Loaded Stuffed Baked Potatoes (Bacon & Cheese)

Donya’s Best Tips for Stuffed Baked Potatoes

Bake them, don’t microwave them. A slow bake in the oven gives you that fluffy, dry interior that holds up when you mix and restuff it. Microwaving leaves the inside too wet and dense.

Pick potatoes close in size. When your russets are roughly the same size, they finish baking at the same time, so you’re not left with one potato that’s underdone while the others are cooling on the counter.

Let them cool before you scoop. Hot potato flesh is harder to handle and can tear the skins. A few minutes on a baking rack makes all the difference.

Leave a little potato behind in the skin. Scoop gently and leave a thin wall of potato so the skins hold their shape and don’t collapse when you stuff them.

Don’t skimp on the mix-ins. The cheese, bacon, and sour cream aren’t just toppings here, they’re what makes the filling rich and creamy. Measure generously.

Cover for the first bake, then uncover. Baking covered keeps the filling from drying out while it heats through, and removing the foil at the end is what gives you that melted, golden cheese on top.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Russet Potatoes – I use either medium or large potatoes. I love using my simple Crock Pot Baked Potatoes recipe here.
• Vegetable Oil – Olive oil also works for rubbing on the potatoes before cooking.
• Butter
• Sour Cream – you can also use Greek yogurt.
• Cheddar Cheese – I like sharp cheddar, but you can also use Colby Jack, blue cheese, smoked Gouda, or Pepper Jack.
• Cooked Bacon – you can substitute turkey bacon if you like.
• Onion – grated onion adds a mild, delicious flavor, so don’t skip it!
• Kosher Salt and Fresh Cracked Pepper
• Green Onion – you can also use chopped chives as a topping.

A Few Ways I Switch This Recipe Up

Swap the cheese. Try smoked Gouda for a deeper, smokier flavor or blue cheese if your table likes something bolder.

Turn up the heat. Stir in a spoonful of chopped jalapeños or a dash of hot sauce for a little kick.

Make it a main dish. Add shredded rotisserie chicken or extra bacon to the filling and serve one large potato per person as dinner.

Go green. Stir in chopped chives or a handful of fresh spinach for a little more color and freshness.

Try it in the air fryer. Once stuffed, air fry at 400°F for about 8 minutes, then top with the remaining cheese and air fry another couple of minutes until melted, a great shortcut when the oven’s busy with something else.

How To Make Stuffed Baked Potatoes

Bake your potatoes low and slow until a knife slides in easily, then let them cool enough to handle.

Scoop out the potato flesh, leaving a thin wall in the skins, and mash it with butter until smooth.

Stir in the cheese, bacon, sour cream, grated onion, salt, and pepper, then spoon the mixture back into the skins.

Bake covered until heated through, then uncover and finish until the cheese on top is melted and golden. For full details, quantities, and cook times, see the recipe card below.

Make-Ahead and Freezer Tips for Your Table

Make them a day or two ahead. Bake and stuff the potatoes up to adding the final layer of cheese, then wrap and refrigerate. When you’re ready to serve, top with cheese and bake as directed.

Store leftovers properly. Cover and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat in a baking dish or on a sheet pan until warmed through.

Freeze them for later. Wrap each stuffed potato tightly in aluminum foil and place in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Thaw before reheating. Move frozen potatoes to the refrigerator to thaw overnight, then heat in the oven until warmed through and the cheese is melted again.