Twice Baked Potatoes - You can’t eat just one
The twice baked potato - everyone seems to want this every holiday. Christmas or Thanksgiving, or for any type of get-together the twice baked potato is perfect. We’re taking it this Saturday as a “dish to pass” - and I guarantee that we won’t come home with any.
I can remember over the years only a few people that have not had a twice baked potato (at our dinner), and every single one simply demanded the recipe. Honestly, once you make them you will never need a recipe again - they are that simple. They are slightly time consuming, but well worth it for feeding many people or when taking food as a side dish, dish to pass, for a holiday office party, or even to Mom’s or Grandma’s house!
What you will need:
- A Bag of Potatoes - large Russet variety work best
- Some butter
- Some Milk
- Salt and Pepper
- Some Cheese
- Spices to taste
Ok - you’ll note that I was pretty vague about the ingredients. That’s because this recipe can be made 100 different ways. You will develop your best way over time. First - you want big potatoes, as big as your hand if you can get them. A 20 lb bag of Idaho Russet’s is usually what we get. We usually make about 2 large baking trays of twice baked potatoes, which is about 15-20 potatoes I think. This is what you do - take your first baking tray and as you wash your potatoes place them on the tray one by one until it’s full. When it is - you have enough, because you will cut each in half - so you’ll have enough for 2 trays. Once your tray is full stick each potato with a fork once or twice and place the entire tray in the oven on 475 until done - about 70-90 minutes is normal depending on size and how many you cook. You want the potatoes to be soft enough that you can smush them a but while wearing an oven mitt. If they start to wrinkle or become very, very soft you have cooked them way to long. You could accelerate the cooking time by wrapping the potatoes in tin foil - but this is tedious and the skins don’t get as crispy at times. When the potatoes are done - take them out and let them cool for 10 minutes or so while you get out your other ingredients.
About the other ingredients - what you use it up to you. For instance, we use margarine and fat free milk. You and I both know that whole milk and real butter would taste best - but you’re going to pay the price fat and calorie wise. Use the milk and butter that suits you best. Same with the cheese - I have made twice baked potatoes in many different versions from Southwest, to Italian, and even veggie. But I’ll give you the “authentic” version first.
Get out your other baking sheet, but each potato in half (use an oven mitt in one hand, the potatoes will still be very hot), and place the new half on the new baking sheet. Cut all the potatoes until both sheets are full. Now take a large metal tablespoon and begin to scoop out the insides of the potatoes into a large mixing bowl. Scoop out all but about the last 1/8″ on each potato. If you begin to break the skin of the potatoes or rip them - you are digging out too much.
Once you get all the potatoes hollowed out, it’s very simple - we’re going to make mashed potatoes here. Add some butter (what you like, we usually do about a cup to cup and a half for two trays), and then your milk (start with a cup). Everyone seems to make mashed potatoes differently, but we like to use a mixer on high and really whip them up. Once you get the butter and milk mixed in salt and pepper, and mix a little more. If they are dry, of course add a little more butter and milk until you get the fluffy consistency you like. DO NOT add so much butter and milk that your potatoes become a soup! Also - one twist on this that I’ve seen a lot of people do is to add one container of cream cheese to this mixture (like an 8oz package), and that is actually very good, but we don’t do it all the time. Also - you can add any seasonings that you like. This is the point where you would add some minced garlic, garlic powder, Italian seasonings, etc. It’s also where you could take it from traditional twice baked potatoes to Southwest (taco seasonings), or Italian (add garlic and parmesan cheese), or even veggie (add some finely chopped cooked broccoli). The traditional version is just whipped mashed potatoes.
Now, carefully spoon the potatoes back into the shells. While you do this, turn your oven down to 375. Don’t add much over the top of each potato skin or you won’t have enough to fill all the shells. It’s better to under do it than have to go back and scrape some off of every shell at the end. When they are all full it’s time to top them with shredded cheese. Again the type of cheese is up to you, but the traditional way to do it (for us) is about a pound of Colby Cheese shredded for the two trays. Co-jack or Cheddar cheeses can be just as good. And again the variations for Italian or Mexican should be obvious. When you add the shredded cheese to the potatoes, try not to get too much on the baking sheet or it will burn on it.
Side both baking trays back into the oven and bake about 15 minutes or until the cheese is very bubbly and starting to brown. There you have it - perfect twice baked potatoes! This recipe should easily feed 10-12 people, and that’s if you count on each person eating 2-3 each! Do you have a variation on twice baked potatoes you’d like to share? Comment now!!
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I love your food writing so much that I linked your blog to my post on Twice Baked Potatoes. Thanks for your detailed explainations and descriptive writing!
GBerry