Vegetarian Twice Baked Potatoes
Fluffy, savory Twice Baked Potatoes make an excellent side dish or appetizer! This cheesy vegetarian recipe is bursting with flavor, thanks to the fillings, and is easy to make in advance for any gathering or meal. Makes 8 twice baked potatoes.
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The BEST Twice Baked Potatoes
There’s always something really satisfying about a potato dish, and this one is no different.
We made these for my birthday to pair with a pan seared steak, and oh my goodness, were they good.
I always thought that twice baked potatoes were fussy. Yes, while they are certainly fussier than an average baked potato, they add a little something extra that I adore.
Why I love this recipe:
This recipe for twice baked potatoes just hits the spot.
The potatoes are creamy. The cheese is melty, and the green onions add awesome oniony flavor without overwhelming the rest of ‘em. And then the sour cream brings everything together with a slight tang.
Here are some things I love about them:
- You can easily double or triple the recipe for a crowd.
- It’s easy to make these in advance so you don’t have to worry about anything except baking them off for your meal.
- They can serve as an appetizer OR a side dish for whatever you’re serving.
- The ingredients are easy to find and simple, so you can tweak them to your liking.
It’s hard not to love a dish like this, and I adore that this recipe is vegetarian and gluten free to include our friends with different diets.
More potato recipes to try: Roasted Potato Salad with Pesto | Hasselback Sweet Potatoes | Homemade Mashed Potatoes | Vegan Potato Leek Soup | Slow Cooker Baked Potato Soup | Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
What you need to make this recipe:
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- Sharp knife and cutting board
- Rimmed sheet pan or a large baking sheet
- Nonstick baking mat or parchment paper
- Cheese grater
- Large bowl
- Cookie scoop or large spoon
- Airtight container for storage
Let’s talk ingredients!
In addition to the tools above, you’re going to need some ingredients to make this recipe, too! Chances are, you might already have some of them in your fridge or pantry. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full measurements and instructions.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Russet potatoes — scrub, wash and clean these well. You want them to be similarly sized so that they will cook in the same amount of time.
- Cheddar cheese — I love a sharp cheddar cheese for a dish like this, but any cheddar is great. Shred it yourself because pre-shredded cheese is coated in a substance that affects the melting.
- Sour cream — I recommend using full fat sour cream for the best flavor.
- Scallions or green onions — you’ll need four of these for the potatoes and extra for serving. Slice them nice and thinly.
- Kosher salt — medium grain kosher salt is my go-to salt. Diamond Crystal is my favorite. You could use a similarly sized sea salt.
- Black pepper — freshly ground is my go-to, but the pre-ground stuff from the store also works.
Customizations and substitutions
Add meat. If you’re not a vegetarian, crispy bacon adds nice flavor here! Add a few cooked and diced slices to the potato mixture before mixing it up and adding back into the potato skins.
Swap out the cheese. If you don’t love cheddar, go with your favorite! I have it on good authority that pepperjack cheese is excellent with this.
Add in more spices. Granulated onion and garlic powder are two of my favorites to add a few shakes of to most dishes. Homemade Creole seasoning also adds a nice kick to these potatoes!
Garnish with chives. These add awesome oniony flavor, so you could add these into the mix or skip the scallions and use these instead.
How to make Twice Baked Potatoes
Here’s how to make this easy and delicious side dish:
Preheat the oven to 425°F. You need this to bake the potatoes, as well as bake the twice baked potatoes.
Line a baking sheet with a nonstick baking mat or parchment paper. Set aside.
Prepare the potatoes. Scrub the potatoes well and place on the prepared sheet pan. Poke each a few times with a knife or fork so that air can escape as they bake.
Bake the potatoes for an hour, or until they’re tender to the touch.
Once out of the oven, let them cool until you can touch them! But leave the oven on.
Slice the potatoes in half with a sharp knife.
Scoop out the insides of the potatoes with a spoon or a cookie scoop into a large bowl.
Pro tip!
Make sure to leave a little bit of the potato on the skin so that they don’t fall apart as you’re stuffing them.
Measure in half of the shredded cheese, the sour cream and scallions on top of the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper.
Use a potato masher or a hand mixer to mash the warm ingredients together until just combined and smooth.
Spoon the mashed potato mixture back into the potato skins. Give it a taste and add more salt and pepper, if desired.
Top with the rest of the shredded cheese.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown.
Let cool slightly before garnishing with extra sour cream and sliced scallions. Enjoy!
How to serve Twice Baked Potatoes
You can serve these potatoes in so many ways!
