Twice-Baked Potatoes | Recipe
Perfectly creamy twice-baked potatoes served two ways: Havarti Dill and Classic Cheddar and Bacon.
It was your average old Thursday night. The husband and I were casually discussing our weekend dinner plans. Our world, specifically our social world, indeed revolves around food. Yes, it’s a beautiful life. Steaks, as per the usual weekend, were undoubtedly on the menu. “Why?” you may ask. Well, it’s because we have an entire freezer in our garage basically dedicated to beef and nothing else. At this point you are probably raising the question “why?” once again. And, here is a perfectly logical explanation for you: (1) I am married to a man, (2) I am married to a man from Texas and (3) I am married to a man from Texas who drives over yonder to a Wagyu beef ranch and purchases pretty much an entire cow MULTIPLE times a year. Yes. I said multiple. Therefore, we grill steaks a lot. My husband is always in charge of the grill, and I take over on the indoor stuff. Man, how domesticated are we? I typically rotate between creamed spinach, roasted potatoes, asparagus and maybe a baked potato every now and again, but this time we had company coming. Let’s face it: we all want to wow our company. I, no different than any other, wanted this to be a memorable meal for our friends.
So there we were, husband and I, mulling over which side dish would be best served amongst our guests. All of the sudden, on went the light bulb: twice-baked potatoes. There is not a single vegetable that is better suited for a sizzling, hot-off-the-grill steak than a potato, so this route naturally made sense. What sets the twice-baked potato apart is not only does it make for a pretty little presentation and not only is it completely and entirely delicious, but it is a make-ahead dish. Sold. Us hostesses are always scrounging up every last minute we can get before company walks through our door. It’s like some cruel unwritten rule of entertaining. The more that can be done in advance, the better.
I have two versions ready to rock for you: the Classic and the Havarti-Dill. Now, while I know the classic is indeed a classic for good reason, I just couldn’t resist putting a TAK twist on the twice-baked potato. I exchanged ingredients like Cheddar, chives and sour cream with Havarti, dill and crème fraiche. Let me just tell you: I am a sucker for bacon. Love it. Like, LOOOOOVE it. But, I don’t miss a thing when it comes to the Havarti-Dill version. It is so worth a try if you are feeling even slightly adventurous. It is the perfect combination of flavors, and I think it very unlikely you have ever had a potato this creamy. This stuffy ol’ gal would even be great served with fish or seafood, for she is a potato with many fair suitors.
Whichever version you choose to make for your loved ones and friends, I can guarantee you will be greatly revered for serving this side. Hey, they might even offer to do your dishes, which, let’s be honest, is really all that matters anyway.
Twice-Baked Potato Base Recipe:
6 Medium-Sized Potatoes, rinsed and scrubbed
2 tbsp Canola Oil
2 tablespoons Kosher salt, separated
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 ½ c Unsalted Butter, room temperature
2/3 c Heavy Whipping Cream
1 ½ tsp Black Pepper
Preheat oven to 400°
Drizzle oil over potatoes, sprinkle with one tablespoon of kosher salt and rub in evenly on all sides. Place on a heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet, spacing evenly apart. Bake for thirty minutes, turn over potatoes and bake for an additional thirty minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for at least 15 minutes.
Using a sharp, serrated knife, cut potatoes in half horizontally and scoop out the flesh with either a melon-baller or a spoon. Take care not to break the skin and leave about an 1/8” rim of flesh around the potato. Place the filling in a medium-sized mixing bowl, add remaining tablespoon of Kosher salt, along with other remaining ingredients and mix with a handheld mixer on medium-low speed until most of the lumps are gone.
Classic Filling:
6 Slices Thick-Cut Bacon, diced and pan-fried until crispy
1 ½ c Cheddar, freshly grated
1 c Sour Cream
¼ c Fresh Chives, minced
Reduce oven temperature to 350°
Add two-thirds of crispy bacon, half of the cheddar, the sour cream and chives to the potato mixture. Stir until evenly incorporated. Gently scoop the filling back into the potatos with either a cookie scoop or a spoon, and place on a rimmed baking sheet leaving at least one inch between each potato. You may need an additional baking sheet for proper spacing. Top with remaining cheese and sprinkle with left over bacon. Place them in the oven and bake for twenty minutes, rotating the baking sheets at ten minutes. Alternatively, cover them with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to twenty-four hours until ready to bake.* Allow to cool, serve and enjoy.
Havarti-Dill Filling:
2 c Havarti, freshly grated
1 c Crème Fraiche
¼ c Fresh Dill, minced (reserve twelve small fronds for garnish)
Add half of the havarti cheese, the crème fraiche and half of the dill to the potato mixture and stir until evenly incorporated. Gently scoop filling back into potato halves with either a cookie scoop or a spoon, and place on a rimmed baking sheet leaving at least one inch between each potato. You may need an additional baking sheet for proper spacing. Top with remaining cheese and sprinkle with left over dill. Place them in the oven and bake for twenty minutes, rotating the baking sheets at ten minutes. Alternatively, cover them with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to twenty-four hours until ready to bake.* Garnish each potato with a dill frond. Allow to cool, serve and enjoy.
*You may need additional bake time if potatoes were made in advance.
Would pair well with:
