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Loaded Twice-Baked Potatoes

A crisp-skinned russet shell keeps a generous cheddar, bacon, and sour cream filling light enough to spoon rather than pack.

Golden potato halves are filled with fluffy cheddar mash, crisp bacon, and fresh scallions on a platter.

Twice-baked potatoes are at their best when the shell stays sturdy and the center remains airy. Baking the russets whole first gives the flesh time to soften without adding water, then a gentle mash turns it into a rich but still fluffy filling.

Build a shell that holds

Dry skins bake more evenly, and the first bake should continue until a skewer slides through the center with little resistance. After a short rest, scoop carefully and leave enough potato against each skin to keep the halves stable under their filling.

Keep the mash airy

Butter melts into the hot potato, while sour cream and a little warm milk loosen the mash without making it runny. Fold in the cheddar, crisp bacon, and scallion whites with a light hand; stop before the mixture turns glossy or elastic.

A spoon lifts soft baked potato into a bowl while a thick layer remains inside the russet skin. — The shells are scooped with a sturdy lining before the soft potato is folded with its toppings.

Let the second bake set the top

A loose mound gives the filling room to heat while its edges brown against the shell. The reserved cheese melts over the surface, and the bacon warms without losing all of its crisp texture.

Finish just before serving

Scallion greens add a fresh, mild bite to the buttery potato and smoky bacon. Bring the potatoes to the table while their shells still hold a little crispness and the filling is steaming.

An open potato half reveals fluffy filling beneath melted cheddar, bacon, and scallion greens. — Melted cheddar and crisp bacon crown a fluffy filling inside a browned potato skin.

Loaded Twice-Baked Potatoes

4 generous servings

120 minutes total

Ingredients

• 4 large russet potatoes (12 to 14 oz each)
• 1 tbsp neutral oil
• 2 tsp kosher salt, divided
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup full-fat sour cream
• 2 tbsp whole milk, warmed
• 1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded and divided
• 4 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced with whites and greens separated

Method

Heat the oven
Set a rack in the center of the oven and heat it to 400 F so the potatoes bake evenly and the filled shells can use the same temperature.
Look for: The oven is fully preheated before the potatoes go in.
Prepare the potatoes
Scrub and dry the russet potatoes, prick each several times with a fork, then rub the skins with neutral oil and about 1 tsp of the kosher salt.
Look for: The skins have a light even sheen, and each potato has several fork holes.
Bake until tender
Set the potatoes directly on the oven rack and bake for about 65 minutes, turning once, until a skewer slides easily into the center and the flesh reaches about 205 F.
Look for: The skins feel dry and the center yields easily to a skewer or thermometer probe.
Cool and hollow the shells
Rest the potatoes until safe to handle, about 10 minutes, then halve them lengthwise and scoop the flesh into a bowl, leaving a sturdy 1/4-inch layer inside each skin.
Look for: Each shell holds its shape with no tears, while most of the fluffy interior is in the bowl.
Make a light filling
Mash the hot potato flesh with the butter, sour cream, warmed milk, remaining kosher salt, and black pepper just until fluffy; fold in most of the cheddar, bacon, and scallion whites without beating the mixture smooth.
Look for: The filling is soft and spoonable with small fluffy pieces, not stretchy or gluey.
Fill and top the shells
Arrange the shells cut side up on a rimmed baking sheet, spoon the filling in lightly without packing it down, then scatter over the reserved cheddar and bacon.
Look for: The filling sits in a loose mound and the shells remain intact on the pan.
Bake a second time
Return the pan to the 400 F oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until the cheese melts, the filling is hot through, and the exposed potato edges turn lightly golden.
Look for: The cheese is fully melted, the centers are steaming, and the shell edges have begun to brown.
Finish with scallions
Scatter the sliced scallion greens over the hot potatoes and serve promptly while the shells are crisp and the filling is fluffy.
Look for: The fresh green scallions sit on top of the melted cheese and the potatoes are served hot.