Baked not once, but twice, these Twice-Baked Potatoes are the ultimate way to dress up a classic baked potato. Crispy potato skins are stuffed with a creamy, cheesy filling, bacon, and more cheese to create an irresistible, yet simple potato side dish.

Fork of cheesy potato filling coming out of Twice baked potato topped with white cheddar, bacon, and green onions on white plate.

While there is nothing wrong with a classic baked potato, if you really want to impress your dinner guests serve them these twice-baked potatoes.

Made with a rich and creamy potato filling that is stuffed into a crispy, tender potato skin and then topped with gooey cheese and salty bacon, twice-baked potatoes take the best of mashed potatoes, potato skins, and baked potatoes and combine them into one outrageously delicious dish!

Reasons to Love Twice-Baked Potatoes

Easy Recipe. While baking potatoes twice, may sound like a lot of work, the majority of work is completely hands-off.
Can Be Prepped Ahead of Time. You can prep these twice-baked potatoes in advance and freeze or refrigerate them for an effortless side dish waiting for you to pop into the oven and enjoy.
Impressive Results. The combination of creamy potatoes, salty bacon, and gooey cheese will have your guests singing your praises.
Great Way to Use Leftovers. Did you make too many baked potatoes? Transform them into Twice Baked Potatoes easily and enjoy a completely new side dish.

Notes on Ingredients

Ingredients for twice baked potatoes labeled on counter.

Potatoes: Russet potatoes are best for this recipe, as they are low in moisture with a high starch content. That results in a fluffy interior and crispy exterior.
Butter: Use unsalted butter to control the level of sodium.
Milk: Use any fat percentage of milk you like. Half and half and cream may also be used for a truly decadent filling for your stuffed potatoes.
Sour Cream: Sour cream will give the filling a nice tangy flavor while keeping the filling super creamy. Use full-fat or reduced-fat sour cream, not fat-free sour cream for the best results.
Seasonings: Adding onion powder, garlic powder, kosher salt, and pepper to the potato filling adds amazing flavor.
Cheese: White cheddar, yellow cheddar, mozzarella, Colby jack, or Swiss cheese all work well in this recipe.
Chives/Green Onions: Adding chopped chives or green onions to the stuffing for the potatoes adds a nice fresh flavor. Or you can simply serve as a garnish for the stuffed potatoes.
Bacon: Use crumbled, cooked bacon or bacon bits. Alternatively, omit the bacon for a vegetarian-friendly version of Twice-Baked Potatoes.

Tips for the Best Twice-Baked Potatoes

The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Season the potatoes well. Before baking the potatoes brush them with oil and season with salt and pepper. This will make every bite of the twice-baked potatoes, including the potato skins, super flavorful and irresistibly good.
Use a cookie scoop to remove the flesh of the potatoes. While you can use a spoon to remove the flesh of the potatoes, I find that using a small cookie scoop works really well and makes it easier to leave a border around the potato skins.
Bake the potato skins prior to stuffing. After removing the flesh from the potatoes, return the potato skins back to the oven. This will allow the potato skins to crisp up and add a nice textural contrast to the creamy filling.
Use a potato masher. When mashing the flesh of the potatoes, use a fork or a potato masher, not a mixer. Using a mixer can result in gummy, starchy potatoes.
Add warm milk and melted butter. Just like when making mashed potatoes, it is best to add warm milk and melted butter to the potato filling. Cold butter and cold milk can cause the potatoes to seize up a bit, rather than absorb the flavor of the butter and milk.
Don't forget the sour cream. Don't overlook the addition of sour cream. It keeps these twice-baked potatoes super creamy and flavorful.

Twice baked potato topped with white cheddar, bacon, and green onions on white plate.

Make-Ahead Directions

Twice-baked potatoes can be prepared and refrigerated several days in advance or prepared and frozen to be enjoyed up to 6 weeks later.

Refrigerate To Be Enjoyed Within 3 Days: Bake and stuff the potatoes as the recipe directs. Allow the potatoes to cool to room temperature, transfer them to an airtight container, and store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When ready to serve, remove the potatoes from the refrigerator while the oven is preheating to 375 degrees F. Bake for 30 minutes, or until warmed through and the cheese is melted.
Freeze To Be Enjoyed Within 6 Weeks: Bake and stuff the potatoes as the recipe directs. Allow the potatoes to cool to room temperature. Place the stuffed potatoes on a baking sheet and freeze until solid, about one hour. Remove the frozen stuffed potatoes from the baking sheet, place them into an airtight container or freezer-safe bag, and store them in the freezer for up to 6 weeks. To bake from frozen, place the frozen potatoes on a baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees F for 60 minutes, or until warmed through and the cheese is melted.

Serving Suggestions

Whether you serve cheesy twice-baked potatoes alongside a Ribeye Steak or New York Strip Roast and a Caesar Salad for a meal to rival any high-end steak house or keep frozen twice-baked potatoes on hand to pop into the oven on busy weeknights to serve alongside Baked Salmon, you are going to LOVE this recipe!

More Favorite Potato Side Dishes

If you enjoyed this recipe for twice-baked potatoes, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.