Super Easy Twice Baked Potatoes

These twice baked potatoes are incredibly delicious, and you can easily make them ahead of time to simplify the dinner rush! They are perfect for an easy weeknight meal, or for a large dinner party. Plus, you can easily customize this recipe with any of your favorite toppings.

How to Make Twice Baked Potatoes

Bake the Potatoes

Preheat the oven to 425° Fahrenheit. Thoroughly scrub the potatoes clean with water. Pat them dry, and then poke several holes with a fork on each side of the potatoes. Rub the potatoes in olive oil, coating them completely, then generously sprinkle the potatoes with coarse sea salt.

Place the potatoes directly on the middle rack of the oven. Put a baking sheet on a lower rack in the oven to catch any residual olive oil and salt. (This will help keep your oven clean.) Bake for about 50-60 minutes, or until the center of the potatoes are soft and the exterior is crispy. Check by poking the potatoes through with a fork--if it goes through easily, they're done.

Make the Mashed Potatoes

Let the potatoes cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting open the tops. Cut off the top portion of the skin, just enough to scoop out the inside, and discard the top piece. Scoop out almost all of the inside of the potatoes and add them to a large bowl, leaving just enough for the potato skin to maintain its structure.

Use a hand mixer to break up the large chunks of potato. Mix on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until the potato turns into a fine crumbly texture. Add the butter, sour cream, milk, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper, then mix on low. Gradually increase the speed to medium-high and mix until all of the ingredients are incorporated for about 2-3 minutes. Taste and add more seasoning if needed.

Reassemble and Bake

Evenly distribute the mashed potatoes back into the potato skins on a baking sheet. Add the shredded cheese on top and either immediately put them in the oven, or cover them with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to bake. I prefer to prepare the twice baked potatoes the day before to simplify meal prepping. However, I don't recommend making them more than 24 hours before.

When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Remove the plastic wrap and bake the potatoes for 25-30 minutes, or until the potatoes are heated through and the cheese is bubbling.

Add your favorite toppings and serve immediately. Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate. They should stay good for about 3-4 days.

Ingredient Substitutions

• Unsalted butter: Salted butter is a great alternative if that's all you have on hand, just make sure to take out about a ½ teaspoon of sea salt so that the potatoes don't turn out too salty.
• Sour cream: You could use plain Greek yogurt if you don't have sour cream on hand, just keep in mind that it may alter the taste a little bit.
• Whole milk: 2% milk, heavy cream, or half and half could all be used in the place of whole milk.
• Cheddar Cheese: I prefer to use sharp cheddar cheese, but you could use colby jack or any blend of shredded cheese.

What to Pair with Twice Baked Potatoes

These twice baked potatoes are an excellent side dish to serve with almost any meal. We often make these potatoes for holidays or large family gatherings and serve them with grilled chicken or steak. I also like serving these potatoes with my baked chicken caprese.

Another great potato recipe for large gatherings are these funeral potatoes, so make sure to check them out as well!

If you try this twice baked potatoes recipe or any of my other recipes, I’d LOVE to hear about it. You can leave a comment below the recipe, or if you post a picture on Instagram, be sure to tag me! Getting any feedback on my recipes is both rewarding AND helpful as I write and edit recipes in the future.

Now get cooking, and enjoy!