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Twice-Baked Potatoes with Bacon & Soured Cream

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Jazz up your baked jacket potatoes with some crispy smoked bacon and soured cream.

Twice Baked Potatoes with Bacon and Soured Cream

It wasn’t until I went to university that I ever tried a baked potato. Why this simple meal wasn’t part of our childhood diet, I don’t know, but I tell you I fell in love with that humble baked jacket potato when I discovered it at uni. Soured cream and chives were my preferred toppings way back when.

Now, fast forward two (and a half!) decades, and I’m living in Scotland where, (and seriously, why was this not a thing in Canada), I discovered the wonderful world of baked jacket potatoes with hot baked beans and plenty of grated cheddar cheese. My first taste of this would have been at a little corner-cafe called Tatties & Point in Lerwick which used to be open until three in the morning. Those late-night baked potatoes with beans and cheese saved me from many a hangover, I think, after a night out partying in my younger years.

How to Make Twice-Baked Potatoes

Now, baked potatoes with beans and cheese make a regular appearance in our menu plan. The kids love them, and they’re effortless to make.

When I make baked jacket potatoes I sometimes bake twice as many as I need as it seems a waste to have the oven on for that long for four or five potatoes. That way, the following day’s evening meal is already half prepped. I usually slice up the cold potatoes and fry them until crispy around the edges with black mustard seeds, cumin seeds and loads of butter (serve with plain natural yoghurt or soured cream); a jazzed up version of the home fries I used to devour at the long since closed Vi’s Restaurant in Whycocomagh, Nova Scotia.

How to Make Twice-Baked Potatoes

Baked jacket potatoes can be as easy as just washing the potato, poking a few holes in it with the tines of a fork and baking in the centre of the oven for an hour or so, but I like to coat mine with a thin layer of solid vegetable fat first, and sprinkle liberally with sea salt flakes.

I think the fat and the salt gives the skin a gorgeous flavour and texture, so when you’re done eating the filling you can use your fingers to pick up the remaining potato skin and scoff, baked bean juices dripping. Most of the goodness of a baked potato is in the skin anyway, didn’t you know.

How to Make Twice-Baked Potatoes

We did Valentine’s Day this year. My husband, bless his cotton socks, isn’t usually a Valentine’s Day sorta guy, but this year he went all out. He made a homemade New York cheesecake (Nigella Lawson’s recipe, which I ate for breakfast for the three days after Valentine’s Day too!), and he made the most delicious steak (he’s designated steak-cooker in our house as he always does such a fabulous job), and served it with sauteed Tenderstem broccoli and, at my suggestion, some twice-baked potatoes with bacon and soured cream, made with leftover jacket potatoes from the day before.

They were so good that I had to make the recipe again to photograph and share with you.

How to Make Twice-Baked Potatoes

To make these delicious twice-baked potatoes (and I’ve included the recipe ingredients for smallish sized potatoes – scale up depending on what size spuds you’ve got), simply halve your baked potatoes lengthwise, scoop out the filling leaving a 1/4 inch margin around the edge, mix in your crispy bacon, soured cream, a little cheddar and some chopped spring onion (add butter too, if you want), top with more cheddar cheese and bake in the centre of the oven until golden and crispy.

Easy peasy! Serve with extra soured cream and crispy bacon bits on the side.

Twice-Baked Potatoes with Bacon and Soured Cream

Twice-Baked Potatoes with Bacon and Soured Cream

All in all, I think you’ll really like these twice-baked potatoes. I confess, they taste good freshly baked but they’re also not bad cold, straight from the fridge, with a little bowlful of soured cream sprinkled with bacon bits on the side. No fork needed.

MORE RECIPES FOR TWICE-BAKED POTATOES

If this recipe isn’t quite what you’re looking for you could try Rebecca’s Welsh Rarebit Loaded Potatoes with Crispy Leeks, or her Loaded Potato Skins. Kavey has a delicious Cheese & Bacon Stuffed Potatoes recipe while Helen’s blogged a Turkey, Ham & Cheese Stuffed Twice Baked Potatoes recipe.

What toppings do you like on your baked potatoes? Do you twice-bake yours? Let me know in the comments!

Twice Baked Potatoes with Bacon and Soured Cream

Twice-baked Potatoes with Bacon & Soured Cream

Jazz up your baked jacket potatoes with some crispy smoked bacon and soured cream. Perfect with steak and sauteed or steamed greens.
0 from 0 votes
Print Rate
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 224kcal

Ingredients

for the baked potatoes

  • 4 small baking potatoes
  • vegetable fat
  • sea salt

for the twice-baked potatoes

  • 3 rashers smoked thick cut back bacon finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp soured cream plus extra to serve
  • 1 spring onions finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp mature cheddar cheese grated, plus more to top
  • 1 tsp butter
  • sea salt to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 tbsp fresh parsely finely chopped, to garnish

