The BEST Quick And Easy Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes Recipe

These twice baked mashed potatoes have all the flavor of loaded potatoes, but are done in one pan and ready in half the time! The recipe combines buttery and creamy potatoes with bacon, cheddar cheese, sour cream, and more, and each bite is better than the last. So, if you're looking for a tastier alternative to classic mashed potatoes look no further.

The Best Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes

If you love twice baked potatoes you're going to absolutely love this twice baked mashed potatoes recipe.

That's because as good as twice baked potatoes are, they can be a bit of a pain to make. You have to bake the potatoes, scoop them out, mix in all the toppings, then stuff them back in and bake again.

Yeah, it's a lot of work for something that takes just a few bites to finish! And when you're serving a crowd, you're pretty much spending the whole day just working on an appetizer - that's a hard pass for me.

That's why I love this twice baked mashed potatoes recipe so much. Just 5-10 minutes of prep work are all that's required to make it, then the stove and oven take care of the rest from there. Plus, since everything gets baked in one dish clean-up is a breeze too.

Also, for what it's worth, since these mashed potatoes are so delicious and so quick and easy to make they've actually become a staple of our Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. They're always a hit with everyone who tries 'em.

Speaking of Thanksgiving, if you do end up making this recipe for it, I highly recommend serving them with this seafood stuffing, this brown gravy recipe, and this sweet potato cobbler. Those are a few other staples at our house anyway.

Ingredients You'll Need

• Potatoes- Russet potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes.
• Sour cream- for the best creamy texture.
• Butter- I used salted butter,
• Milk- I used whole milk for a richer flavor.
• Shredded cheddar cheese- Gruyere, Swiss, or Monterey Jack also works great.
• Bacon- cooked and crumbled.
• Salt and black pepper- a pinch of each.

By the way, you can use almost all of these same ingredients to make my cheesy mashed potatoes or this twice baked potato casserole. So, if you end up with some extras you can put 'em to good use and make one of those recipes next!

How To Make Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes

As I mentioned a few times already, making these mashed potatoes is incredibly easy! The recipe comes down to following just a handful of steps - peeling the potatoes, cooking the potatoes, mashing the potatoes, mixing in the toppings, and broling everything together.

Honestly, it's so easy to put together I've been having my 2 year-old help me with some of the steps. She thinks it's a ton of fun to help dad and I love the free labor!

Anyway, now let's dive into how to make loaded baked mashed potatoes, shall we?!

Step 1: Prepare The ingredients

Before I begin, I prefer peeling my russet potatoes. With that said, you can definitely leave the skins on if you like your mashed potatoes to have that rustic, homey feel to 'em. Just make sure to give the potatoes a good scrub under running water if you do.

Step 2: Cook the potatoes

Now, place the potatoes in a large pot of salted water and bring everything to a boil. I recommend salting your water because it helps to infuse the potatoes with the salt as they cook.

After it reaches a rolling boil, you can reduce the heat of the burner to low and let the potatoes simmer for about 25 minutes - or until they're fork-tender.

Also, to save yourself a little time, you can shred the cheese, cook and crumble the bacon, and measure out everything else while the potatoes are cooking so they're ready to go.

Step 3: Mash the potatoes

Once the potatoes are cooked, use a colander to drain all the water from the pot. Then, put the potatoes back in the same pot they cooked in and mash them with a potato masher, fork, or immersion blender until they reach your desired consistency.

Step 4: Mix in the toppings

Next, add the sour cream, butter, milk, half of the cheese, bacon, and a little salt and pepper to the pot of mashed potatoes.

Then, give everything a good stir until it all of the toppings combine with them.

Step 5: Broil The twice baked mashed potatoes

So, now you can transfer the potatoes to a greased baking dish and spread them into an even layer.

Next, top the potatoes with the remaining cheddar cheese - or even more cheese if your heart desires.

Then, broil the potatoes in a preheated oven on high for a few minutes until the cheddar cheese topping is melted and bubbly.

