This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you purchase through those links (at no extra cost to you).
Mini Twice Baked Potatoes are like appetizer-sized potato skins with the volume turned up. Although this party snack recipe tastes like it took all day, these bacon-studded beauties can be yours in just 35 minutes.
Every party menu needs a selection of hot bites and cold snacks. As a classically-trained chef, I’ve had professional training and experience in catering and parties, and these mini potato bites are one of my favorites to serve (and eat).
The secret to these tiny spuds is to microwave the baby potatoes. This easy shortcut lets you fill them faster without having to boil a pot of water. Then, coat the skins with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and bake until crispy.
I used a combination of classic Loaded Baked Potato toppings like cheese, sour cream, bacon, and scallions. Feel free to customize your filling to the ingredients you love best, and then serve these mini twice-baked potatoes at game days, parties, and other gatherings all year round.
Table of Contents
Twice Baked Potato Recipe Ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
- Baby potatoes: Red or white-skinned; either is fantastic. Seek out similarly-sized, small round potatoes for easy snack-ability and even cooking time.
- Olive oil: A light coating on the skin of the baby potatoes acts like “glue” for the salt as the spuds bake, plus lends a lovely sheen and crisp texture to the potato skin.
- Scallions or chives: Dill or any other favorite herbs you crave and have handy will also work as a garnish for these bite-sized snacks.
- Bacon: Once you crumble or chop it, just 2 strips of cooked bacon go a long way to lend a salty and savory punch to these Mini Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes.
How to Make Twice Baked Baby Potatoes
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Prick each potato a few times with a fork. Arrange the potatoes in a single layer on a microwave-safe plate lined with paper towels. Microwave on HIGH for 4 minutes. Turn the potatoes over and microwave for an additional 4 minutes on HIGH.
- Using an oven mitt or kitchen towel to handle the hot potatoes, halve each potato lengthwise and scoop out the middle into a medium bowl, leaving 1/4″ layer of potato on the side of each skin.
- Arrange the potato halves cut side down (skin side up) on a baking sheet. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle liberally with salt. Bake for 10 minutes or until the skins are crispy. Remove from the oven and set oven to broil.
- Meanwhile, to the bowl with the scooped potato filling add cheese, sour cream, scallions, butter, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Mix well.
- Divide the filling among the crisped potato skins.
- Return filled potato skins to the oven and broil until cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove from oven and top with bacon bits. Garnish with parsley if desired and serve warm.
Twice Baked Potatoes Recipe Tips
- Yield: My Mini Twice Baked Potato recipe makes eight servings, each with 4-half baby potato bites (for 2 potatoes per person).
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: These mini potato skins can be assembled a day in advance. Bake right before serving time.
- Craving more cheese and potatoes? Go full-size with Twice Baked Potatoes, casserole-size with my Twice Baked Potato Casserole, shareable Irish Nachos are a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, or try a classic side of Duchess Potatoes along side your favorite entree.
How to Serve Mini Potatoes
Mini potatoes are delicious warm or at room temperature (they can sit out at room temperature for up to 2 hours, 1 hour if the temperature is higher than 90 degrees). I like to serve extra sour cream on the side or even salsa and guacamole (both of those taste great, even with the bacon!).
To round out your buffet, include another protein-based hot appetizer like Crockpot meatballs or Bacon-wrapped shrimp and a few cold snacks or dips. Veggie pizza, Tortilla Roll Ups, or Taco Dip are all delicious choices.
Loaded Baked Potato Toppings
My version is based on classic twice-baked potatoes and so these potatoes are filled with a fluffy potato mixture and sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, bacon bits, and scallions. Here are some more delicious suggestions:
- Southwest: Omit the bacon and instead fry up some chorizo and drain well. Top with black olives if desired. Serve with pico de gallo and guacamole for dipping.
- Wendy’s copycat: Top your potatoes with Beef Chili and cheese, just like the famous restaurant chain.
- Broccoli and cheese: Top potatoes with blanched broccoli florets and plenty of homemade cheese sauce.
- Burrito-inspired: Fill your potato jackets with pintos and cheese, economical and so delicious! Serve with your favorite hot sauce on the side.
Twice Baked Potatoes Recipe FAQs
I’ll coach you through this classic dinner side dish idea via my Russet-based Twice Baked Potatoes recipe.
Consider leftover chicken, shredded pepper jack cheese, corn, and roasted peppers for a Mexican twist. Or for an Italian riff, try cooked and crumbled chorizo, shredded Mozzarella, diced tomatoes, and basil (or bruschetta).
This is the same technique I use to bake potatoes in half the time. A quick shift microwave trims a lot of oven time from the recipe; leaving fewer minutes between you and a platter of Mini Twice Baked Potatoes!
