Awesome Cheesy Twice Baked Potato Boats
Awesome Cheesy Twice Baked Potato Boats are cheesy, creamy, filled with bacon or ground sausage and diced onions. And that's just the start. With the option of adding more delicious ingredients, you can create the perfect stuffed potato just for you!
Ingredients
- 4 large russet potatoes
- ¾ cup bacon or, ground sausage, cooked and crumbled or 12 slices, divided
- ¼ cup butter melted
- 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded, divided
- ½ cup parmesan cheese grated
- ½ brick (8 oz) cream cheese softened
- ½ cup sour cream or flavored sour cream
- ¼ cup milk or cream, until reach desired consistency
- 1 small onion chopped fine
- 2 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Outside of Potato (Optional)
- 5-6 tablespoons olive oil 2 large egg whites
- 1 tablespoon kosher or sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons rosemary optional
- 2 tablespoons thyme optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Wash and dry the potatoes, then pierce each potato 2 to 3 times with a knife or fork on all sides.
- If desired, Combine salt, pepper, rosemary, and/or thyme in a small bowl and sprinkle all over a cutting board. Brush the potatoes with olive oil and then roll each potato on different sections on cutting board. Place the potatoes directly on the oven rack or a baking sheet and bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until fork tender.
- Remove the potatoes from the oven and let them cool until they are safe to handle.
- Meanwhile, cook the bacon until crisp and crumble it. Reserve ¼ cup for top. Sauté the chopped onion in a tablespoon or two of bacon grease until softened and translucent. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Set aside and allow to cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.
- Slice each potato in half lengthwise to create 8 potato boats. Using a spoon, carefully scoop the flesh into a large mixing bowl, leaving about ¼ to ½ inch of potato around the edges so the skins remain sturdy enough to hold the filling.
- Add the scooped potato, cooked bacon, sautéed onion, garlic, cream cheese, sour cream, milk or cream, remaining melted butter, salt, pepper, Parmesan cheese, and ½ cup of the shredded cheddar cheese to the bowl. Beat with a hand mixer or mash and stir until smooth and creamy. Taste and add remaining ½ cup cheddar cheese, if desired. Add a little more milk if needed to reach your desired consistency.
- Arrange the potato skins in a large baking dish. Spoon or pipe the mashed potato mixture evenly into each potato shell, pressing gently to fill every corner. Sprinkle the tops with the remaining cheddar cheese and additional bacon crumbles.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the filling is hot and the cheese has melted. If desired, switch the oven to broil for 2 to 5 minutes until the cheese is golden brown and bubbly, if desired. Let the potato boats cool for a few minutes before serving, then enjoy!
Notes
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