Finally, let the twiced baked mashed potatoes cool for a few minutes inside the baking dish before serving. Then, top the mash with whatever you like - such as even more bacon, chopped chives, green onions, or a dollop of sour cream - and enjoy!

How To Store These Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes

As you know, this recipe will make 6 servings of twice baked mashed potatoes. So, if you're serving them for Thanksgiving or a big family dinner, there probably won't be any left.

But, if you do manage to have some left over, these delicious mashed potatoes keep very well - which is why they're fantastic for making ahead.

Honestly, because they store so well, I love having 'em ready and chilling in the fridge overnight - or even a couple of days ahead of time - and then having them ready to go when I need 'em. Plus, knowing these twice baked potatoes are ready to go into the oven takes so much stress out of entertaining if you're making them for an occasion!

Anyway, to store the leftovers, you'll want to first let the potatoes cool completely and then transfer them to an airtight container and refrigerate them for up to 5 days.

Alternatively, you can freeze them for even longer. If you store them in an airtight freezer-safe container, they'll stay good for up to three months.

Reheating Instructions

There are quite a few ways you can reheat the leftovers.

The first is to simply bake them in the oven until warmed through. This is my preferred method because it gives the potatoes a little bit of crispiness on top and heats the whole thing evenly. If you store them in the same baking dish, you can just cover them with foil and bake 'em at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until they're heated through.

Otherwise, if you've got them in an airtight container, just transfer them to an oven-safe dish, cover 'em with foil, and bake.

Another option is to reheat them in the microwave. This is the quickest method, but make sure to watch 'em, or you'll end up with dry mashed potatoes. My recommendation for keeping them from drying out is to microwave them in 1-minute increments until they're heated through. I find that usually, just 2-3 one-minute intervals are enough to get them hot.

By the way, if you're reheating a large batch of mashed potatoes, you can also reheat them in a slow cooker. This is great for keeping them warm during a party or potluck. Just place the potatoes in your crock pot, put the cover on it, and heat 'em on low, stirring 'em occasionally.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are they called twice baked potatoes?

Twice baked potatoes are called "twice baked" because they're, well, baked twice. You start by cooking the potatoes until they're nice and soft. Then, you scoop out the insides, mash them up, and mix in all the delicious toppings. Finally, you bake them a second time until the cheese is melted and bubbly. So, what you end up with is a twice baked potato that's nice and creamy on the inside and crispy on the outside.

Do you put egg in twice baked mashed potatoes?

There's no need to add an egg into twice baked mashed potatoes - atleast not typically and not in this recipe.

The potatoes are already nice and fluffy, and the egg would just make them overly dense. In addition, once the mashed potatoes start cooling down, they will have a more solid texture. That's why we don't need to use eggs as a binder.

Can I make these twice baked mashed potatoes without dairy?

Yes, you can! If you're looking for a dairy-free version, simply substitute the milk and butter for non-dairy alternatives. Try using plain unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk. As for the butter, you can use a vegan butter or even olive oil.

If you don't want to use any cheese, you can leave it out altogether. These twice baked mashed potatoes will still be super creamy and flavorful. However, there are some terrific plant-based cheese options available now that would be great in these creamy mashed potatoes.

Why are my twice baked mashed potatoes falling apart?

There are a few reasons why your twice baked mashed potatoes might be falling apart.

First, make sure you're using starchy potatoes, such as Russets or Yukon. These potatoes have more starch, which helps them hold together better.

Second, don't over-mash the potatoes. Once you start mashing, the potatoes release their starch and start to fall apart. So, just mash them until they're smooth and creamy.

Finally, make sure you're not adding too much liquid to your twice baked mashed potatoes. Drain any excess water after they're done boiling, and also make sure you don't add too much milk, heavy cream, sour cream, or butter to them. Adding too much liquid can be a key reason your twiced baked mashed potatoes are falling apart.

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