once upon a chef

Twice-Baked Potatoes

Twice-baked potatoes are cheesy, mashed potatoes baked in crispy, salty potato skins.. They can be made in advance and even frozen, so they're a great option for the holidays! What’s more, they are endlessly adaptable. You can top the potatoes with bacon, swap the heavy cream for sour cream, mix in your favorite fresh herbs, or substitute all or part of the Cheddar for Gruyère, Parmigiano Reggiano, or blue cheese.

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

Step #1

Bake the Potatoes Preheat the oven to 400°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.  Directly on the baking sheet, rub the potatoes with the oil and sprinkle all over with ½ teaspoon of the salt.

Step #2

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.

Step #3

Scoop out the Flesh 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.

Step #4

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.

Step #5

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. Pour in the heavy cream and mash until the cream is incorporated and the potatoes are creamy.

Step #6

Add the egg yolks and mash until evenly combined.

Step #7

Fill and Bake 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. Enjoy!