Pioneer Woman Twice Baked Potatoes Recipe

Pioneer Woman Twice Baked Potatoes Recipe is a classic American side dish that transforms humble spuds into a crowd-pleasing favorite. These skins are loaded with salty bacon, sharp cheddar cheese, and plenty of butter for the ultimate comfort food.

I’ve tried a few versions of stuffed potatoes and this one from Ree Drummond is the one I keep going back to because the base is so sturdy. The first time I made these, I used small potatoes and they just fell apart when I tried to scrape out the insides. Now I always pick the biggest, sturdiest Russets I can find so the skins can actually hold up to all that heavy filling. If you try to use thin-skinned red or gold potatoes, you’ll just end up with a pile of mashed potatoes instead of the held-together shells you want.

The bacon is doing more work than you’d think here. Without it, the filling is just cheesy mash, but the smoky grease and crispy bits turn it into something special. I make sure to fry the bacon until it’s very dark and crisp because it softens up once it sits inside the hot potato mixture. If you pull the bacon off the heat too early, those bits lose their crunch and get a bit rubbery after the second round in the oven.

Pioneer Woman Twice Baked Potatoes Recipe Ingredients

For the Potatoes

• 8 large Russet potatoes, scrubbed clean
• 3 tablespoons (45ml) canola oil
• 2 tablespoons (30g) kosher salt

For the Filling

• 1 pound (450g) bacon, chopped
• 2 sticks (225g) salted butter, softened
• 1 cup (240ml) whole milk
• 1 cup (225g) sour cream
• 2 cups (225g) sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 1/2 cup (25g) fresh chives, chopped
• 1 teaspoon (6g) salt
• 1/2 teaspoon (1g) black pepper

How To Make Pioneer Woman Twice Baked Potatoes Recipe

1. Prep the potatoes: Heat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and place the clean potatoes on a large baking sheet. Rub the skins with the oil and sprinkle the kosher salt over the top of each one.

2. Bake the bases: Slide the tray into the oven and bake for about 45 to 60 minutes until the centers are soft. You want the skin to be slightly crisp and the middle to give easily when you give them a gentle squeeze.

3. Fry the bacon: While the spuds are in the oven, cook the chopped bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until it’s very crispy. Use a slotted spoon to move the bits to a paper towel to drain, but keep the grease in the pan if you want to add a spoonful to your mash later.

4. Hollow the skins: Cut each hot potato in half lengthwise and use a spoon to scrape the white fluffy part into a large mixing bowl. Leave a thin layer of potato attached to the skin so the shell doesn’t collapse while you’re working.

Don’t wait for the potatoes to cool down before you start scooping. The flesh is much easier to mash when it’s steaming hot, and it’ll absorb the butter and milk much better than cold chunks would.

5. Mix the filling: Add the softened butter, milk, and sour cream to the bowl with the hot potato guts and mash it all together by hand. Once it’s mostly smooth, stir in the crispy bacon, most of the cheddar cheese, the chives, salt, and pepper.

6. Stuff the shells: Spoon the cheesy mixture back into the hollowed-out potato skins, piling it up high so it looks generous. Place them back onto the baking sheet so they’re sitting upright and close together.

7. Top and finish: Sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese over the top of each potato. Put the tray back in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for another 15 to 20 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and the filling is hot all the way through.

Watching the tops is the best way to tell when they’re ready. You’re looking for the cheese to melt and the very edges of the potato filling to start turning a light golden brown.

Recipe Tips

• Choose Russet potatoes. Their thick skin is the only thing strong enough to stay upright once you remove the middle. Waxy potatoes like Yukon Gold have skins that are too thin and will tear the moment your spoon touches them.
• Grate your own cheese. Pre-shredded bags are coated in potato starch to keep the strands from sticking, which prevents them from melting smoothly. A block of sharp cheddar that you grate yourself will give you a much better stretch and flavor.
• Salt the skins heavily. Most people ignore the outside of the potato, but rubbing them with oil and plenty of salt makes the skin taste like a giant fry. This makes the whole dish edible instead of just being a vessel for the mash.
• Keep the butter soft. Take your butter out of the fridge at least two hours before you start so it’s like room-temperature cream. Cold butter won’t blend into the potatoes quickly, and you’ll end up over-mixing the mash which makes it gummy.
• Use a hand masher. Electric mixers can turn the starch in potatoes into a gluey mess if you aren’t careful. Using a manual masher or even a large fork gives you those little chunks of potato that make the texture feel homemade.
• Adjust the liquid slowly. Different potatoes have different amounts of moisture, so start with half the milk and add more as you go. You want the filling to be thick enough to hold its shape in the shell, not runny like a soup.

What To Serve With Twice Baked Potatoes

A simple grilled steak or some pan-seared chicken breasts are the best partners for these. Since the potatoes are so heavy and rich, you want a main protein that isn’t covered in a thick gravy.

Green beans or a crisp garden salad provide a much-needed break from the creamy cheese. A few spears of roasted asparagus or some steamed broccoli tossed in lemon juice also help balance out the salty bacon.

How To Store Twice Baked Potatoes

• Fridge: Put the cooled potatoes in a container with a tight lid or wrap them tightly in foil. They’ll stay good in the refrigerator for up to four days.
• Reheat: The oven is the only way to keep the skins from getting soggy. Place them on a tray at 350°F (175°C) for about 15 minutes until the middle is hot. A microwave works if you’re in a hurry, but the skin will turn soft and chewy.
• Freeze: These freeze remarkably well if you wrap them individually in plastic wrap and then a layer of foil. You can keep them for three months and bake them straight from frozen, though they’ll need about 45 minutes in the oven.

Pioneer Woman Twice Baked Potatoes Recipe Nutrition Facts

Per serving (1 of 16):

• Calories: 340 kcal
• Protein: 10g
• Fat: 22g
• Carbohydrates: 26g
• Sugar: 2g
• Sodium: 680mg

FAQs

Why did my potato shells fall apart?

You likely scooped too close to the skin or used a potato that wasn’t a Russet. Make sure to leave about an eighth of an inch of potato flesh attached to the skin to provide a solid wall for the filling.

Can I make the Pioneer Woman Twice Baked Potatoes Recipe ahead of time?

Yes, you can prep and stuff the potatoes a full day before you plan to serve them. Just keep them covered in the fridge and add an extra ten minutes to the final baking time to account for the cold start.

Can I use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream?

Yes, plain Greek yogurt is a great swap if you want a bit more tang or a slightly different texture. It behaves exactly like sour cream in the mash, so you won’t need to change any other measurements.

How do I get the skin extra crispy?

Don’t wrap the potatoes in foil during the first bake because that steams the skin instead of crisping it. Baking them directly on the rack or a bare sheet pan allows the dry heat to turn the salted oil into a crunchy crust.

What if I don’t have fresh chives?

You can use the green tops of green onions or even a tablespoon of dried parsley if you’re in a pinch. The onion flavor is a big part of the dish, so even a little onion powder stirred into the mash will help.

Try More Pioneer Woman Recipes:

• Pioneer Woman Scalloped Potatoes Recipe
• Pioneer Woman Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe
• Pioneer Woman Mashed Potatoes Recipe