Twice baked baby potatoes
Festive twice-baked baby potato goodness
When has a potato ever not been improved by the addition of bacon lardons, garlic, cream cheese, and a generous pile of cheese? Exactly. These twice-baked baby potatoes are indulgent, festive, and downright irresistible. Part of my 12 Days of Christmas series, they’re designed to impress during the holidays, but honestly? They’re delicious all year round. Just leave out the sage if you want them less Christmassy and more year-round.
When Santa asked what I wanted for Christmas, it was this.
Why twice-baked baby Potatoes are the next new thing
The magic here is all in the twice-baking. First, your baby potatoes are parboiled until just tender. Then they’re halved, scooped, and roasted in the oven until the skins turn beautifully golden and crisp.
Meanwhile, the fluffy potato filling is mashed with creamy garlic cheese, sizzling bacon lardons, butter, and herbs until smooth and flavour-packed. That mixture gets spooned lovingly back into your little potato “boats,” sprinkled with more cheese (because Christmas calories don’t count), and baked again until the tops are bubbling and oozy.
The result? A bite-sized appetiser that’s crisp on the outside, soft and cheesy on the inside, and bursting with festive flavour. Honestly, Santa would ditch the mince pies and brandy if you left these out on Christmas Eve.
Perfect for parties and movie nights
These potatoes were born for Christmas parties. Arrange them on a platter, garnish with a little extra sage, and watch them vanish within minutes. They’re the kind of food that makes people linger near the buffet table just so they don’t miss the next tray coming out of the oven.
But don’t save them only for the holidays. They’re also a brilliant snack for movie nights or casual weekends in. Forget the sad bag of popcorn, bring these out, and you’ve instantly upgraded your night in. You won’t even care if the film is naff.
Make them go a bit further
One of the best things about this recipe is how easy it is to customise and expand on:
Add veggies: Mushrooms, peppers, or spinach for a lighter twist.
Spice it up: A pinch of smoked paprika, cayenne, or fresh chilli for something with a little bit of spice.
Mix up the cheese: Blue cheese, mozzarella or Gruyère all work well.
Go veggie: Skip the bacon and add caramelised onions or sundried tomatoes for richness or to cater to the veggies.
Christmas cooking is all about using what you have, so empty that fridge and don’t waste a thing.
What to enjoy with?
These twice-baked potatoes are perfect alongside a glass of prosecco or mulled wine at a party. On the Christmas dinner table, they make a fun alternative side dish to roasties or mash, adding a little bit of theatre to the spread. Plus, if you have any prosecco left over, I’d recommend trying my roast potato board with boozy cheesy fondue.
You can also prep them ahead. Simply make the filling, stuff the potatoes, then cover and chill. When guests arrive, just sprinkle with cheese and bake until golden. Stress-free hosting at its finest.
More Christmassy insp0 please
If you love these, check out my Festive Faves section for recipes that will make your Christmas table shine. From goose fat roasties and succulent turkey to indulgent gravies and trimmings, I’ve got everything covered. You’ll even find my air fryer roast dinner tutorial over on YouTube. Perfect if your oven is crammed with turkey and you need a little extra cooking space.
Honestly, at Christmas my oven, slow cooker, and air fryer are all on overtime, and that’s exactly how it should be. Because if there’s one season where you pull out all the stops, it’s this one. Plus, it saves on trying to find extra oven space and stressing out.
Twice baked baby potatoes
By Poppy Cooks
https://www.poppycooks.com/recipes/twice-baked-baby-potatoes/
Ingredients
- 500g baby potatoes
- 150g smoked bacon lardons, cooked and crispy
- 25g melted butter
- 150g truffle or garlic and herb soft cheese
- Enough grated parmesan to cover the tops of the potatoes
- Olive oil, salt and pepper
- 3 tbsp sour cream
- Small bunch of chives, chopped
- Small bunch of sage, chopped
- Salt and pepper
Metric
Imperial
Instructions
- Place the baby potatoes in a large pot of cold water, heavily seasoned with salt. Bring to a boil and cook for 15-20 minutes, until knife tender.
- Drain the potatoes and leave to cool. Cut them in half and use a small spoon to scoop out the middle to create little boats, leaving a thin ring of potato around the outside. Reserve the middles for later.
- Preheat the oven to 180ºc fan/200ºc/350ºf. Place the potatoes in a single layer on a baking tray and spray with oil, then roast for 15 minutes until turning golden around the edges.
- While the potato skins are roasting, mash up the potato middles reserved from earlier with the soft cheese and melted butter. Season generously and stir through the crispy bacon lardons.
- Use a teaspoon to stuff the filling back into the roasted potato skins and sprinkle over plenty of parmesan. Return to the oven for another 20 minutes, or until golden on top and the cheese is bubbling.
- In a small bowl, mix together the sour cream, chopped chives and sage with a pinch of salt and pepper. Serve your little twice baked babies with the sour cream dip.