Twice-Baked Potatoes with Irish Cheddar
These twice-baked potatoes with Irish Cheddar are filled with half and half, sour cream, Cheddar, and Parmigiano-Reggiano, making them rich, creamy, and completely irresistible.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 large russet potatoes
- 2 teaspoons olive oil, plus more for the pan
- 3/4 cup half-and-half
- 1/2 cup sour cream, plus more for serving
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Irish Cheddar cheese, or your favorite Cheddar
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions, white and green parts (about 2 scallions)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 1 tablespoon thinly sliced scallions or chives
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C) . Adjust the oven rack to the middle position.
- Scrub the 4 large russet potatoes under cold, running water, pat dry, and rub with the 2 teaspoons olive oil. Pierce each potato several times with a fork and arrange on a baking sheet.
- Bake for about 1 hour, until fork-tender. If the potatoes are whoppingly large, they may need a little more time.
- Remove the potatoes from the oven and set aside just until they're cool enough to handle. Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C).
- Cut each potato lengthwise in half, taking care to keep the skins intact. Using a spoon, scoop the flesh from the skins, leaving about 1/4 inch of potato on the inside, and into a large bowl.
- Force the potato flesh through a ricer or the medium disk of a food mill, or mash the potato really well with a potato masher or the back of a spoon.
- Add the 3/4 cup half-and-half, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1 cup of the Cheddar, the 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions, and melted 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, and mix gently. Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
☞ TESTER TIP: If the potatoes are quite large, you may need to add a touch more half-and-half (and a little more cheese wouldn't be a terrible thing).
- Place the empty potato skins on an oiled baking sheet or in a baking dish. Spoon or pipe the potato mixture into the empty potato skin shells. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup Cheddar and the 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
☞ TESTER TIP: At this point, the potatoes can be loosely covered and refrigerated for up to 24 hours.
- Bake the potatoes for 35 to 40 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and the filling is warmed through.
- If desired, top each potato half with sour cream and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon thinly sliced scallions or chives. Serve immediately.
Notes
How To Freeze These Twice-Baked Potatoes
One of our recipe testers, Kim Venglar, always has twice-baked potatoes in my freezer ready to cook. So we asked her advice. After you stuff the spuds but before you bake them a second time, she says, toss the stuffed spuds in a resealable plastic bag and freeze ’em for up to 3 months. You can either defrost the potatoes overnight in the fridge and then bake them at 350°F (176°C) for 45 minutes or so, or you can bake them straight from the freezer at 350°F (176°C) for an hour or so, covering them with foil for the first 45 minutes. Potatoes, pronto! Oh, and be sure to omit the green onions, Kim notes, as “they do really nasty things in the freezer and give the potatoes a funky flavor.” Yikes. We certainly don’t want that! Instead, she says, sprinkle sliced scallions over the potatoes after taking them out of the oven.Nutrition
Serving: 1portion | Calories: 380kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 96mg | Sodium: 407mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g