Crispy-skinned baked potatoes are fully loaded with freshly shredded cheddar cheese, bacon, chives, tangy sour cream, and butter; these potatoes are baked twice with the loaded, fluffy potato filling with melted cheese top for a perfect side dish or as the star of your backyard cookout. You can serve these with BBQ ribs, a juicy grilled steak, or tender grilled chicken.
A classic is a classic for a reason! There are so many variations out there of the baked potato. There’s pulled pork baked potatoes, eggs benedict baked potatoes, pizza baked potatoes, etc. I decided to do the classic loaded baked potato because who doesn’t love loaded food? These are perfect for a chilly winter night, a cool spring day, or a backyard BBQ cookout. You can also prep these ahead of time and freeze them! This can be a meal on its own or served as a side dish.
How to make Loaded Twice Baked Potato
This is super easy to make. Easy and budget-friendly ingredients are used; this recipe doesn’t require much work. It’s all about waiting for the potatoes to bake and become soft, mixing the filling, stuffing the potato skins, then baking it off with extra cheese. What more can you ask for? (Full ingredient amounts and complete instructions are available in the recipe card down below).
- Russet Potatoes: These are perfect for baked potatoes since they hold together better than red potatoes or yukon golds. Their thick skin and high starch content make them the perfect choice.
- Sour Cream: To make the filling creamy.
- Bacon: Crispy bacon is always a must in a loaded potato.
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese: I used mild cheddar for this. It’s better to shred the cheese yourself. I find it to be cheaper to get a block of cheese and shred it yourself rather than buying the bag. Pre-shredded cheese is coated with an anti-caking powder that prevents it from melting to its gooiest potential.
- Butter: What’s a baked potato without butter?
- Chives: You can use green onions in place of chives.
- Salt and Pepper: For your tasting preferences.
Preheat the oven to 400F. Scrub the potatoes wells then poke holes onto the top of the potatoes and rub with 1 tsp of olive oil on each potato. Place onto a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes to an hour, depending on the size of the potatoes. Once the potatoes are done, transfer them to a cutting board. Be careful and use an oven mitt to pick them to transfer to the cutting board. It will be very hot. Cut a slit on the top where the fork holes are. Do not cut completely through it, but just enough to scoop out the potato. Carefully scoop out the insides of the potatoes; transfer to a medium bowl. Place the empty potato skins back onto the baking sheet. Mix together the scooped potato, sour cream, half of the cheddar cheese, half of the bacon, half of the chives, butter, salt, and pepper. Scoop the mixed filling back into the potato skins evenly (it’s ok if it’s heaping over!). Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes more to allow the cheese to melt. Remove from the oven and top with the remaining bacon and chives. Season with more salt and pepper if desired.
Tips & FAQs
- Oil is a must-use for rubbing potatoes. When the potatoes bake, it makes the skin nice and crispy. You can use either extra virgin olive oil or canola oil.
- Do not wrap in foil to bake! The skin will just get soft instead of crispy. Just place the oil-rubbed potatoes onto a baking sheet with foil. That’s all you need.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Reheat in the oven at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until heated through.
- Freeze: Prep these potatoes in advance and freeze them, they bake perfectly right from frozen!
- Variations:
- Omit the bacon for a vegetarian potato. Maybe add some broccoli or mushrooms!
- Roast a head of garlic along with the potatoes and add some to the filling.
- Make it a chili-filled baked potato instead of a loaded one. How about making it a Mexican-inspired potato with black beans, corn, cilantro, salsa, and queso fresco?
- Switch the cheese to whatever you may have in your fridge. Maybe pour some cheese sauce on it!
- The possibilities are endless.
Want the recipe? Click print below! Let me know how it came out for you by tagging me on Instagram (@missravenskitchen) and using #missravenskitchen! Follow my Facebook page for updates as well! Let me know if I need to tweak anything.
Loaded Twice Baked Potato
Ingredients
- 4 russet potatoes
- 4 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mild cheddar
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 1/4 cup freshly chopped chives
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F. Scrub the potatoes well, then poke holes on one side with a fork. Rub each potato with 1 tsp of oil, then place the potatoes, poked side up, onto a baking sheet lined with foil.
- Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, depending on the size of the potato. The skins should be shriveled slightly and the potatoes should be very tender.
- Cut each potato down the center, being careful not to cut all the way through. Carefully scoop out the inside and transfer it to a medium bowl. Place the potato skins back onto the baking sheet.
- In the same bowl with the potato insides, combine it with the sour cream, half of the cheese, half of the bacon, butter, half of the chives, salt, and pepper to your taste.
- Spoon filling back into each potato skin, mounding it on top. Sprinkle each potato with the remaining cheese and return to oven until melted, about 5 minutes. Top with the remaining bacon and chives. Season with extra salt and pepper if desired.
Notes
Oil is a must-use for rubbing potatoes. When the potatoes bake, it makes the skin nice and crispy. You can use either extra virgin olive oil or canola oil.
Do not wrap the potatoes in foil to bake! The skin will just get soft instead of crispy. Just place the oil-rubbed potatoes onto a baking sheet with foil. That’s all you need.
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Reheat in the oven at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until heated through.
- Freeze: Prep these potatoes in advance and freeze them, they bake perfectly right from frozen!
Variations:
- Omit the bacon for a vegetarian potato. Maybe add some broccoli or mushrooms!
- Roast a head of garlic along with the potatoes and add some to the filling.
- Make it a chili-filled baked potato instead of a loaded one. How about making it a Mexican-inspired potato with black beans, corn, cilantro, salsa, and queso fresco?
- Switch the cheese to whatever you may have in your fridge. Maybe pour some cheese sauce on it!
- The possibilities are endless.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
596.5Fat (grams)
40.4Sat. Fat (grams)
20.44Carbs (grams)
41.17Fiber (grams)
2.83Net carbs
38.34Sugar (grams)
2.5Protein (grams)
19.4Sodium (milligrams)
548.46Cholesterol (grams)
101.72The nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and the brands of ingredients used.
Miss Raven's Kitchen 
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