Make-Ahead Baked Stuffed Potatoes

Make-Ahead Stuffed Baked Potatoes

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Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Total: 60 mins
Servings: 6 servings

If you crave potato skins and mashed potatoes, this recipe is for you because you get both in one dish. This potato side dish is ideal to make ahead so it’s ideal for Thanksgiving, a special family dinner during fall or winter, or when cooking for a potato-loving Dad on Father’s Day. 

Whole potatoes are baked in the oven until tender, then hollowed out until only the walls remain. The insides become your mashed potatoes for the stuffing. 

To make this ahead, break up the recipe over two days. The day before, roast, mash, and stuff your potatoes, then refrigerate them. Store them in an airtight container so they don’t dry out. When you are ready to serve the next day, just transfer the potatoes to a baking dish and pop them in the hot oven for about 30 minutes. Of course, you don’t have to wait until the next day, you can bake the stuffed potatoes right away. 

This recipe calls for russet potatoes, which are the best choice for making twice-baked potatoes. Russet potatoes are large—one potato makes a single serving size—with sturdy dark brown skins that won’t tear easily when you hollow them out and stuff them. 

Russet potatoes have few eyes, another plus for a recipe like this where you eat the skins. The flesh of russet potatoes is mealy, just what you need for perfect mashed potatoes. 

When you buy potatoes for this dish, make sure you are getting russet potatoes, one of several varieties of potatoes grown in Idaho. If the potatoes are labeled only as Idaho potatoes, you might be buying a different variety that does not work as well in this dish.

 

Ingredients

  • 6 large russet potatoes

  • 6 to 8 tablespoons milk

  • 4 tablespoons melted butter

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, for garnish, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Scrub potatoes; pat dry. Preheat oven to 425 F.

  3. Pierce top of potatoes with a fork. Bake for about 50 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Remove a thin slice from the top of each potato and scoop out most of the potato into a bowl, leaving the skin intact.

  4. With an electric mixer on low speed, beat the potato with 5 tablespoons of the milk, along with the butter, salt, and pepper. Add a little more milk, as needed.

  5. Spoon potato mixture into the potato skins; sprinkle each with Parmesan cheese. Arrange the stuffed potatoes in a single layer in a baking dish; cover and refrigerate for up to one day.

  6. Preheat oven to 375 F. Bake potatoes for 20 to 30 minutes, or until potatoes are hot and tops are lightly browned. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley, if desired.

  7. Enjoy.

Tips

As simple as this recipe is, there are a few important details to follow that ensure your twice-baked potatoes will be a success. 

  • The reason for poking each potato in several places with the tines of a fork is to prevent them from exploding in the oven. 
  • To scoop out the insides, a small spoon, a grapefruit spoon, or a melon baller works well. 
  • Using a handheld mixer instead of a potato masher makes the potatoes extra fluffy—just like when whipping cream, the mixer incorporates air into the food. But don’t overdo the mixing, otherwise the potatoes will turn gummy. It is crucial to mix the potatoes while they are still warm; cold potatoes will also become gummy. 


Nutrition Facts (per serving)
387 Calories
10g Fat
66g Carbs
10g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 387
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 10g 12%
Saturated Fat 6g 29%
Cholesterol 26mg 9%
Sodium 540mg 23%
Total Carbohydrate 66g 24%
Dietary Fiber 7g 25%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 10g
Vitamin C 25mg 124%
Calcium 118mg 9%
Iron 3mg 18%
Potassium 1689mg 36%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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