Twice-baked Mashed Potatoes Recipe

Twice-baked mashed potatoes give you the best of two comfort foods at once: a crisp, sturdy potato skin filled with buttery, cheesy mash and baked again until the top is golden. You bake the potatoes whole so the insides go fluffy, fold the flesh with butter, sour cream, and sharp cheddar, then crisp them back up in the oven, so every one has soft, rich filling inside a crackly shell.

Why you'll love this

• A crisp baked shell wrapped around soft, creamy, cheesy mashed filling
• Loaded with butter, sour cream, and sharp cheddar for real richness
• Largely make-ahead, you can fill the skins and bake them off when you need them
• A crowd-pleasing side that stretches comfortably to serve four to eight

Key ingredients & swaps

• Russet potatoes — the right choice here because their high starch and low moisture bake up fluffy inside while the thick skins crisp and stay sturdy enough to hold the filling; avoid waxy potatoes, which turn dense and can go gluey when mashed
• Butter — richness and flavour stirred into the warm mash, where it melts in smoothly; warm or melted butter blends in more evenly than cold
• Sour cream — adds creaminess and a gentle tang that keeps the filling from tasting flat, and it makes the mash silky without thinning it too much; Greek yogurt works as a swap
• Milk — loosens the mash to a soft, scoopable consistency, so add it a splash at a time, since too much makes the filling loose and hard to pile back in
• Sharp cheddar — the savoury backbone, melting into the filling and browning on top; sharp cheddar carries more flavour, and Gruyere or a Mexican blend also melt beautifully
• Green onions — fresh, mild oniony lift stirred through and scattered on top, cutting the richness so the potatoes do not feel heavy

How to make it (step by step)

1. 

   1

   Bake the potatoes whole

   Scrub the potatoes, prick them all over with a fork so steam can escape, and bake at 375F (190C) until completely fork-tender, about 45 to 60 minutes. A hot oven and dry skin are what give you a crisp shell and fluffy interior.

2. 

   2

   Cool, then scoop

   Let the potatoes cool until you can handle them, then halve them lengthwise and scoop out the flesh into a bowl. Leave a thin border of potato, about a quarter inch, in each skin so the shells stay sturdy and do not collapse.

3. 

   3

   Mash and enrich

   Mash the warm flesh until smooth, then fold in the butter, sour cream, milk, most of the cheddar, the green onions, salt, and pepper. Mix just until combined and creamy, and stop there, because over-mixing turns the starch gluey and gummy.

4. 

   4

   Refill the skins

   Spoon or pipe the filling back into the skins, mounding it generously, and arrange them on a baking sheet. Top with the reserved cheddar and a dusting of paprika for colour.

5. 

   5

   Bake until golden

   Return them to the oven and bake until heated through and the cheese is melted and golden on top, about 15 to 20 minutes. For extra colour, finish under the broiler for a minute or two, watching closely so the tops do not catch.