The calendar says “Spring”, but lately the thermometer has been saying, “where’s my cozy sweater??” Twice-Baked Potatoes are the cozy sweater of side dishes, so warm and comforting, creamy and cheesy. When the aroma of baking potatoes fills your kitchen, you know comfort food is on the way.
The first bake is the same as for any baked potato – although people do have their techniques, and I have mine, which is very simple: hot oven, long bake, and the potatoes sit unadorned, straight on the oven rack, no oil or salt, nothing. This is the best technique for achieving a creamy soft inside and a crunchy skin outside.
To make Twice-Baked Potatoes, you’ll carefully scoop out the cooked flesh from the potato, leaving the skin intact with a thin shell of flesh inside to help it keep its shape. The flesh then gets a treatment somewhat similar to mashed potatoes, and here again, people have their preferences. Some recipes for Twice-Baked Potatoes add milk, as you would use for traditional mashed potatoes. But russet potatoes are not mashing potatoes, and can’t absorb a large quantity of liquid. So I skip the milk and make up for it with a generous dollop of sour cream and a big handful of shredded Cheddar.
I used an orange Cheddar when I made the potatoes for this post, giving the tops of these beauties a sunset-colored glow. White Cheddar is fine, too. Chopped chives make a great garnish.
Prep possibilities, making these ahead and what to do with leftovers:
- If you like to do weekly or daily prep sessions to prep ingredients for later meals: shred a bunch of Cheddar cheese ahead and store it in a zip-lock bag or storage container to use for various meals throughout the week, including these potatoes.
- You must mash the flesh of the potatoes and mix in the other fillings while the potatoes are hot – if you let them cool, the flesh will be lumpy and you’ll never get the filling smooth. If you want to make these Twice-Baked Potatoes ahead, do the first bake, cut them open and make the filling, fill the potatoes and chill them until needed. Add a few minutes to the baking time if you’re starting with cold potatoes.
- Reheat leftovers in the oven to re-crisp the skin. It’s basically a repeat of the original second bake: Put the leftover potatoes on a foil-lined sheet and bake at 350 until the filling is heated through and the skin is crisp, about 25 minutes.
Twice-Baked Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 large russet potatoes
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, divided
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¾ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (or 3/8 teaspoon Morton’s)
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded (about ¾ cup)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Directions
- Step 1 Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and set it aside.
- Step 2 Scrub the potatoes with a vegetable brush under cool running water until clean. Prick each potato in several places with the tines of a fork. Put the potatoes directly on the center rack of the oven (not on a baking sheet, just on the actual rack) and bake them for 1½ hours or until they’re very tender. Test by sliding the tip of a sharp knife into the center of each potato – they’re done when the knife meets no resistance. Remove the potatoes to a cooling rack and cool for 15 minutes. Leave the oven on.
- Step 3 Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a small saucepan over low heat.
- Step 4 As soon as the potatoes are cool enough to handle, carefully cut them in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop out most of the flesh from the potato halves into a bowl, leaving a thin (¼-inch) shell of potato flesh in the skins to provide stability.
- Step 5 Either mash the potato flesh with a potato masher right in the bowl or, for a smoother consistency, press the potato through a ricer into another bowl. Once the potato is mashed, add the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter. Mash the potato and butter together with the back of the spoon you used for scooping. Add the sour cream, salt and pepper, and mash everything together until smooth. Add 2/3 of the cheese (about ½ cup) and stir the mixture until combined.
- Step 6 Spoon the potato mixture into the empty potato skins, dividing the mixture evenly. Carefully grab one filled potato half and turn it over so the potato rests in your palm, skin side up. Brush the skin with some of the melted butter, then put the potato skin side down on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining potato halves and butter. Sprinkle the potatoes with the reserved cheese, dividing it evenly.
- Step 7 Bake the potatoes for 25 minutes until they’re hot all the way through and the cheese is melted and crusty. Sprinkle the chives on top of the potatoes, dividing evenly.
