freeze twice-baked potatoes, make the potatoes through stuffing them, but don't top them with cheese. Cool the potatoes completely then wrap in foil and freeze for up to 3 months. You can either defrost them in the refrigerator overnight before baking or bake them straight from frozen.
To bake straight from frozen, bake them while wrapped in foil for 30 minutes. Remove from the foil and transfer to a baking sheet. Top with additional shredded cheese and bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes, or until hot and the cheese is melty.
If you defrost the potatoes in the fridge, top them with cheese before proceeding with the second bake. The center may still be pretty cold, so they may take a few extra minutes.
Expert tips
- Let the butter and cream cheese come to room temperature while the potatoes are doing their first bake. They will be much easier to mix in when softened at room temperature!
- Don't scoop all the filling out of the potato! Leave about ¼ of an inch around the skin to keep them from falling apart.
- To keep the potatoes creamy (and not gluey!), mash them with a potato masher or ricer, rather than an electric mixer.
Side dishes to serve with twice-baked potatoes
📖 Recipe
Make Ahead Twice Baked Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 large russet potatoes scrubbed clean
- 2 teaspoon olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- 4 strips bacon
- 3 tablespoon butter room temperature
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 2 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese divided
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives plus more for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and position a rack in the middle of the oven.
- 1st Bake: Use a pairing knife to carefully poke holes around the potatoes. Brush the potatoes with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper all over. Place on a baking sheet with a wire rack (a normal baking sheet is fine if you don’t have rack). Bake for 1 hour, or until the center is soft when pierced with a knife.
- Make the bacon: While the potatoes are cooking, make the bacon. On a separate sheet pan, add the bacon to a parchment or foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for 14-18 minutes, or until the bacon is crispy. Remove from the sheet pan, roughly chop, and set aside.
- Make the filling: Slice the cooked potatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop out the center filling of the potatoes, leaving about ¼ inch in tact (be careful they will be hot). Use a potato ricer or masher to mash the potatoes into a medium mixing bowl. To the bowl, add the butter, sour cream, cream cheese, ½ cup cheddar cheese, chives, bacon, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired
- Load the potatoes: Stuff each potato with the potato filling (they will be piled high and that is okay!). Top each potato with the rest of the shredded cheese. Place the potatoes on a parchment-lined sheet pan. (Stop here and see notes if prepping ahead).
- 2nd bake: Reduce the oven to 400 degrees. Bake the potatoes for 25-30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the center is hot.
- Serve: Serve the potatoes and garnish with additional chopped chives, if desired.
Notes
The potatoes can be made through the stuffing process up to 2 days before. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Bring to room temp while you preheat the oven and continue with the final 2 steps.
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Joan McDonald says
does the scouped out potato need to be warm when you add the other ingredients?
Caitlin Charlton says
Hi Joan! I find that it tends to come together best when they are hot so that the butter and cheese melt in nicely. Enjoy!