Loaded Cheesy Bacon Potatoes with Crispy Bacon Step-by-step instructions

Before you start

Before you begin cooking, ensure your workspace is prepared and your ingredients are measured. Wash the russet potatoes thoroughly under cold running water to remove any dirt, then pat them completely dry with a clean kitchen towel.

Shred the cheddar cheese from a block, and prepare the cooked bacon by crumbling it into small, bite-sized pieces so it is ready to sprinkle over the potatoes.

Instructions

Bake the Potatoes

1. 1Bake the Potatoes
   Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Pierce the russet potatoes several times with a fork to allow steam to escape. Place them directly on the oven rack and bake for 50 to 60 minutes until they are easily pierced with a knife and the skin is crispy.
   Look for The potatoes are ready when they feel tender inside when squeezed gently.
   Tip Baking directly on the rack ensures the crispest skin all around.

At the end of this first phase, the potatoes should feel completely tender when squeezed gently with an oven mitt, and a paring knife should slide into the center with absolutely no resistance.

The skins will look dry, slightly wrinkled, and feel distinctly crisp to the touch, indicating that the excess moisture has successfully evaporated from the interior flesh.

Scoop and Mash

2. 2Scoop the Potato Flesh
   Allow the baked potatoes to cool for 10 minutes until safe to handle. Cut each potato in half lengthwise. Carefully scoop out the warm potato flesh into a medium bowl, leaving a thin shell about one-quarter inch thick to maintain the structure of the potato skins.
   Look for The skins should stand upright without collapsing.
   Tip Use a metal spoon with a relatively sharp edge for clean scooping.
3. 3Mash the Filling
   Carefully mash the warm potato flesh in the bowl using a fork or potato masher. Work quickly while the potato is still hot to ensure a light, fluffy texture without any large lumps. Avoid over-mashing the mixture, as this can release too much starch and make the filling gummy instead of fluffy and smooth.
   Look for The filling should be fluffy with no large lumps remaining.
   Tip Do not overwork the potatoes or they can become gluey.

By the end of the mashing phase, the potato filling should be uniform, light, and free of large lumps, while still retaining a fluffy structure. The potato skins should remain completely intact, standing upright on your baking sheet like sturdy, hollowed-out boats ready to be filled with the mashed potato.

Stuff and Melt

4. 4Stuff and Top the Potatoes
   Spoon the mashed potato mixture evenly back into the hollowed-out potato skins. Place the stuffed halves onto a baking sheet. Generously sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese and crumbled bacon over the top of each potato half.
   Look for The filling should be piled high and covered completely in cheese and bacon.
   Tip Press the bacon gently into the cheese so it stays in place.
5. 5Bake Until Bubbling
   Return the loaded potatoes to the oven at 400°F (204°C) for 10 to 12 minutes. Bake until the cheddar cheese is completely melted, bubbling, and starting to turn golden brown around the edges, and the bacon is sizzling.
   Look for The cheese should be completely melted and bubbling intensely.
   Tip Switch to the broiler for the last minute if you prefer a browner cheese top.

At the final checkpoint, the cheese must be completely melted, bubbling vigorously, and starting to turn a beautiful golden brown around the edges. The crumbled bacon on top should look sizzling and deeply crisped, and the entire kitchen should be filled with the rich, savory aroma of toasted cheese and smoked bacon.

Common mistakes

One common mistake is scooping out too much potato flesh, which weakens the skins and causes them to collapse during the second bake. Always leave a sturdy quarter-inch border of flesh to support the filling.

Another error is over-mashing the potato filling, which releases too much starch and turns the mixture gluey and dense instead of light and fluffy. Mash just until smooth.

How to tell it’s done

You can tell these loaded potatoes are perfectly done when the cheese is fully melted, bubbling vigorously, and starting to turn a deep golden brown around the edges, and the potato skins feel exceptionally crispy.

Since all components are pre-cooked, you are simply looking for the cheese to melt and the entire potato to be heated through to a hot, steaming temperature.