Twice-Baked Potatoes
A true steakhouse classic, Twice Baked Potatoes are doubly delicious and easy to make ahead. These show-stealers are loaded up with lots of cheddar, bacon, and scallions for major flavor in every bite. Twice Baked…
View Recipe
More bite-sized snack ideas
Appetizer Recipes
The Best Jalapeno Poppers Recipe
Side Dish Recipes
Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes
Appetizer Recipes
Deviled Eggs with Mustard
Appetizer Recipes
Potato Skins Recipe
Join Us
Twice Baked Mini Potatoes
Ingredients
- 16 baby potatoes scrubbed (about 1 ½ pounds, see note 1)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (see note 2)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons chives or scallions, plus more for garnish (see note 3)
- 1 tablespoon butter melted
- 2 strips bacon cooked and crumbled (see note 4)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Prick each potato a few times with a fork. Arrange the potatoes in a single layer on a microwave-safe plate lined with paper towels.
- Microwave on HIGH for 4 minutes. Turn the potatoes over and microwave for an additional 4 minutes on HIGH.
- Using an oven mitt or kitchen towel to handle the hot potatoes, halve each potato lengthwise and scoop out the middle into a medium bowl, leaving 1/4″ layer of potato on the side of each skin.
- Arrange the potato halves cut side down (skin side up) on a baking sheet. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle liberally with salt.
- Bake for 10 minutes or until the skins are crispy. Remove from the oven and set oven to broil.
- Meanwhile, to the bowl with the scooped potato filling add cheese, sour cream, scallions, butter, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Mix well.
- Divide the filling among the crisped potato skins. Return filled potato skins to the oven and broil until cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove from oven and top with bacon bits. Garnish with parsley if desired and serve warm.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Baby potatoes: Red or white-skinned; either is fantastic. Seek out similarly-sized, small round potatoes for easy snack-ability and even cooking time.
- Olive oil: A light coating on the skin of the baby potatoes acts like “glue” for the salt as the spuds bake, plus lends a lovely sheen and crisp texture to the potato skin.
- Scallions or chives: Dill or any other favorite herbs you crave and have handy will also work as a garnish for these bite-sized snacks.
- Bacon: Once you crumble or chop it, just 2 strips of cooked bacon go a long way to lend a salty and savory punch to these Mini Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes.
- Yield: My Mini Twice Baked Potato recipe makes eight servings, each with 4-half baby potato bites (for 2 potatoes per person).
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: These mini potato skins can be assembled a day in advance. Bake right before serving time.
If the mini twice baked are prepared a day ahead of time, not cooked and refridgerated.
What do you recommend for oven temp and time to cook and serve the following day?
Thank you!
Hi Ruth, I would make them through assembling them in step 7. Make sure they are completely cooled before storing them in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Bake them at 450 until heated through (about 5 to 10 minutes) then broil until golden brown. Garnish after broiling with bacon bits and parsley. Hope you enjoy them! – Meggan
Can the potatoes be made in the oven instead of microwave to make larger quantity? If so, what changes in prep?
Hi HC, yes! You should follow our regular twice baked potatoes recipe, I’ve linked it here: https://cash-surge.live/twice-baked-potatoes-recipe/%3C/a%3E Hope this helps! – Meggan
I want to freeze theese. What are your suggestions
Hi Marianne, I haven’t tried to freeze these and reheat from cooked. If I were to try, I would bake them, addingthe fresh parsley garnish at the end, and allow to cool and place them on a baking sheet covered in plastic in the freezer. Once they are frozen, I would transfer them to a freezer-safe ziptop storage bag and freeze until ready to use. I would reheat in a 350-degree oven until they are cooked through and register 165 degrees in the center on a digital thermometer. I hope this helps! – Meggan
Awesomely delicious!
These turn out perfectly every time and are the first thing to disappear at every gathering I take them to. I usually make a very large number of them, is there a faster way to bake them in the oven instead of using the microwave?
Hi Claire, great question! I don’t think it would be faster to do steps one and two in the oven instead of the microwave. Baby potatoes usually take about 20 minutes to roast in the oven. If you are doing several batches though, this may be a timesaver. – Meggan
So good! Thank you!
I loved this post! I read your blog fairly often and you are always coming out with
some great stuff. I will shares this on my facebook, instagram and some
of my loyalty followers. Great jobs! Keep work it with it.
These are so good! What a great appetizer.
These are awesome! Now a family favourite and great for potlucks. Thanks!
These disappeared immediately off the table. Kids, adults, you name it and everyone loved it! Any suggestion on a possible sour cream sub?
These were amazing! I used greek yoghurt as I didn’t have sour cream and it turned out great!