This easy and delicious twice baked potato goes great alongside your chili or meats from the grill or can stand perfectly well on its own as an entree! If you want a heartier version, add about 4-6 oz of cooked ground beef or sausage!
It took me a while to finally give myself the time to make good and proper twice baked potatoes. Because this one does take some time – although there are some shortcuts to help you make them quickly that I learned later on.
I remember making them once for my now-husband and in-laws one of the times we were visiting them. I don’t remember if Scott and I had already moved to New York together or if he were still finishing school in Orlando and I had just graduated from UVa, but for some reason, I decided to make these as a side for whatever we were grilling.
I didn’t give them nearly enough time. So I kept putting the potatoes back into the oven while we cooked and ate everything else on the menu. By the time they were done, everyone was full, and they were consigned to the fridge. From that moment, I decided to find a faster way to cook them!
There really aren’t any shortcuts on the cooking part. You need to give yourself the time to wash and scrub the potatoes, prick them with a fork, rub them in olive oil, douse them in salt and pepper, and stick them in the oven. Good size potatoes will take you 55 minutes to an hour. Although people swear you can cook them in 12 minutes in an Instant Pot and that fact alone might get me to pull the one I bought ages ago out of the cupboard and try it.
However, you can bake the potatoes ahead of time and get them prepped and ready to go. If you have them in the fridge, just top them with cheese and put them in the oven for 10-15 minutes. If you have them in the freezer, you’ll want to thaw them in the fridge for 24 hours (or zap them in the microwave if you’re impatient like me) and there you go!
Wish I’d have known that ten years ago so that dinner wouldn’t have been so awkward. However, that did a pretty good job of breaking the ice with my now in-laws, and my husband was sweet and encouraging, so maybe all’s well that ends well.
And now I know better and can give you not only a decent but a pretty delicious twice-baked potato recipe!
[lt_recipe name=”Tex-Mex Twice Baked Potatoes” summary=”This easy and delicious twice baked potato goes great alongside your chili or meats from the grill or can stand perfectly well on its own as an entree! If you want a heartier version, add about 4-6 oz of cooked ground beef or sausage!” servings=”4″ total_time=”1H30M” print=”yes” image=”https://homefrontcooking.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Tex-Mex-Twice-Baked-Potatoes-0612-1024×683.jpg” ingredients=”4 large russet potatoes;olive oil;salt and pepper to taste;4 tbsp butter;1/4 cup sour cream;1/2 can Ro-tel (Mild or Medium);1 tsp minced garlic;1 tsp chili powder;1/2 tsp cumin;1/4 tsp salt;4 slices cheddar cheese, finely diced;1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese;toppings and garnish of choice” ]Heat your oven to 425F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil;Scrub the potatoes clean and prick all over with a fork. Rub the potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange on the baking sheet and bake until easily pierced with a fork, 50-60 minutes.;Let the potatoes cool until easy to handle.;When the potatoes have cooled, cut off the top 1/4 of the potato and scoop out the insides, creating a hollow shell about 1/2 inch thick. Arrange the shells on the baking sheet.;Combine the scooped out potato insides, the butter, and the sour cream in a large bowl and mash with a fork until the butter and sour cream are fully incorporated and the potatoes are nice and creamy.;Fold in the Ro-tel, spices, and chopped cheddar cheese slices.;Divide the mashed potato filling evenly between the potato shells. Gently press the filling into the shells and pile more on top. Divide the shredded cheese over the tops of the potatoes.;Bake an additional 10-15 minutes until the cheese has melted and the potatoes are warmed throughout.;Cool briefly and serve with your favorite toppings![/lt_recipe]
Again, remember, you can make these ahead easily. Fill them but don’t top them with cheese yet, and wrap them with plastic and put them in the fridge until you’re ready to use them. You can also freeze them (thaw in the fridge for 24 hours before baking).
I topped these potatoes with fresh trimmed chives but you can add all of your favorite loaded baked potato toppings – sour cream, more cheese, bacon bits, avocado, you name it!
I’m working on a version of these made with cheese and broccoli, so stay tuned for that!
What’s your favorite loaded baked potato flavor addition?
