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Home Recipe Index Sides & Salads Vegetables

Bacon and Cheddar Twice Baked Potatoes

★★★★★ 4.7 /5
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Polly Conner
By: Polly ConnerPosted: 4/19/23Updated: 5/18/23

This post may contain affiliate or sponsored links. Please read our disclosure policy.

twice-baked potatoes

These make-ahead Bacon and Cheddar Twice Baked Potatoes are the quintessential side dish for almost any holiday meal. They are a bit healthier than other twice-baked potatoes yet just as rich-tasting. Even better…they are freezer friendly!

Baked twice baked potatoes

“Wowza these were good. I love that they have sweet potato in them. I also love that they can be made in advance to freeze. Thanks!” ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ – Nikki

Table of Contents
  • Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe
  • Ingredients Needed
  • How to Make Twice Baked Potatoes
  • Time-Saving Tip
  • How to Freeze Twice Baked Potatoes
  • FAQs
  • Recipes That Go Well With Twice Baked Potatoes
  • Ultimate Bacon and Cheddar Twice-Baked Potatoes

Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe

This particular twice stuffed baked potato recipe happens to be our all-time favorite potato side dish. You’ll want to lick the mixing bowl clean after filling the potato skins at the end. Umm, I’m not speaking from experience, of course.

A few things take Ultimate Bacon and Cheddar Twice Stuffed Potatoes to the top!

  1. They are healthier than most other twice baked potato recipes. These super spuds are just a little leaner in saturated fat and calories than the norm thanks to Greek yogurt and chicken broth. Plus, the added sweet potato and chives not only bump up the nutritional profile (hello, vitamin A and C!), but they also add beautiful color and taste.
  2. You can make them ahead! You can make these ahead of time and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Prep these in advance of a holiday, so you can focus on your loved ones the day of. 
  3. They pair well with so many other recipes. Twice baked potatoes play nice with most main dishes. We’ll share several ideas below.
Twice baked potato on a plate cut in half

Ingredients Needed

Gather these items from the store before getting started.

  • Baking potatoes – Large russet potatoes are what I usually use.
  • Sweet potato – Just one to add color and extra nutrition.
  • Bacon – Bake it in the oven. Uncured bacon is preferable. Here is where we get organic beef, poultry, and pork.
  • Chicken broth – Did you know you could easily make your own chicken broth?
  • Butter
  • Whole milk plain Greek yogurt – You can sub sour cream.
  • Salt & pepper
  • Minced fresh chives – Plus more for garnish.
  • Shredded cheddar cheese
Ingredients in twice baked potatoes

How to Make Twice Baked Potatoes

Follow these four steps to perfect stuffed potatoes.

Bake the Potatoes

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Scrub the potatoes, poke a few holes in each one with a knife, and wrap only the sweet potato in foil (leave the russets unwrapped). Bake on the top oven rack for about 1 hour, or until soft in the middle when a knife is inserted.

baked bacon on a baking rack

Time-Saving Tip

While the potatoes cook, bake your bacon.

Cover a rimmed sheet pan with foil (for easier clean up). Lay out the bacon slices side by side across the rack or pan.

Bake on the bottom rack for 20-25 minutes, or until bacon is cooked to desired doneness. Let cool, and then chop or crumble into small pieces.

Here is more on how to bake your bacon in the oven.

Potatoes on a baking sheet

Prepare the Potatoes for the Filling

When the potatoes are done, let them cool enough to handle. Cut all of the potatoes in half completely.

Baked potatoes and sweet potato cut open

Carefully scoop out the flesh with a spoon and place in a large mixing bowl, making sure to leave a bit of the flesh around all sides to keep the potatoes intact.

spoon scooping the inside of a potato out
baked potatoes with their insides scooped out

Make the Filling

To the mixing bowl with the potatoes, add the chicken broth, butter, Greek yogurt, salt, pepper, and chives. Use a potato masher or the back of a fork to mash and combine the mixture.

Using a spoon, stir in the cheese and the chopped bacon.

Ingredients for twice baked potatoes in a bowl
bacon and cheddar for twice baked potatoes on a bowl

Assemble and Bake the Potatoes

Scoop the mixture back into the potato skins evenly. The stuffing will heap over the tops (yum!). (Freezing instructions begin here.)

Bake the potatoes, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, or until heated through and golden brown on top. Garnish with more minced chives. 

Twice baked potatoes before going into oven
Baked twice baked potatoes after being baked

How to Freeze Twice Baked Potatoes

Like many of our freezer meals, these potatoes are prepped right up to the point of baking. This ensures they taste as fresh as possible after freezing, thawing, and baking later.

Freeze For Later: Complete Steps 1-5. Cover the 9×13 baking dish with an air-tight lid or with a few layers of foil or plastic wrap to seal tightly. Freeze.

Prepare From Frozen: Thaw potatoes in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours. Bake according to Step 6.

twice baked potatoes in a freezer meal dish

FAQs

Can you make twice baked potatoes ahead of time?

Absolutely, here’s how:

  • To Refrigerate: Bake, scoop, and fill the potato skins. Then, cover the potatoes and refrigerate up to 3 days and then bake according to recipe instructions. Just be sure the container is airtight or potatoes might dry out.
  • To Freeze: Bake, scoop, and fill the potato skins in a casserole dish. Cover the dish with an air-tight lid or with a few layers of foil or plastic wrap to seal tightly. Freeze for 3-6 months. When ready to bake, thaw potatoes in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours and bake according to the recipe.

How long will twice baked potatoes last in the freezer?

Depending on how well you package the meal, twice baked potatoes can last up to 3-6 months in the freezer before the quality begins to diminish.