Appetizer: Serve ‘em on a platter with tongs and a side of homemade ranch dressing. They’re like a fancier, fuller version of the classic potato skins that you’d eat at a tailgate party!
Side dish: Serve alongside your favorite protein.
How to store and freeze
If you’d like, you can put together these twice baked potatoes well in advance. Follow the recipe up to the point where you bake them. Store in an airtight container in the fridge, then bake off when ready.
If you’ve got leftover potatoes, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
You can also freeze this twice baked potato recipe. Follow the recipe to the point where the potatoes are baked. Place them on a sheet pan lined with parchment and freeze until frozen solid. Transfer to a freezer bag or container for up to 3 months.
Defrost in the refrigerator, then bake as instructed. You could also bake the frozen potatoes, though they will take longer.
How to reheat leftover twice-baked potatoes
The best way to reheat these beauties is to line a sheet pan with aluminum foil and to bake them again in the oven or a toaster oven. You could also do this in the air fryer basket for extra crispy skin..
This will ensure that the potato shells won’t be soggy, and the filling can warm through without issue. You can sprinkle extra cheese on the tops of the potatoes before the reheating process for more gooey cheesiness.
You can also reheat in a microwave-safe dish or plate, though the skin will not be as crispy. You might have to heat them through for 2-3 minutes, or until there are no cold spots left in the potatoes.
Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips
Twice baked potatoes are a really elegant side dish to serve for a holiday or even a dinner party.
Here are some ways I’d make them to make it easier on myself when serving to a crowd:
- Double the recipe. It doesn’t take too much work more to bake and stuff additional potatoes, to make sure you’ve got enough for your people.
- Make ‘em early. You can follow the instructions up until the baking point and keep the twice baked potatoes in your fridge or freezer before baking them off.
- Break up the prep time . Bake the potatoes 1-2 days beforehand and scoop them out while warm. Store the potato skins and the potato filling separately in airtight containers. Mix the filling, stuff the potato skins and bake them off right before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Don’t overmix the potato filling bfore stuffing them! Overmixing the potato mixture could cause them to become gummy.
Don’t overscoop the potato skins, or they could fall apart.
Slice it down the middle lengthwise.
A baked potato is, simply put, a potato that has been baked. A twice baked potato gets two bakes – when it is baked the first time, then once it’s stuffed and filled, it’s baked again.
YES! The skin is one of my favorite parts of a twice baked potato. You don’t have to eat it, but it is totally scrumptious.
Quick tips and tricks to making the best Twice Baked Potatoes
- Give yourself enough time. The potatoes have got to be baked through all the way to actually be able to scoop and make the twice baked potatoes!
- Swap out the ingredients. I made these vegetarian to share with friends, but you could easily add cooked bacon to them for some meaty flavor, too, or swap out the cheese to your favorite. You can add some granulated garlic or onion for more flavor, too.
- Save or freeze them for later. You can easily make this recipe early and keep them cool or frozen until it’s time to bake them off. This comes in handy for holidays, dinner parties and more!
More side dish recipes to try:
- Roasted Broccoli with Lemon and Garlic
- Vegan Green Beans with Toasted Pine Nuts
- Broiled Asparagus with Lemon and Parmesan
Twice Baked Potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 russet potatoes similarly sized
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese divided
- ⅓ cup sour cream 90g
- 4 small scallions about ¼ cup chopped, plus more for garnish
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Line a baking sheet with a nonstick baking mat or parchment paper. Set aside.
- Scrub the potatoes well and place on the sheet pan. Poke each a few times with a knife or fork so that air can escape as they bake.
- Bake the potatoes for an hour, or until they’re tender to the touch.
- Let the potatoes cool until you can touch them.
- Cut the potatoes in half with a sharp knife.
- Scoop out the insides of the potatoes with a spoon or a cookie scoop into a large bowl. Be sure to leave a little bit of the potato on the skin so that they don’t fall apart as you’re stuffing them.
- Measure in half of the shredded cheese, the sour cream and scallions on top of the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Use a potato masher or a hand mixer to blend the warm ingredients together until just combined and smooth.
- Spoon the potato mixture back into the potato skins. Give it a taste and add more salt and pepper, if desired.
- Top with the additional shredded cheese.
- Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown.
- Let cool before garnishing with extra sour cream and sliced scallions.
- Enjoy!
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Notes
Nutrition
About the Author:
Erin Parker is a Southern gal living in Texas with her husband and two daughters. She started The Speckled Palate to share what she was cooking as a newlywed… and over the years, it’s evolved to capture her love for hosting. Specifically, the EASIEST, lowest key entertaining because everyone deserves to see their people and connect over good food. Learn more about her…
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