These Loaded Twice Baked Potato Bites receive the 1st place award for Best Appetizer! Filled with creamy, melty cheese and crispy bacon, and garnished with refreshing sour cream, chives, and peppers, this app is sure to hit the spot. You can even have them as a snack or a side to your meal; they’re so good, you’ll want any excuse to have them! Make these Loaded Twice Baked Potato Bites for the perfect savory, cheesy treat.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds baby potatoes, rinsed and drained well
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded and divided
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sour cream, divided
- 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons bacon bits, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
- fresh ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon fresh chives, minced
- peppers, optional, for topping
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Step 2 –Place the potatoes on a baking sheet.
Step 3 –Drizzle the potatoes with the olive oil and sprinkle them with the salt.
Step 4 –Roast until the potatoes are through to the center when pierced with a sharp knife, about 25-30 minutes.
Step 5 –Remove the potatoes from the oven and allow them to sit until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes.
Step 6 –Slice the tops off the potatoes.
Step 7 –Use the tip of a sharp knife to outline the area you will scoop out of the potato, leaving a small rim on the inside of the skin so the potato skins will hold their shape.
Step 8 –Use a melon baller or spoon to scoop out and transfer the potato interiors to a large mixing bowl.
Step 9 –Add 1/2 cup of the shredded cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup of the sour cream, the cream cheese, 1/4 cup of the bacon bits, the seasoned salt, and the pepper to the potato interiors.
Step 10 –Using an electric mixer, combine the potato interior mixture until creamy.
Step 11 –Spoon the mixture back into the potato skins, mounding them slightly.
Step 12 –Place the potatoes back on the baking sheet.
Step 13 –Sprinkle the potatoes with the remaining shredded cheese.
Step 14 –Bake until the potatoes are warmed through and the cheese has melted, about 5-7 minutes.
Step 15 –Garnish each potato with a small dollop of the remaining sour cream, a sprinkling of the remaining bacon bits, the chives, and the peppers.
Step 16 –Serve!