As farmers, we know good meals with meat and potatoes. This Farmhouse Loaded Potatoes recipe is by far my favorite potato recipe for Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving and special family meals in between!
These rich and creamy twice-baked, loaded potatoes are AMAZING! Butter, cream cheese and cheddar cheese and a few herbs make a special side dish to remember.
Loaded Potatoes Farmhouse Style
These are the creamiest, cheesiest, potatoes I’ve had at home. They are definitely equivalent to great loaded potatoes at high-end restaurants!
My sister-in-law makes these Farmhouse Loaded Potatoes for family gatherings and they always disappear very fast! She loves that they can be made a day ahead of time and baked right before the party. I was surprised how rich and creamy they are even though these potatoes are made without sour cream.
I like them so much that I usually go for a second serving of potatoes instead of dessert. And I LOVE desserts that often appear like our Best Chocolate Cake from a Box Mix, Oreo Dirt Cake, or Homemade Ice Cream, so that’s a big statement!
For some reason I was too intimidated to make twice baked potatoes. After hearing my sister-in-law share how easy these ultimate potatoes are to make I gave them a try. There is a little bit of time and planning involved in making and scooping out the baked potatoes, but these were not difficult at all.
More Loaded Potatoes
Potatoes are a great way to help fill up bellies, but loading up those potatoes with a variety of toppings and other rich ingredients is what make bellies happy!
A slightly quicker way to make loaded potatoes is our Twice Baked Potato Casserole and it has lots of bacon. This recipe also inspired our Crock Pot Loaded Potatoes and Twice Baked Potatoes with Chicken.
Our Crock Pot Loaded Red Potatoes are perfect for potlucks and picnics! This Loaded Baked Potato Dip looks great for parties.
Ingredients Needed to Make Loaded Potatoes:
- Potatoes
- Butter
- Cream Cheese
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- Salt
- Garlic Powder
- Minced Onion
- Parsley Flakes
- Milk
- Paprika
How to Make Farmhouse Loaded Potatoes
Choose long potatoes that are fairly uniform in size. Scrub the skins clean with a brush. Wrap in foil and bake at 400°F for about an hour until just tender.
Allow the potatoes to cool slightly then scoop out the centers while the potatoes are still warm.
Scoop the meat from the center of the potatoes right into a mixing bowl. Then add cubes of cream cheese and melted or very soft butter. Finally add remaining spices including parsley, salt, garlic powder and granulated onion. Mix well.
Pictured is a double recipe. We typically always double the recipe because these potatoes are that good!
Line up the empty shells neatly on a baking sheet covered with foil.
Add the filling so that potatoes are loaded up as evenly as possible.
Sprinkle some regular or smoked paprika on top of each potato. Don’t hesitate to be generous.
Cover generously with cheddar cheese! Then loosely wrap and refrigerate up to a day ahead of time.
Set out about 30 minutes before baking to knock off the chill if possible. Bake at 400°F for 25 minutes or until the cheese melts.
Tips for Making Ultimate Loaded Baked Potatoes:
- Avoid using too much oil when baking potatoes because oil can prevent the crust of the potato from becoming crispy
- Fill potatoes the day before your meal, cover loosely and refrigerate overnight
- Double or triple the recipe and freeze extras for a tasty treat anytime
- Scoop as much meat out of each potato as possible without putting a hole or tear in the potato skin
- Soften cream cheese and soften or melt the butter before adding to filling
- Smoked paprika tastes just as good or better than regular paprika
- This recipe is even easier if your husband or friend scoops out the baked potatoes
Freezing Twice Baked Potatoes
Baked potatoes are easiest to scoop out when warm. The filling can be mixed up and returned to the potato shells before refrigerating or freezing.
The cream cheese and butter will help the potatoes when reheated. Leave the shredded cheese off and wrap each loaded potato in a layer of plastic wrap before placing in a self-sealing bag or freezer container.
Loaded twice baked potatoes will taste best when frozen before baking. My husband loves this recipe the first time it is baked and becomes a bit more hesitant to eat the loaded potatoes after reheating
How to Reheat Loaded Potatoes
Loaded potatoes taste best when reheated at 300°F in the air fryer or oven. A digital meat thermometer can be used to determine that the potatoes are heated through.
The microwave will yield quickest results but will probably make the potato a bit more soggy than desired.
More Tried & True Side Dish Recipes
This Baked Vegetable Medley starts with California blend mixes in a few easy ingredients and is topped with french fried onions to make a creamy and delicious vegetable casserole.
Sweet Corn Spoon Bread adds sour cream, butter, a couple types of corn and a layer of Swiss cheese on top of a Jiffy cornbread mix.
Crock Pot Mac & Cheese is super easy and appeals to people of all ages.
A dessert to make along with these potatoes or our Maple Glazed Sweet Potatoes at Thanksgiving is our Pecan Pie Bars.
Cheesy Sausage and Potato Casserole makes a great side dish or easy family meal.
We hope you enjoy these recipes as much as we do!
Printable Farmhouse Loaded Potato Recipe
Farmhouse Loaded Potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 long potatoes
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 3 oz cream cheese cut in small cubes
- 2 tbsp minced onion
- 2 tbsp parsley flakes
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- milk
- paprika
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Wash and dry potatoes. Poke fork in each potato 3-4 times. Place on cookie sheet in oven for 1 hour.
- Cut potatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop out potatoes with a spoon. Scoop as much as possible without tearing skin.
- Combine potatoes with butter, salt & garlic powder. Mash adding enough milk to make fluffy. Start with 2 tablespoons of milk and add more as needed.
- Fold in cream cheese, onion and parsley.
- Return to baking sheet. Spoon potato mixture lightly into potato shells. Dust with paprika. Sprinkle on cheddar cheese. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.
- To Serve: Heat potatoes at 400 degrees F for 25 minutes, or until cheese melts. Makes 8 servings.
Notes
- Avoid using too much oil when baking potatoes because oil can prevent the crust of the potato from becoming crispy
- Fill potatoes the day before your meal, cover loosely and refrigerate overnight
- Double or triple the recipe and freeze extras for a tasty treat anytime
- Scoop as much meat out of each potato as possible without putting a hole or tear in the potato skin
- Soften cream cheese and soften or melt the butter before adding to filling
- Smoked paprika tastes just as good or better than regular paprika
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Nutrition
Originally published April 7, 2018, pictures updated January 14, 2021
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