Easy twice baked potatoes made with a fast microwave baked potato method, then stuffed, topped, and baked in the oven for a fluffy, crispy finish. A simple shortcut potato recipe perfect for busy weeknights.

Twice Baked Potatoes (Easy Fast Microwave and Oven Method)

Name: Twice Baked Potatoes (Easy Fast Microwave and Oven Method)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 4 large russet potatoes; 1 stick butter (softened); 8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese (divided); 6 slices bacon (cooked crisp or 1 pouch pre-cooked bacon bits); 6 green onions (diced); 3/4 cup sour cream; 1/2 cup milk; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Everyone has dishes whose separate components together make up the perfect meal and you are just simply not allowed to make one part of the meal without always serving up the other part of the meal with it. In our house, that particular rule applies to my hubbys favorite steak dinner.

My Oven Grilled Pan Seared Steak always gets served up with these Quick Twice Baked Potatoes and a side of cheesy broccoli pasta. Don’t judge, the broccoli makes it healthy. … Right? No steak? No Quick Twice Baked Potatoes …. no Quick Twice Baked Potatoes? .. I had better be serving up chicken because the two just have to go hand in hand together and one cannot be served without the other. House rules!

What are twice baked potatoes?

Simply put, twice baked potatoes are baked potatoes that have the potato inside scooped out and added to yummy things like cheese, bacon and green onions and then that filling is mixed all together and then put back into the crispy potato skin and baked with EVEN MORE cheese, bacon and green onion. YUM!!!

For a crispy side dish option, these roasted potatoes are another easy way to round out a weeknight meal.

How to Make Baked Potatoes Fast (Microwave Method)

To make baked potatoes fast, the microwave method is the quickest way to get soft, fluffy potatoes without waiting for a long oven bake time. Start by washing and piercing the potatoes with a fork, then microwave them on high in 3–5 minute intervals, turning as needed, until they are tender all the way through. This shortcut method is perfect when you want baked potatoes quickly and still plan to finish them in the oven for twice baked potatoes.

CAN YOU FREEZE TWICE BAKED POTATOES?

Oh heck yeah, you can!!! Simply follow the instructions below but stop before cooking them. Instead move the pan to your freezer and freeze the Quick Twice Baked Potatoes for 2 – 3 hours or until completely frozen. Move them to a zip top bag and store in your freezer up to 3 months.

To reheat in the oven, place on a pan and cover with foil. Cook in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes before removing the foil and then cooking for another 15 minutes.

If you want them quicker than an hour, start them off by cooking the Quick Twice Baked Potatoes in the microwave on high for 10 minutes and then moving them to the 350 degree oven to finish for 15 – 20 minutes. You could also simply reheat them in the microwave but they will not be as crispy as if you had heated them in the oven.

HOW TO MAKE FAST TWICE BAKED POTATO

Looking for a quick way to make baked potatoes, this is it! To make these fast double baked potatoes, pre-heat oven to 425 degrees and line a baking pan with foil or parchment paper. Wash and pat the potatoes dry. Take paper towels and gently run them under running water. Squeeze out any excess water and wrap each potato in a damp paper towel.

Move the wrapped potatoes to a microwave safe dish and heat on high for 3-5 minutes. Turn the potato over and heat on high for another 5 minutes. If your potatoes are a bit large, you may need to one more pass of 5 minutes. Once they are cooked, you should be able to insert a knife easily into your potato.

Once potatoes are cool enough to handle, slice potatoes in half lengthwise and run a knife along the outside of the inside of the potato, careful not to puncture or slice the potato skin. Using a spoon, gently scoop out the potato insides into a large mixing bowl.

Do not take the spoon all the way to the skin, leave a bit of potato around the edge to give the potato skin structure.

To the mixing bowl and potato, add the butter, most of the shredded cheese, most of the bacon, sour cream, milk, salt and pepper and most of the green onion.

Using an electric mixer or hand masher, blend until the potatoes are the consistantcy you enjoy (chunky vs smooth).

Spoon filling back into the potato boats and sprinkle with the reserved shredded cheese, bacon and green onion.

Line up the potatoes on the prepared baking sheet and bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.

PS .. if you have a lot of filling left over (I usually do!) check out my recipe for Cheesy Twice Baked Potato Casserole!

These twice baked potatoes also fit right in with loaded potato recipes that are perfect for holidays or gatherings.

Enjoy!

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