These cheesy ranch twice baked potatoes are truly awesome. Filled with bacon, cheese, onions, garlic, and creamy Ranch dressing, you have to give these a try.
I love to make these potatoes as a side dish or even a meal on their own. They're so hearty and filling, they're perfect either way.
Cheesy Ranch Twice Baked Potatoes
This was inspired by my other twice baked potato recipe on this site, and it pairs well with this air fryer ribeye steak.
Ingredients
It only takes a few simple ingredients to make these delicious cheesy ranch twice baked potato boats. Every single thing on the ingredient list is a kitchen staple, so you shouldn't have to make a special trip to get what you need to make these fantastic potatoes.
- Large russet potatoes
- Butter
- Shredded cheese
- Parmesan cheese
- Bacon, cooked and crumbled
- Ranch dressing
- Milk or cream
- Onion, finely chopped
- Garlic, minced
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Rosemary
- Thyme
- Egg whites or olive oil
See the recipe card at the end of the post for quantities.
Making the Potatoes
Making these cheesy ranch twice baked potato boats is as easy as the ingredient list. It doesn't take much work at all to pull them together, and once you're finished, you'll have baked potatoes that are literally and figuratively overflowing with flavor.
Step 1: Bake the Potatoes
Pierce potatoes, brush with olive oil or egg whites, and roll in a combination of kosher salt, ground black pepper, rosemary, and thyme. Then, bake the potatoes.
Step 2: Sautee the Onions
While the potatoes cool, sautee the onions until translucent.
Step 3: Hollow out the Potatoes
Cut around the top of the potatoes to make a sort of bowl. Then, remove the top of the potatoes and scoop out the insides of each one, leaving a thin edge for support.
Step 4: Make the Filling
Mix the scooped potatoes, butter, milk or cream, garlic, parmesan, ranch dressing, onions, bacon, salt, and pepper. Then, add shredded cheese to taste.
Step 5: Fill and Bake the Potatoes
Arrange the hollowed out potatoes in a large baking dish and place mashed potatoes in a Ziploc bag or piping bag. Next, cut the corner of the Ziploc bag or use a piping bag to pipe the mashed potatoes into the potato bowls. Sprinkle with cheese and bake. Then, finish the potatoes by broiling.
Hint: Be sure not to scoop out too much of the potato. You don't want it to collapse.
Substitutions
Don’t have the correct ingredients on hand or want to change something up? Here are some helpful tips for you to change these ranch twice baked potatoes.
- Sausage - If you don't have or like bacon, a little crumbled sausage works well, in this recipe.
- Margarin - Use margarin instead of butter if you don't have any on hand.
- Cheese - Use any of your favorite shredded cheeses in this recipe.
Variations
Want to personalize this ranch twice baked potatoes recipe? Here are some of my tried and true tips for changing up this recipe.
- Spicy - Add some cayenne pepper for a kick of heat.
- Hot Sauce - Hot sauce makes a great final touch for these potatoes.
If you love recipes like this, yu may also enjoy these buffalo chicken stuffed potatoes.
Equipment
It only takes a few items to make these tasty twice baked potatoes.
- Meauring cups and spoons
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Spoon
- Baking sheet
Storage
You can store these potatoes in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. For longer storage, yu an freeze them for up to 6 months.
Tips
Twice baked potatoes are fairly easy to make, but like any recipe, this one has a few little things you can do to really make it amazing.
- When choosing your potatoes, you want big, fat potatoes that you can absolutely stuff with all that twice baked goodness.
- Be sure not to scoop too much of your potato out. Take out everything except for a thin layer about ⅓ of an inch thick.
- With a piping bag, you can quickly, easily, and neatly get your potatoes exactly where you want them to be.
More Ranch Recipes
Do you like ranch? Here are some recipes you may also like to try.
FAQ
Do you have questions about ranch twice baked potatoes? Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about twice baked ranch potatoes.
How long will these last?
These potatoes will keep for about 4 days in the refrigerator or up to 6 months in the freezer.
How do you freeze twice baked potatoes?
Wrap each potato individually in cling wrap and then again in foil. Then, place them in an air-tight, freezer-safe container or heavy-duty freezer bag and freeze.
How do you reheat twice baked potatoes?
You can reheat defrosted potatoes in the oven at 425 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or from frozen for 35 to 45 minutes.
What to serve with twice baked potatoes?
These potatoes pair well with steak, pork chops, or chicken.
Ranch Twice Baked Potatoes
Ready to get cooking? Remember that you can print this recipe if you would like.
Cheesy Ranch Twice Baked Potato Boats
Ingredients
- 4-6 medium-large russet potatoes, unpeeled
- ¼ cup butter -
- 2 cups shredded cheese divided
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese grated
- ½ cup bacon, cooked and crumbled or 12 slices
- ½ cup ranch dressing -
- ¼ cup milk or cream ⅓
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 tblsp garlic, minced
- 6 tblsp salt - optional
- ½ teaspoon black pepper optional
- 2 tblsp rosemary optional
- 2 tblsp thyme optional
- 2 or 4-6 tblsp egg whites or olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash potatoes and pat dry. Pierce potatoes with a fork. If desired whisk an egg white until frothy or use olive oil and brush the potatoes. Then roll the potato in a combination of kosher salt, ground black pepper, rosemary and thyme. I usually sprinkle the spices on a cutting board and roll the potato around on it. Bake potatoes for about 60 minutes, until tender. Remove from oven and let sit until cool enough to handle.
- While potatoes cool saute onions until translucent. Adjust oven temperature to 350 degrees. Use a small knife and cut around the top of the potato. You are trying to make a bowl of sorts. Remove the top of the potato. Hold the potato in one hand. I find an oven mitt works great to hold the potato if it is too hot to handle. Use a small spoon to scrape out the inside of each potato into a mixing bowl, leaving a thin edge for support (less than ½ inch). Use a handheld mixer if possible. Add in butter, milk or cream, garlic, parmesan, ranch dressing, onions, bacon, salt and pepper. Add ½ cup to 1 cup of shredded cheese to taste.
- Arrange hollowed potatoes in a large baking dish. Place mashed potatoes into a ziploc bag and push to the bottom. Cut one corner off with scissors. Squeeze out mashed potato into the potato. If no bag available simply spoon potato mixture back inside the potato. Sprinkle with cheese. Approximately ¼ cup per potato. Heat in oven for about 15 minutes. Then turn oven up to broil until cheese is nicely browned. About 5 minutes. Serve immediately.
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