Dinner / Recipe

Twice Baked Cheese & Chive Potatoes

An easy and versatile Twice Baked Potatoes Recipe with cheese and chives. It can’t get any better than this.

Twice-Baked Cheese and Chive Potatoes Recipe

I know baked potatoes aren’t something that most people would normally rave over, but I can’t find it in myself not to rave over these twice baked potatoes with cheese and chives. I mean, really, who doesn’t like a baked potato? These aren’t your normal twice baked potatoes recipe filled with cheese, salt, pepper, and (dare I say?) a liberal amount of ketchup.

When I last made these twice baked cheese and chive potatoes, they were all part of a simple meal that went with my roasted chicken. We called the chicken, a simple salad, fresh bread, and these gloriously sophisticated baked potatoes, dinner.

Twice Baked Potatoes with Cheese and Chives

Although I did mention that they are a bit revved-up from your normal twice baked potatoes recipe, I am not stressing that these are entirely sophisticated because in all actuality, my version tastes almost like those ruffled potato chips with cheddar and sour cream that you are secretly obsessed with (okay, maybe it’s just me).

Twice Baked Potatoes Recipe

I grew up eating twice baked potatoes; we never had them the same way twice, and because of that, I’m sure that I can sit here and list hundreds of ways to serve twice baked potatoes, but honestly- I feel that these are my favorite way to have them.

Twice Baked Potatoes Ingredients

The versatility of these twice baked cheese and chive potatoes is incredible. Though I do use a few fancy ingredients in here that some people won’t have on hand, there is a more approachable and easy-to-find option available. In terms of cheese– I used what I had on hand. I didn’t want the cheeses to be too over-powering, so I used a small amount of each, but feel free to add more and use whatever combination of cheese you like! Parmigiano-Reggiano, Goats’ Cheese, Mozzarella, Cheddar, Stilton or any blue cheese (maybe use Rosemary or an other herb, instead?)… These are just a handful of types that would work well here.

  • Potatoes– the basis of this recipe. Most baking potatoes work well here. Russet potatoes work well if you’re in the United States. If you’re in the United Kingdom, King Edward potatoes work great.
  • Crème Fraîche– this is a little splurgy of an ingredient; if you don’t have it, don’t sweat it. Sour cream works great, a tangy yogurt would even work well too.
  • Fresh Chives– fresh is best. You these add a nice oniony flavor to the twice baked potatoes without being too acrid or unpleasant tasting.
  • Pecorino Romano Cheese and Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese– though a small amount, these two Italian cheeses add a delicious salty umami flavor to the potatoes.
  • Gruyère Cheese– it’s fancy and smelly, but smells so good! You can substitute this with French Comté cheese.
  • Salt & Pepper– nothing special here, just a good amount added to the mix to suit your taste
  • Large Eggs– this helps bind everything together and to add some beautiful crispness and colors to the twice baked potatoes with cheese and chives.

How To Make Twice Baked Potatoes

Potatoes are scrubbed and washed, then thrown directly on the oven rack to bake at 375 degrees fahrenheit for about an hour and a half until the skins are golden brown and crisp on the outside, and they give a little when they are gently squeezed.

Once the spuds are out of the oven, they are immediately split in half, and the fluffy flesh is scooped from each of the halves into a large bowl. In the bowl, a huge dollop of crème fraîche is added to the potatoes along with a snowfall of freshly grated Parmesan, Pecorino Romano, and Gruyère cheeses, sea salt and pepper, and a good handful of chopped chives. A lightly beaten egg is mixed in, which will help transform the pale verde-freckled mixture into a beautifully tanned and crisp filling, while they are in the oven.

Twice Baked Potatoes with Cheese and Chives

The potato skins are then stuffed with the fluffy cheese and potato mixture, and is bunged back in the oven until the twice baked potatoes are faintly blushing with bronze and the filling is slightly crispy.

Short On Time?

Whether you are short on patience or time, you can make this recipe by skipping the first bake. You can “bake” the potatoes in the microwave. Depending on your microwave, around ten minutes will do. Be sure to poke them with the tines of a fork- you don’t want exploding potatoes, then finish them off in the oven as per the recipe.

Serving Suggestions For Twice Baked Cheese And Chive Potatoes

These Twice Baked Cheese and Chive Potatoes are heavenly served with roasted chicken and a simple green salad. If you’re making a roasted chicken and these potatoes, both things will be done around the same time, which I find to be quite convenient.

