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Twice Baked Potatoes

The name is the recipe. You bake a potato. Then you bake it again. Somewhere in between, you add cheese and bacon and butter, because we're not savages. The result is a steakhouse-quality side dish that requires zero skill and only one real commitment: time. You're looking at about 90 minutes from start to finish, but most of that is the oven doing the work while you do literally anything else.

This is the kind of recipe that seems impressive to people who don't cook. "You made twice baked potatoes? From scratch?" Yes. I baked a potato twice. I am a culinary genius. Please hold your applause.

Prep: 15 min Cook: 1 hr 15 min Makes: As many as you want Difficulty: Patience, mostly

Ingredients

The Potatoes

The Filling

For Serving

Instructions

Bake #1: The Foundation

  1. Preheat your oven to 450°F. Yes, 450. We're going hot here. This gives you crispy skin and fluffy insides.
  2. Wash the potatoes. Scrub them under running water to get any dirt off. These are root vegetables—they've been living in the ground. Give them a bath.
  3. Poke holes in each potato. Use a fork and stab each potato about 4 times. This lets steam escape while they bake. Skip this step and you might end up with a potato explosion in your oven, which is exactly as fun to clean as it sounds.
  4. Let them dry. Wait a few minutes until the potatoes are dry to the touch. The oil won't stick to wet potatoes, and then your salt won't stick to the oil, and then you'll have sad, pale potato skins. Patience.
  5. Coat with olive oil. Rub each potato all over with olive oil. Use your hands. Get it everywhere. The oil helps the skin crisp up and gives the salt something to cling to.
  6. Season with kosher salt. Sprinkle kosher salt generously over the oiled potatoes. Roll them around a bit so the salt sticks to all sides. This is what makes the skin worth eating.
  7. Bake for 1 hour. Place the potatoes directly on the oven rack (put a baking sheet on the rack below to catch any drips). Bake for about an hour, until a fork slides into the center easily. The skin should be crispy and the inside should be completely soft.

The Surgery

  1. Let them cool slightly. Give the potatoes a few minutes so you don't burn your hands. They don't need to be cold—just handleable.
  2. Slice down the middle. Cut each potato in half lengthwise. You're creating two boats.
  3. Scoop out the insides. Use a spoon to scoop the potato flesh into a bowl, leaving about ¼ inch of potato attached to the skin. You want the skin to hold its shape—don't scrape it so thin that it collapses. The skins are now little edible bowls. Treat them with respect.

The Good Stuff

  1. Mix the filling. To the bowl of potato flesh, add butter (a few tablespoons per potato), a generous handful of shredded cheese, and bacon bits. Mash and mix it all together. Taste it. Add more of whatever it needs. This is your moment to customize. More cheese? Sure. More bacon? Obviously. Some people add a splash of milk or sour cream to the filling to make it creamier—do what makes you happy.
  2. Refill the skins. Spoon the filling mixture back into the potato skins. Pile it up—the filling will probably mound above the edges of the skin. That's fine. That's good. More filling = more potato.

Bake #2: The Payoff

  1. Bake for 15 more minutes. Place the stuffed potatoes on a baking sheet and return to the oven (still at 450°F). Bake until the tops are slightly golden and the cheese is melted and bubbly. About 15 minutes.
  2. Top with sour cream and serve. Add a dollop of sour cream on top of each potato. Sprinkle with chives if you want the green garnish. Serve immediately while they're still hot and the cheese is still gooey.

Notes

  • Why so hot? 450°F seems aggressive for a baked potato, but the high heat is what makes the skin crispy and the inside fluffy. Lower temps work but take longer and give you softer skin. Your call.
  • Make-ahead option: You can do the first bake ahead of time, scoop and fill the potatoes, then refrigerate them. When you're ready, just do the second bake (might need an extra 5 minutes since they're starting cold). Great for meal prep or dinner parties.
  • Variations: Some people add green onions, jalapeños, ranch seasoning, or different cheeses. The basic formula is: potato + fat + cheese + whatever else you like. It's hard to mess up.
  • On the bacon: Real bacon bits from a bag work fine. Cooking and crumbling your own bacon is better but adds a step. Decide how much effort you want to invest.

Stuff You'll Need

A fork for poking. Your hands for oil-rubbing. A baking sheet (for the second bake and for catching drips). A spoon for scooping. A bowl for mixing. The ability to bake something twice without getting bored.