Everything’s better when it’s miniature! You’ve got to try these creamy-delicious, Tiny Twice Baked Red Potatoes.
With the cold weather that settles in this time of year, I really start to crave rich comfort foods. My favorite go-to is always a cheesy potato dish. From our favorite breakfast hash browns to classic Utah “funeral potatoes,” you simply can’t go wrong! These Tiny Twice Baked Red Potatoes are fun take on the classic twice baked potato. They’re perfect for curbing your comfort food craving, but also make a delightful side dish for busy weekday evenings.
This year, I am incorporating these adorably tiny twice baked red potatoes into our New Year’s Eve festivities. While many families go out, I’ve always been one to stay in. Why brave the cold, when you can cozy up with a gillion and a half delightful “small bites” and side dishes?
Tiny Twice Baked Red Potatoes
The base of these tiny twice baked potatoes is a small red potato. You can go the traditional route – rubbing the potatoes with canola oil and baking them in the oven, or you can take a shortcut like I did. During the busy holiday season, I often trade the crispy outer shell that comes with a 40 minute oven bake for the time saved by cooking my little reds in a microwave baked potato bag.
Once your potatoes are cooked and cooled, it’s time to open them up. Rather than halving the potato like you would a traditional twice baked, simply skim off the very top of one side.
I found it almost easier to remove the potato from these reds, because I could easily hold them in the palm of my hand and work the scoop. I used a small metal teaspoon to manage the process and avoid tears, but a melon baller would also work quite well.
Smash the potato in a bowl, leaving small chunks for texture. Once the potato is mashed, it’s time to add the ingredients that really makes this a delightful bite. The creamy texture is created by adding butter, milk and sour cream, while the shredded cheese, pepper and chives give it great flavor!
Once the cheesy potato mixture is ready to go, pack it all back into the original potato skin. Each little potato will be overflowing, which adds to the fun nature of this dish. I like to top the filling off with a tiny bit more shredded cheese and a few bits of chive for added color before popping the tray back into the oven. It only takes an additional 10-15 minutes for these small potatoes to be warmed through and ready to eat.
If you’ve taken the microwave shortcut, you’re looking at about 30 minutes total from start to finish. Pressed for time and the minutes saved by using the microwave aren’t going to be enough? These Tiny Twice Baked Red Potatoes freeze up really, really well. Simply box them up after you’ve added the filling.
Tiny Twice Baked Red Potatoes
Ingredients
Method
- Heat red potatoes through via microwave or oven and set aside to cool.
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Slice a thin layer off the top of the red potatoes lengthwise. Scrap out the insides of the potato into a mixing bowl using a small teaspoon or melon baller, being careful not to tear the shell. Leave a small layer of potato intact for support. Place the hollowed out potato shells on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Smash the potatoes in a bowl, leaving small chunks for texture. Add melted butter, milk and sour cream. Add most of the cheese, salt, black pepper and chives to taste and mix together well. Be careful not to overwork your filling. The texture can become to thick and gloopy.
- Use a spoon or a cookie scoop to fill the potato shells with the filling. You will have plenty of filling to overfill them to heaping.
- Top each filled potato with more shredded cheese and chives for color.
These look SO yummy! I love that you have a short cut to make it quicker! I can’t wait to try these. 🙂