Here is a delicious side dish that freezes well. These twice-baked potatoes can be grilled, baked, or even microwaved if you’re really in a hurry.
To get started simply fire up your oven, wash an entire bag of giant (baker) potatoes, russets work well for this.
Bake them for 50-60 minutes at 375F. (Or until they are soft when you pierce them with a fork). If you’d prefer, you can cook the potatoes in the microwave instead, most microwaves have a “potato” button these days.
Take them out, let them cool down a bit, then halve them lengthwise. Using a spoon, scoop out the insides, leaving a 1/4″ thick “wall” on the inside of your potato skin.
Once you’ve scooped out the insides of all your potatoes, mash them with a bit of butter and season with salt and pepper. Add a couple of handfuls of shredded cheddar cheese, if desired.
Line up the empty skins on a large cookie sheet and add about 1- 2 Tablespoons of your favorite fillings to each skin.
Now, carefully fill each skin with the seasoned mashed potatoes.
In this photo, I’ve added chopped scallions to our mashed potatoes, but you can add whatever you like based on your family’s taste buds. Season with salt & pepper.
When you’re ready to reheat them in the oven or grill, add additional toppings as desired.
Some ideas in Varying Combinations:
- Cheeses (various kinds- Mozzarella, Swiss, Provolone, Sharp Cheddar, etc) shredded or chopped fine
- Scallions – chopped
- Bacon, Cooked & Crumbled
- Jalapenos, sliced
- Chives, Freshly Chopped
- fresh garlic, minced
Wrap each one in saran wrap and place in a Ziploc bag. If you want to vacuum seal them, I recommend freezing them on the cookie sheet for several hours first.
When you’re making dinner and need a super easy side dish, simply toss them in the oven (yes, Frozen!) at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Or, if you’re grilling out or camping, wrap them in tin foil and place on the grill over indirect heat for 15-20 minutes.
For a light meal, serve one twice-baked potato with a side salad. For a delicious breakfast, lightly scoop out the center and crack a raw egg into the shallow hole. Bake the same amount of time for hash brown egg tater!