Twice Baked Potatoes

If no one’s in the kitchen, I’d hide a couple of these Twice Baked Cheese and Chive Potatoes for midnight snacking because they definitely will not stand a chance at the kitchen table. Thank me later.

Other Delicious Recipes

Yield: Makes 10 Halves

Twice Baked Potatoes With Cheese and Chives

Twice-Baked Cheese and Chive Potatoes Recipe | sophisticatedgourmet.com

These twice baked potatoes are very versatile. If you don’t have crème fraîche, simply use sour cream, instead; I suspect yogurt might work well, too. Just add a couple tablespoons or so of butter if you’re using either sour cream or yogurt.

I added around 3 ½ ounces (100g) of cheese to the potato filling; I didn’t want the cheeses to be too over-powering, but feel free to add up to 7 ounces (200g) of whatever cheese(s) you decide to use. Parmigiano-Reggiano, Goats’ Cheese, Mozzarella, Cheddar, Stilton / any blue cheese (maybe use Rosemary or an other herb, instead?) are just a handful of types that would work well. The possibilities are endless.

If you’re short on patience or time, you can “bake” the potatoes in the microwave. About 10 minutes will do. Be sure to poke the potatoes with the tines of a fork- you don’t want exploding potatoes, then finish them off in the oven as directed in the recipe.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Additional Time 15 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 5 baking potatoes, scrubbed clean
  • ¼ cup / 60g crème fraîche
  • Handful of chopped chives (about ¼ cup / 4 tablespoons)
  • 1.75 oz / 50g Pecorino Romano
  • .9 oz/ 25g Parmigiano-Reggiano
  • .9 oz/ 25g Gruyère
  • Salt & Pepper, to taste
  • 1 egg, slightly beaten

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375F/ 190C/ Gas Mark 5.
  2. Place the potatoes directly on a sheet of aluminum foil directly on the wire rack of the oven. Bake for 1 ½ - 1 ¾ hours until the skins are golden brown and crisp on the outside, and they give a little when they are gently squeezed.
  3. Take the spuds out of the oven, and using a clean tea towel, split each in half. Scoop the fluffy flesh into a large bowl. Dollop in the crème fraîche, chives, and cheese. Season with salt & pepper to taste, then stir in the beaten egg.
  4. Spoon the potato mixture back into the skins. Put on a baking tray in the oven for about 18 minutes, or until the herb-freckled mixture is beautifully tanned and slightly crisp on top.
  5. Serve with dollops of crème fraîche, salt & pepper.

Notes

  • The best baking potatoes for this twice baked potatoes recipe are russet potatoes (in the USA) and King Edward Potatoes (in the UK).
  • Will keep for up to 2 days in the refrigerator in a covered container.

Inspired by Sophie Dahl

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

10

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 157Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 36mgSodium: 193mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 2gSugar: 1gProtein: 6g

42 Comments

  • Miss Stovetop
    August 23, 2011 at 2:09 pm

    I recently met someone who very casually said “I hate potatoes”. I’m still trying to understand what sort of a person doesn’t like potatoes. Definitely someone un-Irish. And un-Desi. And un… oh well.
    Sorry, arbit rant there. But these do look delicious.

    Reply
  • Nourhan @ Miss Anthropist's Kitchen
    August 23, 2011 at 2:23 pm

    My goodness these look divine! I will definitely be trying this recipe; thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  • kickpleat
    August 23, 2011 at 3:32 pm

    These look fantastic! I’ve never had a twice baked potato and I don’t think I’ll try this until this summer heat is over with (twice baking in a tiny kitchen in summer with no a/c seems like a death wish). I’m bookmarking these for sure – and I know what you speak of about your potato chip addiction. Mmmm.

    Reply
  • Laura (Blogging Over Thyme)
    August 23, 2011 at 5:34 pm

    Yummm…potatoes never looked so good. I haven’t had a baked potato in quite a while and this must change very soon.

    Reply
  • leaf (the indolent cook)
    August 23, 2011 at 7:23 pm

    Rave away, I’m a big fan of baked potatoes! This looks awesome.

    Reply
  • Julie @ Sugarfoot Eats
    August 23, 2011 at 7:51 pm

    Twice baked potatoes are so good!

    Reply
  • Eliana
    August 23, 2011 at 9:22 pm

    Now this is baked taters done right! They look amazing Kamran.

