I love twice baked potatoes all ways, but I am posting recipes for two of my favorite versions. The casserole is great for pot lucks, tailgating, and casual parties. The mini twice-baked potatoes are a great appetizer, look fancy, but have that comfort food factor, and… are mini. As some of my readers know, I live for mini. Unfortunately, there is no way around baking the potatoes twice, so both recipes require time. It is worth the wait, though!
Twice-Baked Potato Casserole
Ingredients
- 8 medium-size baking potatoes (~4 lbs), baked and cooled
- 2 c. (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 1 (16-oz.) container sour cream
- 1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
- ½ c. milk
- ½ c. butter, melted
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 T. chopped fresh chives
- 1 ½ t. salt
- ½ t. pepper
- 6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
Directions
- Scoop pulp out of potatoes into a large bowl and coarsely mash with a potato masher (discard the empty skins). Stir in 1 cup cheddar cheese, sour cream, and the next 7 ingredients. Spoon into a lightly greased 13×9-in. baking dish.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese and bacon. Can garnish with additional chives too if desired.
Twice-Baked New Potatoes
Ingredients
- 12 new potatoes, scrubbed clean
- 2 T. olive oil
- 4 oz. sour cream, softened
- 1/2 c. sour cream
- 1 1/2 c. grated Monterey Jack cheese or white cheddar
- 1 T. minced chives
- 1 garlic clove, finely minced
- 6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Drizzle the potatoes with the olive oil and toss to coat. Roast the potatoes for 20 to 25 minutes until tender, and the skin is slightly crisp. If your new potatoes are on the large size, you will need longer roasting time.
- Remove potatoes from the oven and let cool slightly. Halve the potatoes. Use a small scoop (I like my little gelato scooper) and remove the insides leaving a little margin of potato. Put the scooped out part of the potato in a mixing bowl.
- Add cream cheese, sour cream, grated cheese, chives, garlic, salt, and pepper to the potato pulp. Mash until the potato mixture is smooth. Taste and add salt as needed.
- Scoop potato mixture back into the shell (gelato scooper works well for this too). Sprinkle bacon bits on top. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown on top.
