Ultimate Loaded Twice-Baked Potatoes Recipe

Unlike the misleadingly-named refried beans, a dish that's only fried once, twice-baked potatoes really do go into the oven two times. The first bake is to cook the potatoes, while the second one reheats the mashed potato filling and melts the cheesy topping. Developer Julianne De Witt loads her twice-baked potatoes with what she calls a "rich and decadent" combination of bacon, green onions, cheddar, and sour cream. While these potatoes make the perfect side for a steak dinner, they can also serve as an entree and be paired with a simple green salad or bowl of soup to make a complete meal.

While the mix-ins and toppings may be what earns this recipe the "ultimate" accolade, it's also important to select the proper potato. One common mistake people make when cooking potatoes is to try to substitute a boiling potato for a baking one, but you really need a high-starch, low-moisture potato to get a fluffy interior. De Witt prefers using russets, explaining that "the skins are strong enough to stuff the filling into," but Idaho potatoes are another good option. Yukon golds can also work in a pinch although their higher moisture level means they won't be quite as fluffy.

To make twice-baked potatoes, you first need potatoes, of course, along with bacon, cheddar, scallions, and sour cream for the filling. You'll also need salt and pepper for seasoning along with cherry tomatoes to use as garnish.

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Wrap the potatoes in foil.

Bake the potatoes for 1 hour.

Remove the foil from potatoes and slice in half, lengthwise.

Scoop the flesh of the potatoes into a large bowl.

Mash the potatoes until smooth.

Add ¼ cup bacon, ¼ cup cheddar, ¼ cup scallions, sour cream, salt, and pepper to the bowl. Mix the ingredients together.

Spoon the mixture into the potato skins.

Top with the remaining ½ cup of cheddar.

Return the potatoes to the oven until cheese has melted, approximately 10 minutes.

Remove the potatoes from the oven and top with the tomatoes and the remaining bacon and scallions.

Serve hot.

This twice-baked potato recipe is very easy to customize since, unlike a delicate cake or souffle, changing an ingredient or two isn't going to throw off the balance. If you're all out of cheddar, just about any other kind of melty cheese will work. Swiss, pepper jack, Gouda, or Gruyere would all be great choices, as would blue cheese if you prefer funkier flavors. You can also replace the bacon with crumbled sausage, diced pepperoni, pulled pork, or shredded chicken, or omit the meat in favor of broccoli, mushrooms, or spinach for a vegetarian version.

If you're feeling experimental, you could even top your twice-baked potatoes with tuna salad and corn. While this combo isn't common in the U.S., it's a popular jacket potato topping in the U.K., as are baked beans and cheese, and both jacket potatoes are something you might find on the menu at high tea. Of course, you an also keep things all-American by sticking with various meats, cheeses, and maybe some chopped spicy pepper like jalapeño or Serrano for a little kick.

While these twice-baked potatoes may be a little time-consuming, much of the time is hands-off. If you're thinking of serving them alongside steak but don't want to start dinner preparation over an hour in advance, some recipe steps can be performed in advance. If you pre-bake the potatoes, they can be safely stored in the refrigerator for up to four days. You can also prepare all the other ingredients and store those separately or go ahead and stuff the potatoes so they're all set to go for that second bake. (Don't add the cheese or toppings, though.)

If you're prepping the dish ahead of time, the second bake will take longer since the potatoes are coming straight from the fridge. Cook them for 30 minutes at 400 F, then add the cheese and set the oven to broil to speed up the melting. Any leftovers can be warmed up at 350 F for half an hour. You can also use the microwave if you're in a hurry as long as you don't mind a less crispy exterior.