The thing I love so much about Twice Baked Potatoes is how easy they are to make!
I mean it, they really are easy, just bake a potato, scoop out the guts, mix it with some cheese, stuff the skin, top it with some cheese and stick it back in the oven! Twice Baked Potatoes not only make a great side dish, but by using smaller potatoes, they can make a fantastic appetizer! There are 100 ways you can top them too, which can make dinner time so much fun.
We made these on Father’s Day weekend when we grilled up some BBQ Ribs. I like that the potatoes can be made on the grill too, which takes a lot of heat out of the kitchen. And even with A/C, sometimes that oven being on makes the house feel like a sauna! When we made these, we were looking for a simple side, and since side dishes slipped my mind because I was so focused on the ribs, I found the potatoes in our pantry, took a quick look in the fridge and voila – Twice Baked Potatoes.
Making these potatoes starts with simply baking a potato. When I make Twice Baked Potatoes, I always like to bake a couple extra taters so that they are really full, and you’re not scraping the sides so thin that the potatoes fall apart. Plus, you can snack on the leftover potatoes while they cook! Cheese + potatoes = heaven!
I like to scrape out the “guts” of the potato when they are still a little warm – I find the potato comes out easier that way. Just be careful not to burn your hands. Also, when you scoop out the potato when they are still warm, you can mash them better for the filling. If your taters are a little too warm, just slice them in half, and stick them in the freezer for a few minutes.
We like our Twice Baked Potatoes simple, with bacon, cheese, green onions and if I am feeling sassy, a touch of sour cream! How do you like your potatoes?
Ingredients:
6 lage russet potatoes
1/4 cup cream/milk
2 cups shredded cheese
1/2 pkg bacon, diced
1 tbsp salt
1/2 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp green onions, diced, optional
Directions:
Bake potatoes by preheating oven to 450 degrees. Wash and scrub potatoes. Dry and place on a baking sheet. Drizzle 1 tbsp olive oil over each potato, and then sprinkle 1 tsp each salt and pepper over the top. bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook bacon until crispy and let drain on a paper towel. Save 1 tbsp bacon fat
Remove potatoes from oven, and slice in half. Let cool 5-10 minutes, and carefully scoop out the potatoes, leaving about 1/8″ of potato around the skin.
Mash 1 cup cheese, salt, pepper, 1 tbsp bacon fat, cream and potatoes in a large bowl until smooth.
Fill each potato half with mashed potatoes.
Top with remaining cheese and bacon.
Turn on broiler and cook for 2-3 minutes, until the cheese is melted, and the potatoes are warmed through again.
There are no comments