Loaded Twice Baked Potatoes (Freezer Friendly)

These freezer-friendly loaded twice baked potatoes include crispy potato skins overflowing with creamy mashed potato, crumbly bacon bits, and lots of melted cheese.

Today’s recipe about how to make loaded twice baked potatoes is quick and easy to throw together and serves as a wonderful side dish or main entree.

Back when we had people over for dinner on a regular basis, this was a go-to dish for me that I served just about every time. It was a great way to round out the meal without taking any additional prep time and they always got rave reviews.

I’m going to show you the ingredients I use, which are crispy bacon, melted cheese, sour cream for extra creaminess, and green onion. But the best-stuffed potatoes are the ones made to your individual tastes. I’ve seen folks add milk, tomatoes, leftover chicken or bbq (yum!), mayonnaise, ricotta cheese, fresh or dried herbs, etc. The sky is the limit here.

Oh, and did I mention the fun thing about these potatoes is that you can make a batch ahead of time and freeze them to use in a jiffy at a later date? Reheating may then be done either in the oven or microwave, so this is a win-win either way you look at it.

Now, how bout some loaded ‘taters?

Recipe Ingredients

• Potatoes
• Butter
• Cooked and chopped turkey bacon
• Green onions
• Shredded cheddar cheese
• Sour cream
• Salt and pepper

How to Make Loaded Twice Baked Potatoes

Bake your medium potatoes and cut them in half lengthwise like this.

I bake my potatoes by starting them in the microwave for about five minutes, then transferring them to a 450-degree oven for about an hour. Sometimes I rub them down with a little cooking oil and sprinkle some coarse sea salt on them before baking as my great-grandmother did. MMM-MM good!

Scoop out the pulp but leave enough that the potato skin still has a bit of shape to it.

To your pulp, add butter, sour cream, salt, and pepper.

Mash up well with a potato masher or just a fork.

Add in cheese and mash that, too.

Add all other toppings.

Stir your potato mixture up well.

And resist the urge to eat the entire bowl as is.

Spoon the mashed potato filling into each potato shell.

Line these beautiful loaded potatoes up on a baking sheet and place this in the freezer, uncovered, for about an hour.

This is called flash freezing and it keeps them from sticking together. 

After they are frozen, remove them from the sheet and put them in a zipper seal bag.

Return to the freezer until you need them. 

Ready to prepare your main dish or side?

When you are ready to make your loaded twice baked potatoes, take as many as you need out of the freezer and sprinkle with cheddar cheese to bake.

You don’t have to use extra cheese unless you are a cheese lover like me! 

YUM! I like to keep these in the freezer and reheat just one or two for a quick lunch but as I said, they are a great side dish to have on hand for any meal.

Enjoy! 

Storage

The freezer directions are above, but you can reheat the thawed potatoes in the microwave, oven, or air fryer. They’ll also last in the fridge for up to 4 days when stored in an airtight container.

Recipe Notes

• Here are some loaded potato variations:
  • Cream cheese and chives: substitute the sour cream and cheddar cheese for 1.5 cups of cream cheese and use 1/4 cup of chopped fresh chives instead of the chopped green onion. You could also do this with blue cheese and chives.
  • Substitute the bacon for sauteed mushrooms.
  • Beef and broccoli: substitute the bacon for 8 ounces of cooked lean ground beef and 1 cup of finely chopped broccoli florets.
• Use any kind of shredded cheese you like, such as pepper jack cheese, colby jack cheese, or gruyere cheese.

Recipe FAQs

Why did my loaded potatoes fall apart?

The main reason loaded potatoes fall apart is because you scooped out too much of the flesh. Leaving at least a quarter-inch of flesh will help the potato skin retain its shape.

What are the best potatoes for twice baked potatoes?

I strongly recommend using russet potatoes for this loaded twice baked potatoes recipe. They have more starch than say Yukon gold potatoes, which wouldn’t work.

What do you serve with loaded twice baked potatoes?

If you’re serving your potatoes as a side dish, they work great with a simple main dish. This might be roasted chicken, fried chicken, pork chops, meatloaf, or pulled pork. Add some greens like fresh green beans or collard greens and you have a complete (not to mention utterly delicious) main meal.

You may also like these potato recipes:

Greek Potatoes With A Twist

Rotisserie-Style Crock Pot Chicken and Potatoes

Freezer Mashed Potatoes

Scalloped Potatoes

Sweet Potato Skins With Candied Bacon and a Spicy Basil Cream Sauce

Loaded Sweet Potatoes With Marshmallows

 

I will prepare and someday my chance will come.

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