Twice Baked Potatoes

Twice Baked Potatoes Recipe – A step by step tutorial

Twice baked potatoes are definitely worth the extra effort. This is a potato recipe that you can easily change up with different flavors and toppings so after you get the basics down, get creative.  Food should not only be good, it should be fun! Here in Aroostook County, Maine, potatoes are big business and a way of life. We have enormous commercial potato farms so the availability of the “spud” is plentiful to say the least.  Over the years of living here I have developed a ton of potato recipes.  But these twice baked potatoes are my family’s favorite.

 

Twice Baked Potatoes Ingredients

What are the best potatoes to use for this recipe?

Everybody has their favorite potatoes but for Twice Baked potatoes I prefer russet potatoes. The russet variety have a nice shape and size to work with. They also have a higher moisture content than other types of potatoes so when baked they tend to get more fluffy and airy. These potatoes have a great consistency to make it easy to add our flavor enhancing ingredients. To learn more about the potatoes grown here in my beloved state of Maine visit All About Potatoes.

The ingredients:

•4 large baking potatoes (russets work the best)

•1 cup sour cream

•1/2 cup milk

•4 tablespoons butter

•1/2 teaspoon salt

•1/2 teaspoon pepper

•1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, split in half

•3 cloves of garlic

Olive oil

How to Make Twice Baked Potatoes Step by Step

Wash and dry your potatoes with paper towel.  Rub each potato with olive oil and then sprinkle with kosher salt and paper.

In a foil lined roasting pan, bake the russet potatoes in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour.

Peel the 3 cloves of garlic and wrap them with olive oil in a foil pouch.

Place in oven with potatoes. Let the garlic roast for about 20 minutes and remove.

Let the garlic cool while potatoes continue cooking.

When the baked potatoes are done let them cool for 20 minutes so they can be handled.  Cutting lengthwise, slice off the top third of the potato and set aside.

With a sharp spoon hollow out the baked potato, leaving a quarter inch shell. Do the same to the top third of the potato and add that pulp to that from the main body in a medium sized mixing bowl.  The skin from the top third can be kept and used for potato skin appetizers at another meal.

Mash the potato pulp. I prefer mashing by hand with a masher as I like the filling to have more texture but if you prefer a smoother texture you can do the mashing and mixing in a stand mixer or with a hand held mixer. With the finer, smoother texture you can easily pipe this using a pastry bag to make a fancier presentation.

Finely mince the roasted garlic cloves and put in a small microwavable bowl with butter. Melt butter in microwave on medium so as not to burn garlic.

Add melted butter, roasted garlic, sour cream, milk, grated cheese, salt, and pepper to the baked potato pulp and mix well.

Spoon the mixture back into the hollowed potato shells and sprinkle remaining cheese on the top.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes to heat through and combine flavors.

Voila ( a little French Chef flair there…lol) Twice Baked Poatoes……YUMMY!!!!!!!!!!!

If you are watching your fat content, you can substitute skim milk, low fat margarine, low fat sour cream and low fat cheese.

Try these potatoes!  They aren’t that difficult just a little time consuming but oh so worth the effort!

Let me know if you enjoyed them! Talk to you soon!

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Other Wilderness Wife potato recipes –

Easy Microwave Herbed Potatoes

Scalloped Potatoes