    Reply
  • jas
    August 24, 2011 at 4:03 am

    mmmm…. I love love love baked potatoes, especially when they’r carved out smooshed with some deliciousness and then resmooshed back into the potatoes! (No stealing my detailed technical terms there please!)

    gotta go buy some spuds now….

    Reply
  • Jane George
    August 24, 2011 at 4:54 am

    Sound great, but I am just not feeling the ketchup.

    Reply
    • kamran
      August 24, 2011 at 9:02 am

      Well, it’s not in the recipe. And honestly this recipe with ketchup wouldn’t be tasty to me. In an other recipe- yes.

      Reply
  • angela@spinachtiger
    August 24, 2011 at 7:25 am

    Twice baked potatoes are so retro. And I love retro food. And, the possibilities are endless. You could add in some crisp pancetta. (Fancy for Italian bacon). But how good with these be with some crushed potato chips put on before you put them in oven. (the kind you like).

    Reply
  • ellamarie
    August 24, 2011 at 7:53 am

    love to put a gravy on top of this..

    Reply
    • kamran
      August 24, 2011 at 3:09 pm

      Hi ellamarie- honestly, I haven’t tried it, but gravy and these potatoes seem like they’d be an interesting pair. If you do try these with gravy, do let us know! :)

      Reply
  • Mike @ How To Make A Smoothie At Home
    August 24, 2011 at 8:36 am

    These potatoes look awesome!! Thanks for the great recipe.

    Reply
  • Lizzy Bartleby
    August 24, 2011 at 3:04 pm

    Hi Kamran, could you recommend a variety of “baking potatoes”? I’m going to make these today but I want to make sure I get the right type of potatoes from the store. Thanks!

    Reply
    • kamran
      August 24, 2011 at 3:13 pm

      Hi Lizzy- If you’re located in the US, a couple varieties of baking potatoes would be Idaho, Russet (I used these), Norkota, and Long White.

      If you’re in the UK, a couple varieties would be Cara, Estima, Marfona, and Golden Wonder. I’d just read the bag at the grocery store to see if they are recommended for baking; if you decide to get them from the farmers’ market, just ask the farmer if s/he would recommend them for baking.

      I hope that helps!

      Reply
  • RChristopher
    August 24, 2011 at 10:01 pm

    Twice baked potatoes so simple. So delicious. And so true about hiding some for midnight snacking! Great photos Kamran. Enjoyed your post.

    Reply
  • Dotty
    August 25, 2011 at 8:26 am

    Made these straight after reading your post! I used a combination of bergamot and chives with greek yogurt (no sour cream in the house) which turned out fabulously! I ate it with a date-tamarind chutney/sauce to accompany, which may seem weird, but tastes divine – thanks for the recipe.

    Reply
  • S.
    August 25, 2011 at 12:26 pm

    these look divine!
    I’m obsessed with potatoes and don’t need to think twice to make these ones.
    Thanks for posting this Kamran!
    Gorgeous post and photos as always :)

    -Stephanie

    Reply
  • Jen @ My Kitchen Addiction
    August 25, 2011 at 8:00 pm

    Oh, these look amazing! Definitely saving this recipe for colder weather… If I throw in a green salad, I can call it dinner, right?

    Reply
    • kamran
      August 26, 2011 at 12:08 pm

      Honestly, I did that with the leftovers the next day and called that lunch. So good.

      Reply
  • raquel @ Erecipe
    August 26, 2011 at 3:55 am

    I love baked potatoes, last Sunday I use cream cheese and a dash of pepper and it is a heat…and this is another hit for my kids love the photos.

    Reply
  • Brian @ A Thought For Food
    August 26, 2011 at 7:27 am

    The food that you cook, Kam, is the stuff I grew up on. Roasted chicken, baked potato. Reading your blog reminds me of my childhood. Thank you.

    Reply
  • Aimee
    August 26, 2011 at 9:39 am

    Oohh do these look good!! Your photos are stunning & I can’t wait to make these myself :)

    Reply
  • Kulsum at JourneyKitchen
    August 26, 2011 at 5:36 pm

    Kamran u should know how I loved your previous chicken post. One of the best pieces I read recently. And then this recipe. I would totally be your guest (uninvited) to such a dinner. And I’ll be your partner in crime for midnight snacking as well. I can be totally forceful when it comes to food. Find help.