Do I have to include the sweet potato in this recipe?

Nope. You can substitute it for a regular potato if you don’t have one.

What type of potato is best for twice baked potatoes?

Russet potatoes are commonly used for twice baked potatoes because they have a high starch content and a fluffy texture when baked.

Can twice baked potatoes be made dairy-free?

Many of our recipes work well with dairy-free substitutions but this one won’t play as nicely. If you really want to give it a go, we’d suggest using Kite Hill Cheese in place of the cheese and sour cream.

twice baked potatoes on a dish side by side.

Recipes That Go Well With Twice Baked Potatoes

meatloaf muffins

Meatloaf Muffins

crockpot short ribs on plate with mashed potatoes and green beans

Slow Cooker Short Ribs

Seasoned cooked steak sliced on a plate with steamed broccoli and a baked potato.

The Perfect Pan-Seared Steak

Pork tenderloin sliced and on a plate with salad.

Oven Roasted Pork Tenderloin

chicken sliced from whole chicken on a serving platter

Crock Pot Whole Chicken with Gravy

Two pulled pork sandwiches on a plate with a small bowl of BBQ sauce on it as well.

Crock Pot Pulled Pork

Balsamic shredded beef on top of polenta on a white plate with fresh chopped parsley on top.

Slow Cooker Balsamic Shredded Beef

Baked chicken drumsticks on a plate with broccoli and mashed potatoes.

Instant Pot 4-Ingredient Chicken Drumsticks

Did you make this? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!

Baked twice baked potatoes
★★★★★ 4.7 from 3 reviews

Ultimate Bacon and Cheddar Twice-Baked Potatoes

These make ahead twice-baked potatoes are the perfect holiday side dish! Bacon, cheddar, chives, and even some added sweet potato (for color and added nutrition) come together to create the ULTIMATE stuffed potato. 

Yield: 8 1x
Prep: 15 minutesCook: 1 hour 45 minutesTotal: 2 hours
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Scale:

Ingredients

  • 4 large baking potatoes
  • 1 large sweet potato
  • 1 pound bacon
  • 3/4 cup chicken broth
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 a stick) softened butter
  • 3/4 cup whole milk plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives, plus more for garnish
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Arrange both racks in the center, equidistant from the top and bottom.
  2. Scrub the potatoes, poke a few holes in each one with a knife, and wrap only the sweet potato in foil (leave the russets unwrapped). Bake on the top rack for about 1 hour, or until soft in the middle when a knife is inserted.
  3. While the potatoes cook, cover a rimmed sheet pan with foil (for easier clean up). Place a wire baking rack on top of the sheet pan. (The rack is optional, but allows for the bacon grease to drip below.) Squeeze the bacon slices side by side across the rack or pan. They may slightly overlap, but that’s ok. Bake on the bottom rack for 20-25 minutes, or until bacon is cooked to desired doneness. Let cool, and then chop or crumble into small pieces.
  4. When the potatoes are done, let them cool enough to handle. Cut all of the potatoes in half completely. Carefully scoop out the flesh with a spoon and place in a large mixing bowl, making sure to leave a bit of the flesh around all sides to keep the potatoes intact. Discard the sweet potato skin but keep the others. Place potato skins in a greased 9×13 baking dish.
  5. To the mixing bowl, add the chicken broth, butter, Greek yogurt, salt, pepper, and chives. Use a potato masher or the back of a fork to mash and combine the mixture. Using a spoon, stir in the cheese and the chopped bacon. Scoop the mixture back in to the potato skins evenly. The stuffing will heap over the tops (yum!). (Freezing instructions begin here.)
  6. Increase the oven temperature to 425°F. Bake the potatoes, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, or until heated through and golden brown on top. Garnish with more minced chives. 

Freeze For Later: Complete Steps 1-5. Cover the 9×13 baking dish with an air-tight lid or with a few layers of foil or plastic wrap to seal tightly. Freeze.

Prepare From Frozen: Thaw potatoes in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours. Bake according to Step 6.

© Author: Polly Conner
Cuisine: American Method: Baked

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Photos by Whitney Reist of Sweet Cayenne.

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Polly Conner

Polly Conner

As co-founder of Thriving Home, Polly’s passionate about helping busy parents get dinner on the table. With a house full of kids, dogs, and (usually) a DIY project in the works, she knows firsthand how every minute (and every dollar) counts. As a business owner, she enjoys wearing multiple hats and serves best as a project manager for Thriving Home.

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  1. AvatarStephanie says

    Posted on 8/27/23 at 3:37 pm

    When do you add the bacon bits? Into the mixture or sprinkle on top? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Rachel TiemeyerRachel Tiemeyer says

      Posted on 8/27/23 at 4:53 pm

      You add them during step 4–into the mixture before spooning it back into the potatoes.

      Reply
      • AvatarStephanie says

        Posted on 9/3/23 at 4:44 pm

        Thanks so much

        Reply
  2. AvatarKishia Harms says

    Posted on 8/13/23 at 8:52 pm

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  3. AvatarSusan says

    Posted on 4/9/23 at 4:04 pm

    Very easy to make. I omitted the bacon (too much cholesterol) in favor of butter and cheese. Family happy. Sweet potatoes were a perfect addition.

    ★★★★

    Reply
    • Carla from Thriving HomeCarla from Thriving Home says

      Posted on 4/10/23 at 8:05 am

      Thanks for the review and letting us know of your substitution Susan!

      Reply
  4. AvatarNikki says

    Posted on 2/14/23 at 12:35 pm

    Wowza these were good. I love that they have sweet potato in them. I also love that they can be made in advance to freeze. Thanks!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

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