Baked Potatoes Stuffed with Cheese, Bacon and Chives Recipe
Large potatoes baked until tender, then stuffed with a creamy mixture of cheese, bacon and chives – this is the American version of a “baked potato” served in bars and at stadiums. Inside they’re soft and buttery, with a lightly browned, cheesy top. The flavor is like a mix of mashed potatoes, cheesy casserole and crispy bacon.
Loaded baked potatoes are a classic of American sports bars and diners, often served as a hearty side to steak or as a standalone dish. At home you can easily recreate that stadium–grill vibe using just your oven.
These are stadium-style potatoes straight from the USA – huge, baked until the skin is crisp and stuffed to the brim with a creamy filling of cheese, bacon and sour cream. The flavor is like a combination of the best mashed potatoes, a cheesy casserole and crispy bacon, all in a form you can simply hold in your hand. This “loaded baked potato” is a great example of how to turn a simple potato into an impressive, filling dish for a party or a lazy evening in front of the TV.
Why this version works
- Baking the potatoes without foil gives you a dry, wrinkled skin that, once rubbed with salt, becomes pleasantly edible and aromatic.
- Mixing the hot potato flesh with butter, sour cream and cheese creates a filling like ultra‑creamy mash, without needing a mixer.
- Leaving a thin layer of potato next to the skin reinforces the “boat” and keeps it from tearing when you stuff and move it.
- A short second bake with cheese on top melds the flavours and gives you that stretchy, lightly browned cheesy blanket.
Chef's tips
The key is a really well-baked potato – don’t shorten the baking time; the knife should slide into the center like into soft butter. Mix the flesh while it’s still hot so the butter and cheese melt perfectly and the filling turns smooth, without lumps. Be careful not to scoop the potatoes too thinly – leave a layer of flesh next to the skin, otherwise the “boats” may crack when you stuff them.
How to serve
These potatoes work perfectly as a main dish for game night – just add a bowl of coleslaw or a simple cabbage slaw. To drink, serve beer (for example a pale lager) or homemade lemonade if you’re feeding the family. For a house party you can set up a “potato bar” – serve the basic version and put out small bowls with extra toppings: jalapeños, corn, extra chives or sour cream.
Watch out for
- Don’t shorten the first bake – an undercooked center will be hard, difficult to scoop out, and will leave lumps in the filling.
- Don’t scoop the potatoes too thin; if they start collapsing in your hand, leave a thicker layer of flesh next to the skin.
- Taste the filling before adding extra salt – bacon, cheese and the salted skin are often enough and it’s easy to over‑salt it.
- Don’t pile the filling on just one side, or the potatoes may tip over on the tray and the cheese will slide off.
Substitutions
- You can replace the bacon with Black Forest ham or lightly fried lean sausage if you prefer a less fatty meat.
- Swap part of the yellow cheese for a blue cheese like Danish blue or Roquefort if you want a stronger, sharper flavour.
- You can replace the sour cream with thick Greek yogurt to lighten up the dish while keeping a creamy texture.
- Chives can be swapped for finely chopped spring onion or parsley, depending on what you have in the fridge.
Ingredients
- potatoes large, similar size - 4 pieces
- vegetable oil for brushing the skin - 1 tablespoon
- salt some for the potatoes, some for the filling - 1 teaspoon
- bacon cut into small strips or cubes - 80 g
- yellow cheese grated, well-melting, e.g. cheddar, gouda - 120 g
- sour cream or thick Greek yogurt - 120 g
- butter soft - 30 g
- chives chopped - 3 tablespoons
- black pepper freshly ground - 0.5 teaspoons
- granulated garlic optional - 0.5 teaspoons
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (top and bottom heat). Scrub the potatoes thoroughly under running water using a brush, then dry with paper towels.
- Prick each potato several times with a fork, brush lightly with oil and rub well with salt, including in the creases. After baking, the skin should be distinctly salty, firm and slightly glossy.
- Place the potatoes on a rack set over a tray so the air can circulate. Bake for 60–70 minutes, until the skin is firm and wrinkled and a knife or skewer slides into the center with no resistance at all.
- Meanwhile, cut the bacon into small strips or cubes. In a dry pan, fry for 5–7 minutes over medium heat, until golden and crispy and the fat has rendered; transfer to paper towels to drain excess fat.
- Grate the cheese on the fine holes of a box grater. Finely chop the chives, setting aside 1–2 tablespoons for sprinkling over the finished potatoes – the rest will go into the filling, where it should be clearly visible in the mixture.
- Remove the baked potatoes from the oven and set aside for 5–10 minutes, until they’re no longer burning hot to the touch. They should still be hot, but manageable if you hold them with a kitchen towel.
- Cut each potato lengthwise almost all the way through, leaving the bottom part of the skin intact. Gently squeeze the sides so the center opens up and forms a deep “boat” without cracks.
- Scoop most of the hot potato flesh into a bowl, leaving a thin 0.5–1 cm layer next to the skin for support. The skin shouldn’t look see‑through or feel floppy in your hand.
- Add the butter, half of the cheese, the sour cream, most of the bacon, most of the chives, pepper, granulated garlic and, if needed, a pinch of salt to the bowl with the potato flesh. Mash into a smooth, fluffy mixture with no lumps; it should be creamy and easy to spread.
- Fill the potato boats with the mixture, mounding it slightly above the edge of the skin but not so high that it slides down the sides. Sprinkle the tops with the remaining cheese and bacon, and arrange the potatoes stably on the tray.
- Return to the oven for 10–15 minutes, until the cheese is fully melted and lightly browned at the edges, forming golden strands. Before serving, sprinkle with the remaining chives and serve very hot, while the filling is still soft and stretchy.
Storage
No storage information available for this dish.
I always make these when I invite friends over for the Super Bowl final – everyone gets their own giant potato and nobody leaves hungry. I also sometimes bake extra potatoes and the next day reheat the stuffed halves in the air fryer so the skin becomes super crispy again.