    Reply
  • Kristen
    August 26, 2011 at 5:43 pm

    Oh dear me… those look fantastic.

    Reply
  • Russell van Kraayenburg
    August 28, 2011 at 10:22 am

    A “snowfall” of all those beautiful cheeses. Yum. I love how vivid your writing is. And it helps that these potatoes look scrumptious. I’ve never made twice baked potatoes–I don’t know why because I adore/am obsessed with potatoes–but I will have to change that asap.

    So in all the ways you’ve made twice baked potatoes, have you always used baking potatoes? Im sure the starch helps with this application but I’m obsessed with a few varieties of boiling potatoes and I wonder if I could get away with using one of those?

    Reply
    • kamran
      August 29, 2011 at 7:14 pm

      Hi Russell- Thanks for the kind words! For this recipe, I insist that you use baking potatoes (I listed a few varieties in one of the comments above). I’m only saying so because baking potatoes are starchy, as you said, and the flesh ends up being light and velvety when cooked. Baking potatoes are another breed, per sé. They’ve thin, waxy skins , are low in starch, and mashing them will only leave you with a chunky mess because they’re made for recipes that require them to keep their shape. If you insist on using a baking variety- Superior, Yukon Gold, and Kennebec potatoes might work, as they’re pretty versatile, but I’d really stick to a baking variety for this one. I hope that helps!

      Reply
  • Deb
    August 29, 2011 at 1:04 pm

    This sounds great! But you really should try some Himalayan pink salt. I get mine from Sustainable Sourcing. The flavor is so much better than regular salt! Thanks…I needed something for supper–this fits!!

    Reply
    • kamran
      August 29, 2011 at 6:59 pm

      Hi Deb. I’ve a stash of Himalayan Salt, and I’m sure these would be divine with a sprinkling of it, but I try to avoid using overly-pretentious or just plain ol’ expensive ingredients when sharing recipes on this site. I think when people come to my site, they’re looking for simple, sophisticated, and homemade-looking recipes- not Michelin Star restaurant food finished with $30 salt. I do have expensive salts in our cupboards, and it’s nice to finish a special meal with them, but I don’t insist that everyone go out and spend that kind of money. I think good money should be spent on other ingredients.

      Reply
  • Helene
    August 30, 2011 at 6:02 pm

    I can’t get enough of baked potatoes, especially twice bake. Thanks for sharing :)

    Reply
  • Daniel Chia
    September 1, 2011 at 1:23 am

    Very delicious recipe, it looks simple but it’s not, it’s a recipe worth trying.

    Reply
  • kellypea
    September 4, 2011 at 11:51 am

    I love classic baked potatoes, but had to learn to like them. twice baked, like yours, probably helped that. They’re so decadent with all that cheesy yumminess :) Love the photos as always!

    Reply
  • Erin
    September 5, 2011 at 10:51 am

    These look delicious and easy – I can’t wait to try them!

    Reply
  • Russell van Kraayenburg
    September 5, 2011 at 6:22 pm

    Thanks or answering my question! I’m trying this recipe tonight with dinner–when my mom mentioned twice baked potatoes earlier I hopped up and exclaimed, “the sophisticated gourmet boy has a recipe!” I can’t wait to dig in to them. Thanks again, Kamran.

    Reply
  • Kristen
    September 6, 2011 at 9:22 am

    I think these look divine… and my entire family would devour this dish as well, which is a plus!

    Reply
    • kamran
      September 6, 2011 at 5:50 pm

      I think everyone would, too. Even the fussiest eaters in my family finish these off without a problem, which I think is a great thing. :)

      Reply
  • Kelly
    September 6, 2011 at 11:46 am

    I personally really enjoy raving over things people would consider uninteresting. I love cheese and starches so these sound fantastic and chives make everything better.

    Reply
  • Nutmeg Nanny
    September 6, 2011 at 6:55 pm

    These potatoes look great! Twice baked are my favorite kind. Plus not to mention the addition of cheese and chives…yum!

    Reply
  • Charlotte
    September 7, 2011 at 12:39 pm

    Oh my lawsy! I made these for lunch. Soooo good, Kamran!

    Reply
  • Natasha
    October 16, 2011 at 2:26 pm

    I loved these with my fire engine beef chilli tonight!

    Reply
  • Vanessa
    October 27, 2011 at 4:07 pm

    Simply stunning photos.

    Reply

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