you're making mealtime meaningful.
Growing up, my stepdad cooked dinner for us every night (while my mom took care of baking desserts), and when a special occasion came around he’d often make these incredible Twice-Baked Potatoes. (Usually with some tender and juicy marinated flank steak on the side.) These are so incredible, in fact, that I took to requesting them for my birthday every year — they’re that good. Even now that I’m grown and out of the house, when I’m coming to visit and they ask what I want to eat, my reply is always “Twice-baked potatoes!” Because these are as indulgent and delicious as potatoes get — full of creamy potato that’s whipped with butter and sour cream, they’re also full of crispy bacon, green onion, and all the melty cheese you could want. They’re a potato to look forward to, that’s for sure.
First, you bake your potatoes. This is the first baking in the “twice-baked” and you just need to bake them until they’re tender enough that a butter knife slides into them easily. Let them cool until you can handle them without burning yourself and then slice them in half and scoop out the filling.
If you’re feeling especially indulgent and would like a larger portion, you can also make more potatoes and just slice off the top third or so. It’s a really rich and big potato, but sometimes life calls for such extravagances.
Then you make the filling. To the scooped-out potato you add butter, sour cream, and just enough milk to get the consistency you like. Papa Bob always seems to make these fluffier than I can ever manage to, but that doesn’t mean I’ll stop trying.
You also add cheese and green onion here. I’ve given you quantities, but cheese is something you measure with your heart, so feel free to add more.
You scoop that filling back into the potatoes…
… and then top them with more cheddar and plenty of crispy bacon. (I told you these were indulgent.)
And then you bake.
And let me tell you, they’re full of everything good. Creamy, buttery filling with cheese pulls galore; crispy, salty bacon; and just enough bright green onion to balance it out… They’re a homey, comfort food masterpiece and I couldn’t love them more.
Papa Bob's Twice-Baked Potatoes
Yield(s): Serves 6
10m prep time
1h 20m cook time
Allergens: Milk
you're making mealtime meaningful.
Ingredients
- 3 large russet potatoes
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, chopped
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- Whole milk, as needed
- 2 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, freshly grated and divided
- 1/2 cup green onions, thinly sliced and divided
- 1 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Bake potatoes until soft, about 1-1 1/2 hours.
- Remove from oven and slice in half lengthwise. Scoop flesh of potato into a bowl, then add butter and sour cream. Beat with a mixer until smooth, adding milk as needed to achieve desired consistency.
- Add 1 1/2 cups of the cheddar cheese and half of the green onion, and mix to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then spoon mixture back into potato skins.
- Top with remaining grated cheese and crumbled bacon. Bake until cheese is melted and filling is hot, about 20 minutes. Top with remaining green onion. Enjoy!