Twice Baked Potatoes With Sour Cream and Chives

stuffed potatoes
Diana Rattray
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 50 mins
Total: 70 mins
Servings: 6 servings

Potatoes make the greatest side dishes; they're just that versatile. And twice-baked potatoes with yummy sour cream and chives are a tasty alternative to mashed or plain baked potatoes. You make these just the way the name indicates: You cook them so you can scoop out the fluffy insides of the potatoes and then you stuff and bake them again with the potatoes, along with sour cream, a bit of milk, chives, and some salt and pepper.

It might sound like twice-baked potatoes are a lot of work, but they're not. Because it's a multistep process, you can prepare the whole dish a day in advance without too much trouble. You can also do the first part of the process: Bake the potatoes ahead of time, wrap them in foil, and store them in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake them again.

Twice-baked potatoes are very good with roasted or grilled chicken, along with a pork roast or tenderloin and, of course, any kind of beef roast or grilled steak. There are very few dishes they don't go well with.

Ingredients

  • 6 large baking potatoes

  • 4 tablespoons sour cream

  • 3 to 4 tablespoons milk, or half-and-half

  • 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature

  • Salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

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

  3. Pierce the top of the 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 shells intact. If baking the same day, reduce the oven temperature to 375 F before preparing the potato mixture.

  4. In a bowl, combine the potato with the sour cream, 3 tablespoons milk, and the butter and beat until well blended. Add more milk or half-and-half if needed. Beat in salt and pepper, then spoon the mixture into the potato skins. Sprinkle with the chives.

  5. Cover and refrigerate until the next day, or bake at 375 F for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned.

  6. If the potatoes have been refrigerated, preheat the oven to 375 F and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until hot and lightly browned.

Recipe Variations

There are tons of ways to customize twice-baked potatoes:


  • If you don't have sour cream or don't like it, feel free to use plain full-fat yogurt or plain Greek yogurt.
  • Add some bacon or diced ham.
  • Shredded cheddar, Monterey Jack, or Parmesan cheese is delicious, too.
  • Add sliced cooked mushrooms, chopped scallions, or broccoli florets (chopped finely).
  • Include black beans, chili, or salsa—or all three.

Tip

For this recipe, russet potatoes work the best because they have the right starch content and will be fluffy when you bake them. You can, in a pinch, use Yukon Golds, but russets are really the first choice.

How to Store and Freeze

Twice-baked potatoes can not only be made up ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to five days, but they can also be frozen for later use. If put in the fridge, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap, aluminum foil or place them in an airtight container.


To freeze, let the potatoes cool down completely on a baking sheet. Then wrap tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and put in a zip-top freezer bag. If you want to bake them right out of the freezer without thawing, make sure to use plastic wrap to prevent the foil from sticking to the potato. They will keep for up to three months in the freezer. 

To Reheat Twice-Baked Potatoes

  • From freezer: Preheat oven to 425 F. Unwrap potatoes and place in a baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes, or until the potatoes are warm. Uncover and sprinkle with some extra cheese, if desired, and bake for another 15 minutes or until cheese is melted. 
  • From refrigerator: Thaw the potatoes out in the fridge overnight. Preheat the oven to 425 F. Unwrap the potatoes and place them in a baking dish or baking sheet. Sprinkle on some extra cheese. Bake for 15 minutes or until cheese melts.

Why do you prick holes in potatoes before baking them?

It's a good idea to prick holes in potatoes before baking to allow the steam to escape. Poking some holes also helps to keep the potatoes from splitting.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
382 Calories
10g Fat
65g Carbs
9g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 382
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 10g 13%
Saturated Fat 6g 30%
Cholesterol 26mg 9%
Sodium 207mg 9%
Total Carbohydrate 65g 24%
Dietary Fiber 7g 25%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 9g
Vitamin C 25mg 127%
Calcium 80mg 6%
Iron 3mg 18%
Potassium 1681mg 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.)