Bacon and Cheddar 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!

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.

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

How to Make Twice Baked Potatoes

Follow these four steps to perfect stuffed 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.

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.

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.

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. 

FAQs

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.

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.

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

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

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.

Photos by Whitney Reist of Sweet Cayenne.