Twice-Baked Potatoes
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With golden, crispy shells and fluffy, cheesy centers, these twice baked potatoes are pure comfort food—and you can make them ahead!
Twice-baked potatoes are the ultimate comfort food—creamy, cheesy mashed potatoes nestled back into their own crispy, salty skins. You start with baked potatoes, scoop out the insides, and mash them with butter, cream, cheese, scallions, and a few seasonings (plus a touch of egg yolk for richness). The filling goes right back into the shells and gets baked again until the tops are golden and irresistible.
Twice-baked potatoes are easy to make ahead, freeze beautifully, and go with just about anything—think steak au poivre, beef tenderloin, Thanksgiving turkey, meatloaf, or roast chicken. They’re also endlessly adaptable. Try topping them with bacon, swap the heavy cream for sour cream, mix in fresh herbs, or mix in different cheeses.
“These are so good and I love that they can be made ahead!”
What You’ll Need To Make Twice-Baked Potatoes
- Russet potatoes: Also called Idaho potatoes, they’re the best choice for twice-baked potatoes. Their large size and starchy flesh make the filling light and fluffy. Before baking, be sure to scrub, rinse, and dry them well. I like to bake an extra potato to bulk up the filling—twice-baked potatoes are always better when they’re piled high!
- Oil: Helps the skins crisp up beautifully in the oven.
- Butter & heavy cream: Add richness and make the filling smooth and creamy.
- Egg yolks: Give the filling a silky texture and help it hold its shape once baked.
- Cheddar cheese: Melts right into the potatoes, adding tangy, savory flavor in every bite. Feel free to substitute Gruyère, Parmigiano Reggiano, or blue cheese.
- Scallions: Add a mild onion flavor and a touch of color. Chives work nicely too.
- Paprika: A little sprinkle on top for color—it makes them look as good as they taste.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Bake the potatoes. Place the potatoes on a foil-lined baking sheet, rub them all over with oil, and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of salt so the skins get flavorful and crisp as they bake. Bake until tender when pierced in the center with a sharp knife, about 1 hour. Let them sit until they’re cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes.
Step 2: Scoop out the flesh. Cut each potato in half so the flatter side will sit nicely on the baking sheet. Using a spoon, gently scoop out the insides, leaving about ¼ inch of potato around the edges to keep the skins sturdy. Transfer the scooped-out potato to a large bowl—you’ll use it for the filling.
Step 3: Prep the shells. Pick out the two least perfect potato halves and discard them (think of it as quality control!). Arrange the remaining eight potato skins, cut side up, on the baking sheet—they’ll be your shells for the filling.
Step 4: Make the mashed potato filling. Add the butter, salt, and pepper to the warm potato flesh. Using a potato masher or large fork, mash until the butter is fully melted and the potatoes are mostly smooth. Pour in the heavy cream and mash again until it’s all incorporated and the filling is rich and creamy. Add the egg yolks and mash until evenly combined, then stir in the shredded cheese and scallions.
Step 5: Fill the skins. Spoon the filling evenly into the potato skins, mounding slightly in the center. Sprinkle with the paprika. (At this point, they can refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 3 months before baking.)
Step 6: Bake. Return to the oven and bake until the filling is heated through and slightly crisp on top, about 25 minutes. Sprinkle with the reserved scallions and serve.
More Comforting Side Dishes You’ll Love
Twice Baked Potatoes
Rich, cheesy mashed potatoes nestled in crispy potato skins, twice-baked potatoes make any meal special.
Ingredients
- 5 large russet potatoes, scrubbed clean of dirt, rinsed and dried
- 2 teaspoons vegetable or olive oil
- 2½ teaspoons salt, divided
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, cut into chunks and softened
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
- 3 scallions, light and dark green parts, thinly sliced, divided
- ½ teaspoon paprika, for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Set 1 tablespoon of the dark green scallions aside to use as a garnish.
- Prick each potato a few times all over with a fork, if you like (see note). Directly on the baking sheet, rub the potatoes with the oil and sprinkle all over with ½ teaspoon of the salt. Bake until tender when pierced in the center with a sharp knife (or until the center of the largest potato registers 205°F to 210°F), 60 to 70 minutes. You can also squeeze the potatoes to see if they are soft (be careful; they're hot!). Let sit until cool enough to handle, 5 to 10 minutes.
- Using a sharp knife, cut each potato in half so that the flatter, wider side will sit flat on the baking sheet. Scoop the flesh from each potato to within about ¼ inch of the skins, and transfer the flesh to a large bowl. Discard 2 of the scooped potato skin halves (preferably the least perfect ones), and place the remaining 8 potato skin halves back on the baking sheet.
- Add the butter, remaining 2 teaspoons of salt, and pepper to the hot potato flesh in the bowl. Using a potato masher or large fork, mash until the butter is melted and the potatoes are broken down. Add the heavy cream and mash until the cream is incorporated and the potatoes are creamy. Add the egg yolks and mash until evenly combined. Using a spoon, stir in the cheese and the remaining scallions until evenly combined.
- Spoon the filling evenly into the potato skins, mounding slightly in the center. Sprinkle with the paprika. Return to the oven and bake until the filling is heated through and slightly crisp on top, 20 to 25 minutes. Sprinkle with the reserved scallions and serve.
- Note: Conventional wisdom says that prior to baking, you have to prick potatoes with a fork a few times to allow steam to escape during baking. The theory is that if you don’t prick the potato, the steam can build up under the skin and cause the potato to explode in the oven. I don't prick my potatoes and have never had a potato explosion, but pricking won't harm the potatoes, so go ahead and prick them as insurance, if you like.
- Make-Ahead/Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The potatoes can be stuffed ahead of time and refrigerated in a covered container for up to 2 days. When ready to serve, heat in a 400°F oven until the filling is warm throughout and crisp on top, 25 to 30 minutes. The stuffed potatoes can also be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Bake in a 400°F-oven directly from the freezer until hot throughout and crisp on top, 30 to 35 minutes.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (8 servings)
- Calories: 411
- Fat: 23 g
- Saturated fat: 13 g
- Carbohydrates: 43 g
- Sugar: 2 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 10 g
- Sodium: 657 mg
- Cholesterol: 107 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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These are fantastic!! So easy to make and what a great side for of company!
They also freeze well! I tend to double the recipe and keep them frozen and simply reheat in the oven.
This may sound crazy, but if some in our group don’t like the taste of cheddar cheese, is it okay to omit or would you need to substitute with something else?
Hi Liz, I think you can get away with omitting the cheddar but the cheese does add a fair amount of flavor. If you’d like, you could substitute a different cheese anything that melts well (fontina, gouda, mozzarella, gruyere) would work nicely.
Hello!
What salt do you recommend and is there a brand you prefer? For instance, Diamond kosher or Morton kosher? I know salt varies greatly by brand/type so I want to be sure. Thanks so much!
Hi Caitlin, in this particular recipe, you’ll just need table salt, but when I use kosher salt, I use Morton’s.
Holy moly! I don’t know what it was exactly that made these so creamy, but they were absolutely delicious. I am always concerned whether my family likes the food I make, but not this one. I added a tiny bit of paprika in the potatoes and it gave it a yummy kick. Thanks so much!
AMAZING! no need to look for or try any other recipe. And I have tried a several. Followed recipe exactly and it was so good. Must be the 2 egg yolks. Game changer!
Sooooooo good!!
Made these for my son’s birthday dinner last night and they were a hit! I was able to put 2 in the freezer prior to baking, so I’m looking forward to that super simple dinner side! Thanks for another great recipe!