Make Twice Baked Potato with Chorizo

Slice the potatoes lengthwise. Microwave them first so they’re soft enough to hollow out without falling apart. This is the whole thing — twice baked potatoes sound fancy but they’re just potatoes you cook twice. First in the microwave, quick. Then in the oven with everything stuffed inside.

Why You’ll Love This Twice Baked Potatoes Recipe

Takes 55 minutes total and feels like you actually cooked something. The sausage gets browned and spicy. Broccoli stays crunchy. Cheese melts through. Potatoes are creamy but not mushy because you’re not boiling them into oblivion. One dinner that works. No sides needed. No thinking about what goes with it. Leftovers are cold the next day and somehow better — the flavors settle in overnight.

What You Need for Twice Baked Stuffed Potatoes

Two large Yukon Gold potatoes. Not russets. Yukon Golds hold their shape and don’t turn grainy. A spicy chorizo sausage — the kind where you peel the casing off. About 80 grams of broccoli chopped small, like bite-sized pieces. Sharp cheddar, coarsely grated so it melts fast and doesn’t clump. Heavy cream. Butter. Vegetable oil. Salt. That’s it.

How to Make Twice Baked Potatoes

Heat the oven to 210C (410F). Get the rack in the middle. Line a baking tray with parchment or a silicone mat — easier cleanup.

Pierce each potato a few times with a fork. Not deep. Just enough to let steam escape. Microwave them on high for 7 minutes, turning halfway through. You’re looking for the point where a skewer slides through with almost no resistance. Takes 7 minutes. Maybe a bit longer if your microwave runs cool. Let them sit for 3 minutes after — they keep cooking from the inside heat.

While the potatoes go, get the broccoli ready. Boil salted water. Drop the florets in for exactly 1.5 minutes. Not a second longer or they get mushy and gray. Shock them in ice water for 2 minutes to stop the cooking. Drain really well. They should still have snap.

How to Get the Sausage Crispy and the Filling Balanced

Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high. Peel the casing off the chorizo and crumble it directly into the pan. Don’t press it or stir it constantly. Just let it sit for a minute, then break it up. The kitchen fills with that spicy, meaty smell — that’s when you know it’s working. Cook it until brown bits form but it’s not fully crisp. Takes about 4 minutes. Pull it off heat.

Slice each potato in half lengthwise. The cut side should be flat enough to sit on the tray without rolling. Trim the bottom a tiny bit if it won’t stay put.

Scoop out the insides, leaving a shell about 5mm thick. You want walls you can hold without them breaking. Mash the flesh in a bowl right away while it’s still hot. Stir in the cream and butter. Add the broccoli, the chorizo with all its oil, and the cheese. Taste it. Chorizo is already salty so go easy on extra salt. Season lightly. You can always add more.

Pile the mixture back into the potato shells. Expect it to mound up a bit — that’s the point. Bake for 20 minutes until the top is golden and you can see the cheese bubbling at the edges. The broccoli should still have texture. Not soft. Textured.

Twice Baked Potato Tips and Common Mistakes

Don’t microwave the potatoes too long or they fall apart when you hollow them out. Test with a skewer first — easier than guessing. Don’t skip the ice bath for the broccoli. It’s the difference between crunchy and mush.

The blanching time is 1.5 minutes. Everyone wants to cook broccoli longer. Don’t. It’ll turn mushy in the oven anyway.

Chorizo releases oil as it cooks. That’s good — it flavors everything. Don’t drain it. Just use it.

If you’re using ground beef instead of chorizo, brown it the same way but add a pinch of cumin or smoked paprika so it has something going on. Plain ground beef is boring here.

Leave the potato shells thick enough to handle but thin enough to eat. If the shell is too thick, the whole thing becomes potato-heavy and the filling gets lost.

Cheese amount matters. 90 grams sounds like a lot but it needs to be there or the filling tastes thin. Sharp cheddar works because it has flavor. Mild cheddar gets lost.

Make Twice Baked Potato with Chorizo

By Emma

Prep:

35 min

Cook:

20 min

Total:

55 min

Servings:

4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 large Yukon Gold potatoes washed
• 80 g broccoli florets chopped small
• 1 spicy chorizo sausage casing removed
• 5 ml vegetable oil
• 60 ml heavy cream
• 15 ml butter unsalted
• 90 g sharp cheddar coarsely grated

Method

1. 1 Place rack mid-oven. Heat oven to 210 C (410 F). Line baking tray with silicone mat or parchment.
2. 2 Pierce potatoes with fork lightly. Microwave on high for 7 min turning halfway. Test softness with skewer; should slide in with little resistance. Let rest 3 min.
3. 3 Meanwhile, drop broccoli in boiling salted water. Blanch exactly 1.5 min, not longer or it wilts. Shock in ice water 2 min. Drain well. Keep vibrant, crunchy.
4. 4 Heat oil in skillet on med-high. Crumble chorizo, cook till browned bits form but not fully crisp. Meaty aroma will fill kitchen. Take off heat.
5. 5 Slice potatoes lengthwise. Trim flat base for stability. Arrange on tray cut-side up.
6. 6 Scoop flesh leaving 5mm shell intact. Mash in bowl with cream and butter while warm. Stir in broccoli, chorizo, and cheese. Season sparingly; chorizo salty.
7. 7 Fill potato shells generously. Expect mixture to mound slightly.
8. 8 Bake 20 min or until top golden and bubbling. Cheese should melt and edges crisp lightly.
9. 9 Serve warm. Crunch from broccoli, spicy chunks of sausage, creamy potato. No mush, texture contrast key.

Nutritional information

Calories

350

Protein

14g

Carbs

30g

Fat

22g

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Frequently Asked Questions About Twice Baked Potatoes Recipe

Can I use regular russet potatoes instead of Yukon Gold? Russets work but they break down more. Yukon Golds hold together and the texture is better. If that’s what you have, just go easy when you’re scooping.

What if I don’t have chorizo? Ground beef works. Brown it the same way. Add cumin or smoked paprika so it tastes like something. Spicy Italian sausage works too — more crumbly, less oil.

Can I make these ahead? Stuff them the morning of. Cover with plastic wrap. Bake cold for 25 minutes instead of 20. They still work. The insides stay creamy.

How long does broccoli need to blanch? One and a half minutes. That’s it. Longer and it turns gray and mushy in the oven. The ice bath stops it from cooking further.

Should I peel the potatoes? No. The skin is part of it. That’s why you get the potato jacket effect. Makes it easier to hold and eat.

Can I freeze these? Yeah. Freeze them unbaked. Bake straight from frozen — maybe 30 minutes instead of 20. Check the edges aren’t burning. The centers need time to heat through.

What’s the texture supposed to be like? Creamy potato, crunchy broccoli, spicy sausage bits. No mushiness. The contrast is the whole thing. If everything is soft, something went wrong.

Can I use Greek yogurt instead of heavy cream? Probably. It’ll be less rich. Works as a lighter version. Don’t mix them together or it breaks.