Tuesday, March 19, 2019

Twice Baked Potatoes (A delicious make-ahead side dish)

Twice baked potatoes are one of my FAVORITE foods in the whole world. Crispy potato skins, filled with creamy mashed potatoes, and topped with cheese and bacon. They're so tasty, you'll be coming back for seconds. Another plus? You can totally make these ahead of time!

make ahead twice baked potatoes


Want to take baked potatoes to the next level? Then you've got to try these twice baked potatoes. Honestly, I could have just these for dinner. They're that good!





Twice Baked Potatoes (A delicious make-ahead side dish)

twice baked potatoes a make ahead side dish



I'll be honest here. Most of the time side dishes at my house are pretty boring. Often it's a last minute, "oh yeah, I should serve some veggies with dinner" kind of thing. And then I heat up some frozen or canned vegetables.

Sometimes, when I'm at the top of my game, I make these.

twice baked potato with bacon and cheese


They do take some time. You can't just decide at the last minute to have twice baked potatoes. But they are worth it! On the plus side, the most time consuming part is just the baking of the potatoes. Not really something you need to stick around for. So, go get something else done while they bake.

If you want to, you can even make them ahead of time. Having a get together and want a tasty side dish? Make these ahead of time and pop them in the oven for 20 minutes or so right before serving.

twice baked potatoes with bacon and cheese

I remember my mom would make twice baked potatoes occasionally. She didn't add the fancy stuff like bacon or cheese. She basically mashed up the potatoes with butter and milk. As a kid, I didn't think there could be anything better. I LOVED them. But food is always better with bacon and cheese!

How to Make Twice Baked Potatoes

Twice baked potatoes seem complicated. But they're really pretty easy. Here's the rundown of how to make them. (Scroll down for the printable recipe) 

Start by baking some potatoes. Once baked, slice them in half and remove all the flesh into a bowl. You basically make mashed potatoes out of the insides. Add in butter, milk, and sour cream. Whip it up until it's nice and creamy. Season it with salt and pepper and add in some cheese and bacon.  Scoop it all back into the potato shells and sprinkle with more cheese and bacon pieces.

A note about the bacon: You can chop up freshly cooked bacon. Most of the time, I either chop up bacon that I have previously cooked with another meal. OR I just buy the crumbled bacon. (It's in the salad toppings aisle). 

MORE SIDE DISH RECIPES



 Don't forget to pin it!!
twice baked potatoes
Twice Baked Potatoes     (a delicious make-ahead side dish)

Twice Baked Potatoes (a delicious make-ahead side dish)

Servings: 8 servings
Author: Rachel
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 1 H & 20 MTotal time: 1 H & 35 M
Crispy potato skins, filled with creamy mashed potatoes, and topped with cheese and bacon. Who says side dishes have to be boring?!

Ingredients

  • 4 large potatoes
  • 1/4 c. sour cream
  • 1 T. milk
  • 1 T. butter
  • 1/2 c.  shredded cheddar cheese, plus extra for garnish
  • 1/2 c. crumbled bacon, plus extra for garnish
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Wash and pierce potatoes. 
  2. Bake potatoes at 375 degrees for one hour and 15 minutes. 
  3. Remove from oven.  Let sit for about 10 minutes, or until cool enough to handle.
  4. Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop out flesh and place in a bowl.
  5. Add sour cream, milk and butter and whip until smooth and creamy.
  6. Stir in cheese and crumbled bacon.
  7. Scoop spoonfuls of the mashed potatoes back into the skins.
  8. Sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese and bacon pieces.
  9. TO MAKE AHEAD: At this point you can cover the potatoes with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
  10. Bake at 375 for 15 -20 minutes, until potatoes are hot and cheese is melted.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

260.58

Fat (grams)

10.26

Sat. Fat (grams)

4.67

Carbs (grams)

32.50

Fiber (grams)

3.30

Net carbs

29.20

Sugar (grams)

2.12

Protein (grams)

10.41

Sodium (milligrams)

351.01

Cholesterol (grams)

28.83

Nutritional information is generated automatically and not guaranteed to be accurate.

twice baked potatoes, potatoes, side dishes
Side Dishes
American

4 comments :

  1. I love twice bakes potatoes, so I will be pinning this recipe!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I like the make ahead option - you don't have to do all the work in one day! Thanks for sharing with us at The Blogger's Pit Stop!

    ReplyDelete
  3. We love twice baked potatoes, this looks so good! Thanks for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday and have a good week!
    Miz Helen

    ReplyDelete
  4. One of my favorite side dishes to make! Yum! Thank you for sharing on Merry Monday! We hope you will join us again next week!
    Kim

    ReplyDelete