Also known as Twice Baked Potatoes, these Loaded Baked Potatoes are made with russet potatoes that are baked to soft perfection. The potato filling is scooped out and mixed with sour cream, butter, bacon, garlic, cheese, and green onions (you know, all the good stuff). Then that mixture is spooned back into the potato shell and baked again. They make a super deluxe side dish.
We love Loaded Baked Potatoes so much that we have a shortcut recipe too, for Twice Baked Potato Casserole. So if you don’t want to fiddle with the potato shells, head over to that recipe!
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What Is a Loaded Baked Potato
A Loaded Baked Potato (aka. Twice Baked Potato) starts with a baked russet potato that's split open, the tender cooked potato is scooped out, mixed with sour cream, butter, cheese, bacon, garlic, butter, green onions and seasonings. Then it is piled high back into the empty potato skins. It makes an INCREDIBLE side dish for steaks!!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- We LOVE Midwest comfort food, and this Twice Baked Potato falls right into that category!
- This recipe isn’t calorie conscious, we load in the butter, sour cream, and cheese! = flavor bomb
- They are hearty enough to be a main dish or a really substantial side dish.
- The recipe lets you prep up to 3 days ahead, so you can get most of the work done early and just pop them back in the oven when you're ready to serve.
Ingredients
Russet potatoes are ideal for baked potatoes because they cook up light and fluffy inside with sturdy skins that hold all the creamy filling. Choose medium to large potatoes that feel firm and heavy for the best results.
Olive Oil A light coating on the skins of the russets helps them crisp in the oven while adding subtle flavor. It also helps the salt stick so every bite is well seasoned.
Salted Butter the only butter we recognize here at Mom’s Dinner. Butter and potatoes … yes, please!
Sour cream adds tang and creaminess. Full-fat sour cream gives the best texture and flavor.
Milk helps the potato filling mix well and makes it extra smooth.
Sharp cheddar cheese is always best when it is freshly shredded. Don’t skimp on the cheese, it is a huge part of what makes these “loaded” potatoes. Sharp cheddar works well because the flavor stands up to the other ingredients.
Crispy bacon adds smoky, salty flavor and a little crunch in every bite. Cooking it until well-browned keeps it from getting soft once mixed in.
Green onions or chives add a mild onion flavor that cuts through the richness. Use both the white and light green parts for the best flavor.
Seasoning A blend of kosher salt, black pepper, and onion powder creates the perfect loaded potato flavor.
How to Make a Loaded Potato
A Loaded Baked Potato obviously starts with a basic baked potato, so we’ll start there:
How To Make Baked Potatoes
You may be wondering if you can make these Baked Potatoes in the Instant Pot. That will work, however you won’t get the nice crispy skin like when you bake them in the oven.
- To make a baked potato in the oven is SUPER SIMPLE! Preheat the oven to 400ยฐ F. Make sure you wash the potatoes well, because they will be covered in dirt dust.
- Prick the outside of the potatoes on all sides with a sharp knife or fork. Rub with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Place directly on the oven rack.
- Since potatoes vary widely in size, you will want to check your potatoes after about 1 hour. You may have to bake them up to 1 hour 45 minutes, depending on size.
MOM’S TIP: When your potatoes reach 210ยฐ Fahrenheit internal temp, they are cooked through!
How Many To Make?
I usually plan that 1 potato will feed 2 people when making Loaded Baked Potatoes. But these suckers are GOOD, I have had KIDS eat 2 potato halves for dinner (and that was with steak!).
So maybe make a couple extra potatoes. Plus they make amazing leftovers!
MOM’S TIP: Have you ever cut a potato open that looked totally fine on the outside but is full of brown/black spots? I bake at least 1 extra potato when I am making this Loaded Baked Potato Recipe. Just in case!
How to Make Loaded Potato Filling
Now that you have pillowy soft baked potatoes, let’s make the Loaded Baked Potatoes!
Step 1
Cut the potatoes lengthwise so you have a nice long potato boat after you scoop out the filling.
Step 2
Using a spoon, scoop the soft potato out of the center of each potato half. Taking care not to create a hole in the potato- but also, if you do it is totally ok.
Step 3
Leave a little potato around the edges to give the potato structure to hold all the delicious filling.
Step 4
In a large bowl with a potato masher mash together the potato, butter, sour cream, bacon, garlic, kosher salt, pepper and onion powder.
Step 5
Taste for seasoning, then fold in ยพ cup cheese and the green onions.
Step 6
Divide the filling evenly among the shells. Scooping it into each shell with a large spoon.
Step 7
Top each potato with the remaining cheese. Pop back in the oven for about 15-20 minutes to melt the cheese and warm through.
Time to eat!
How to Make Loaded Potatoes Ahead of Time
Yes, you can absolutely make these Loaded Baked Potatoes ahead of time. Up to 3 days!