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 200 C/ 180 C fan.
  • Using the tines of a fork, poke holes in the baking potatoes. Rub a thin layer of vegetable fat all over the outside of the potato and spinkle with sea salt on all sides.
  • Bake directly on the rack in centre of the oven for 45-60 minutes, depending on the size of your potatoes. They will feel soft to the touch when you squeeze them.
  • Leave to cool slightly while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
  • Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat and dry fry the bacon for 5-8 minutes until crispy. Drain on paper towel.
  • Halve each cooled baked potato lengthwise and carefully scoop out the insides into a bowl, leaving a 1/4 inch margin next to the skin.
  • Place the emptied potato skins onto a baking tray or casserole dish.
  • Mash the scooped out potatoes and stir in the butter, soured cream, 2/3 of the crispy bacon, 2 tbsp of the grated cheddar and the chopped spring onion. Season well to taste.
  • Spoon the mixture evenly back into the potato skins and top with extra grated cheddar.
  • Bake in the centre of the oven for 25-30 minutes, until heated through and the cheese is golden and bubbly.
  • Serve with extra soured cream and the remaining bacon.

Notes

Food waste prevention tip #1: bake twice as many potatoes as you need one night and save the other half for twice-baked potatoes for the following day.
Food waste prevention tip #2: You can freeze leftover bacon and cook it from frozen. Simply chop off what you need from the frozen bacon and fry. Bacon will keep up for several months in the freezer.
Food waste prevention tip #3: Grated cheddar cheese can be frozen too. Use your frozen cheese in this recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 224kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 710mg | Potassium: 203mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 0.2g | Vitamin A: 11% | Vitamin C: 10% | Calcium: 8% | Iron: 4%
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Twice-Baked Potatoes with Bacon and Soured Cream

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Comments

  11. I definitely want to give these a try. Are jacket potatoes similar to a russet potato? I guess you could use just any baking potato. I had to go back and read about the addition of the bean. I’ve never had potatoes with beans before. I see that it’s just a suggestion…it’s one I would like to try.

    Reply

  12. I’m so making this next week! I love jacket potatoes, but this looks better than your average jacket potato with beans and cheese. I think this would be great to serve for lunch one day

    Reply

  14. Oh this is definitely something I’d choose from a menu. They look and sound delicious and seem fairly easy to make. Definitely saving this for meal planning inspiration

    Reply

  22. When ever I see your recipes, they make me hungry looking at them. So much so I want to try them right now. This recipe also looks very simple and easy to make.

    Thank you. John M.

    Reply

  27. We lurve sour cream on jackets! Mmmmm it’s making us hungry – we’ve never thought to double bake potatoes but it’s such a time saving and energy saving idea! Going to try frying them this week x

    Reply

  28. The food looks gorgeous! I’m not a fan of ingredients: dislike potato and don’t eat bacon so I can’t fully appreciate it but my eye likes it a lot!

    Reply

  30. Twice baked potatoes?> Oh, sounds tasty and delicious. I will absolutely try this kind of recipe. Perfect for a family gathering.

    Reply

  32. I see where I need to come to dinner. This looks like such a delicious meal. I love potatoes. Never thought of twice baking them to come out with that look and I am guessing the texture is great. Yum! Will try making this.

    Reply

  33. We have jacket potatoes every week! They’re so good with just about anything but egg mayonnaise and smoked salmon is one of my favourites. Next time I’ll definitely bake a few extra and give these twice-baked spuds a go – although without the bacon in our kosher, meat-avoiding kitchen! I’m sure they’ll still be delicious with all that sour cream and cheese. Yum.

    Reply

  35. You simple cannot go wrong with a simple recipe that’s packed with all the good flavors! It’s a comfort food that you can’t live without once you’ve tried it. This recipe is perfect!

    Reply

  36. Oh, my goodness!! These baked potatoes look delicious and really tempting. I will sure give this recipe a try.

    Reply

  43. Oh they sound lovely! Real great dinner food option for when the girls come over. I’m excited for a little dinner soirée now!

    Reply

  45. Mmmm, this sounds delicious! I love stuffed potato skins like this, because I love the cheesy topping, especially when it goes a bit crunchy. What you could add to this, to make it super crunchy, is a sprinkle of crushed up cheese and onion crisps on the top, mmmmm! x

    Reply

  47. I love eating potatoes in each form and baked potatoes are my favorite too. Now I will relish potatoes as your recipe with lot of cheese and sauce to savor

    Reply

  50. I love jacket potatoes but surprisingly I have never tried to make them myself. I love their crispy skin and the soft inside, which you can fill with so many different things. Such a simple recipe but so delicious!

    Reply

  51. These look SO good! I love all the ingredients and flavous you have used, I am going to book mark this one and try it in the future. Your post has actually made me hungry!!

    Reply

  52. Thank you for sharing. This recipe looks delicious and I like your tip about baking twice as many potatoes as you need one night and save the other half for twice-baked potatoes the following day. Perfect!

    Reply

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