Recipe Background
Loaded Twice Baked Potato Bites are snowy-day-ready comfort food, made with cheesy, bacon-topped goodness.
The first time I decided to whip up these Loaded Twice Baked Potato Bites was during a massive snow day. Having just moved to a small town from the bustling city, I was utterly enchanted by the heavy snowfall, yet completely unprepared for being snowed in. My pantry was stocked mostly due to luck, with essentials like baby potatoes and a few indulgences like bacon bits and cheddar cheese that I’d forgotten to take out of the grocery bag the day before. The trick of letting the potatoes cool just enough to handle came from years of impatience and a few minor kitchen burns.
Wrapped in a thick blanket, my partner and I huddled in the kitchen that evening, grateful for the aroma of roasted potatoes warming the room. I remember feeling a bit like a pioneer, improvising with the cream cheese I usually reserve for morning bagels. A sharp knife worked wonders in coring the tiny potatoes, and the melon baller made the process unexpectedly satisfying. We laughed at what quarantine homemakers we'd become — enjoying these cheesy, bacon-flecked morsels as the snow piled up outside. I learned quickly that mixing seasoned salt into the potato flesh infused the right kind of kick, making those crispy skins sing.
To this day, twice-baked potatoes remind me of that snowed-in adventure, making them a go-to comfort food during blustery weather. As we savored each bite, I found that sprinkling chives on top added a fresh, vibrant note that cut through the richness beautifully. These little bites brought us warmth, nourishment, and a moment of fun in the midst of the storm.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds baby potatoes rinsed and drained well
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup cheddar cheese shredded, divided
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sour cream divided
- 2 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons bacon bits divided
- 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
- fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon fresh chives minced
- jalapeños optional, to taste, sliced, for topping
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Place the potatoes on a baking sheet.
- Drizzle the potatoes with the olive oil and sprinkle them with the salt.
- Roast until the potatoes are through to the center when pierced with a sharp knife, about 25-30 minutes.
- Remove the potatoes from the oven and allow them to sit until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes.
- Slice the tops off the potatoes.
- Use the tip of a sharp knife to outline the area you will scoop out of the potato, leaving a small rim on the inside of the skin so the potato skins will hold their shape.
- Use a melon baller or spoon to scoop out and transfer the potato flesh to a large mixing bowl.
- Add 1/2 cup of the shredded cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup of the sour cream, the cream cheese, 1/4 cup of the bacon bits, the seasoned salt, and the pepper to the potato interiors.
- Using an electric mixer, combine the potato interior mixture until creamy.
- Spoon the mixture back into the potato skins, mounding them slightly.
- Place the potatoes back on the baking sheet.
- Sprinkle the potatoes with the remaining shredded cheese.
- Bake until the potatoes are warmed through and the cheese has melted, about 5-7 minutes.
- Garnish each potato with a small dollop of the remaining sour cream, a sprinkling of the remaining bacon bits, the chives, and the jalapeños.
- Serve!
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