Simply prep completely, and place the filled potato shells on a large rimmed baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
When baking straight from the fridge you may need to add 5-10 minutes to the baking time to make sure they are warm all the way through.
Recipe Tips To Remember
- Use russet potatoes! They are starchy enough to hold up to all the yummy mix-in’s and the skin of the potato is sturdy enough to hold the filling.
- Wash the potatoes really well so the people that eat the skins don’t get a side of dirt with their Loaded Baked Potato.
- Bake one extra potato in case you find black/brown spots in a potato when you cut them in half.
- Make sure your potatoes are cooked through and soft all the way to the middle. Great hack for this is making sure they reach 205 degrees Fahrenheit internal temperature.
- When you scoop the potatoes out, leave a little around the edges to give the potatoes structure.
- Taste the filling before adding it back to the potato shells. If you have really large potatoes, you may need more salt.
- If you make the potatoes ahead and refrigerate, add a little time to the second baking to make sure they are warm all the way through.
Loaded Baked Potato Recipe FAQs
You absolutely can wrap your potatoes in foil when baking. HOWEVER, I personally recommend NOT doing that for this recipe.
Without foil, why it's better for loaded potatoes:
Lets moisture escape, so the skin gets lightly crisp
Keeps the inside fluffy, not gummy
Gives you that steakhouse-style texture
Holds up better once you add fillings and bake again
With foil, why not to use it for loaded potatoes:
The potato "steams" instead of bakes
Skin stays soft and pale
Inside can feel slightly dense
Less flavor in the skin
When foil makes sense:
Camping or grill cooking
Keeping potatoes warm for a buffet
When soft skins are preferred
You can use other potatoes, but for the best results, I strongly recommend sticking with russet potatoes.
Russets bake up fluffy on the inside with sturdy skins that hold all the creamy, cheesy filling. That's what gives you that classic steakhouse style loaded baked potato.
Yukon Gold Potatoes will work in a pinch, but generally the skin isn't sturdy enough to hold all the delicious filling.
More Potato Side Dishes
Did you make this recipe?
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I would love to hear your review, especially if you have tips and tricks to add! Pop down to the comment section and connect with me
Deluxe Loaded Baked Potatoes
Equipment
- Potato Masher
Ingredients
- 8 large russet potatoes - * see notes
- olive oil
- kosher salt
- 2 stick salted butter - cubed
- 1 cup sour cream
- 10-12 bacon strips - cooked crispy (we love the already cooked microwavable bacon for this recipe!)
- ยผ cup whole or 2% milk
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 garlic clove - minced
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 cups cheddar cheese - shredded, divided
- ยฝ cup green onion - chopped
Garnish
- optional – extra chopped green onions and crumbled bacon
Instructions
Baked Potatoes
- Preheat the oven to 400โ.8 large russet potatoes
- Wash the potatoes well, then place on a rimmed baking sheet (optional, can also put directly in the oven) and prick on all sides with a sharp paring knife or fork.Rub the outside with a little olive oil and sprinkle on kosher salt.olive oil, kosher salt
- Bake for about *1 hour 15 minutes. *Potatoes can vary greatly in size and therefore baking time. You will know your potatoes are cooked through when they reach an internal temp of 210โ.
Scooping The Potato
- Let the potatoes cool for about 15-20 minutes before handling.
- Cut them in half lengthwise (giving you 8 potatoes).
- With a spoon scoop out the fluffy hot potatoes from the middle of each potato half into a large bowl. Leave some of the potato around the edge of the potato skin to give it enough structure to still sit up. See photo.
- Place the empty potato skins back on the rimmed baking sheet.
Make The Filling
- Add butter, sour cream, garlic, bacon, salt, garlic, onion powder, and pepper to the potatoes. Use a potato masher to mix the filling and smash the potatoes.*for a very smooth loaded potato run the potato through a potato ricer.2 stick salted butter, 1 cup sour cream, 10-12 bacon strips, 2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 garlic clove
- Now add 1 ยฝ cups shredded cheddar cheese, the milk and green onions, fold into the mixture.ยผ cup whole or 2% milk, ยฝ cup green onion
- Taste the filling to see if you need more salt or pepper.
- Spoon the filling into the potato skins on the rimmed baking sheet.
- Top with the remaining 1 ยฝ cups shredded cheddar cheese.
- At this point you can pop in the oven and eat right away OR keep covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Twice Bake
- Pop back in the oven at 350ยฐ and bake for about 20 minutes, until heated through and cheese is melted on top. *If baking from the fridge, you may need to increase the second bake time to 25-30 minutes to heat through.
Serving
- Serve one potato half per person.
- Optionally garnish with extra green onions and crumbled bacon.
Marylou says
Great recipe. Thank you for sharing!
Susie Weinrich says
So glad you loved it!
CampGrilling says
Another huge favorite on gameday gatherings. I love them too!