Loaded Twice Baked Potatoes

I’m packing tons of tips to make these the most simple, indulgent, and delicious loaded potatoes, ever!

At Ajpal, I add lots of tips in all of my recipes – because I am a home cook without any formal training, and I find I am more confident making dishes when I understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe. My goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.

How To Make Loaded Twice-Baked Potatoes

Loaded Twice-Baked Potatoes Ingredients

• 4 large baking potatoes – The base and edible “shell.” Russets work best because they’re starchy and fluffy when baked, with skins sturdy enough to hold the filling.
• 1 cup sour cream – Adds tangy richness that balances the saltiness of bacon and cheese, while keeping the filling smooth and creamy.
• 1/2 cup milk – Provides moisture, lightens the texture, and helps create a fluffy, spoonable filling.
• 4 tbsp butter – Brings velvety richness, a silky texture, and classic buttery flavor.
• 1/2 tsp salt – Enhances the flavor of every other ingredient.
• 1/2 tsp pepper – Adds subtle warmth and depth to balance the richness.
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided – Melty sharpness and richness. Half goes in the filling for creamy body, while the rest creates a golden, bubbly topping.
• 8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled – Salty, smoky, and crunchy, adding contrast and savory punch.
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions – Brings freshness, color, and a mild onion bite that cuts through the heaviness.

Loaded Twice-Baked Potatoes Process

Once you have gathered your ingredients we will follow these steps:

First Bake

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).

Scoop Out

Cut potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out the pulp, leaving a thin shell.

Mix Filling

Mash pulp with sour cream, milk, butter, salt, pepper, 1 cup cheese, bacon, and green onions.

Second Bake

Spoon mixture back into shells, top with remaining bacon.

Serve

Serve with additional crumbled bacon, chopped chives,

My Top Tips and Tricks to Perfect Twice Baked Potatoes

Use starchy potatoes: Russet potatoes work best because their fluffy texture holds up to the mix-ins.

Don’t wrap in foil: Bake them unwrapped so the skins get nice and crisp, which makes sturdier “shells.”

Pipe to Make it Pretty: I like to fill my potatoes by piping them out with a wide star tip for a pretty, gourmet look – this is entirely optional, but I love a swirl pattern on top of the potatoes.

Check doneness: Potatoes are ready when a fork slides in easily with no resistance.

Cool slightly before scooping: If they’re too hot, the shells may tear.

Leave a thin layer of potato in the shell: This prevents breakage and keeps the skin strong enough to hold the filling.

Use Room Temp Butter: To make it easy to mix, butter should be room temperature.

Don’t overmix: Too much mashing can make the filling gluey instead of fluffy.

Cheese variety: Try a mix of cheddar, pepper jack, or gruyere for more depth of flavor.

Use Crispy Bacon: Cook bacon extra crisp so it stays crunchy after baking – I like to use thick cut bacon and cook to dark brown, but not burnt. Air Fryer Bacon and Baked Baconalso work well for this recipe, since they help bring an extra crispy crunch!

Add Crunch: I like to sprinkle the tops of the potatoes with crushed potato chips, crispy fried onions (use the kind in the bag over the canned kind), or even breadcrumbs before the final bake. Its important to add before baking so they can crisp up a bit too!

Don’t overstuff: Pile the filling high but evenly so they bake consistently.

Final broil: Pop under the broiler for 1–2 minutes at the end to get bubbly golden cheese.

Make Them Ahead: This recipe is great for parties and busy nights, because they are perfect to make ahead of time! Assemble them up to a day ahead, cover tightly, and refrigerate. Just bake a little longer when ready to serve to bring back up to temperature!

Freeze For Later: Freeze after stuffing but before the second bake. I like to wrap them individually, then reheat straight from frozen (adding ~15 minutes to bake time.)

Recipe FAQs

Since these potatoes are already cooked through, the second bake is just to melt cheese and butter – and crisp the potatoes. When the potatoes are crispy and brown, they are done!

You can add different cheese (I love Double Gloucester – the British cheese with chives and onion.)