Freezer Friendly Ham & Cream Cheese Twice Baked Potatoes
Twice baked potatoes are an amazing side dish. Not only do they use up ingredients you have on hand, but they can be made in large batches ahead of time for easy meals.
This recipe can get kids in the kitchen with the mixing and stuffing. When they are involved they are more likely to give new foods a try.
Why You Need This Recipe
- Got potatoes soft or sprouting in the root cellar? They are still good to use here!
- Make these ahead and freeze until solid before placing in bags. Then you’re ready for busy farm days – just cook straight from frozen.
- Potatoes are a very filling food, and we add some great protein with ham and cheese.
Key Ingredients
Potatoes – These are a very nutritious carb that fills tummies, especially on cold days. When we have a great harvest I am always looking for ways to use these up before they go bad.
Cream cheese – This is always handy to keep in the fridge because it lasts a long time, so you can use it whenever the craving hits. Making cheese? I suggest homemade quark as the perfect cheese in this recipe.
Ham – Nothing beat a home-smoked ham in my book! It adds protein and a new texture among the creamy filling.
How to Make Twice baked Potatoes For the Freezer
Step 1
Bake your potatoes until they pierce easily with a fork. Let cool just until you can safely handle them.
Step 2
Carefully scoop out all the centers and add to a large mixing bowl. It’s a balance of scooping enough out but not damanging the skin. I’d err on the side of leaving flesh on the potato skin. Stir in remaining ingredients and give it a taste to adjust seasoning.
Step 3
Press the filling into the skins with your hands or a spoon, keeping it level and not mounding the filling so you are able to fill all of the skins.
Step 4
Now just bake until browned on top and you are ready to eat!
Tips and Tricks
- Slice open and scoop the potatoes while still warm. If you let them cool, they will be difficult to scoop and mash.
- Don’t overfill the skins or you’ll run out of filling. But that’s ok – add butter and salt and enjoy those crispy skins!
- Double or triple this recipe and load up your freezer.
Substitutions
I find that quark is a great substitute for cream cheese, especially if you’ve already got it on hand.
Not a fan of ham? Grab bacon, turkey, whatever you have. If you’re switching your meat, try swapping in thyme for the rosemary with poultry.
FAQs
After filling the potato skins, set them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Stick them in the freezer for a few hours, until frozen solid. At this point, you can place them in a zipper top bag or even vacuum seal them in meal portions.
If you are baking these right after assembling, they’ll need about 15 minutes at 450 F. If baking from frozen, I turn it up to only 400 to give them time to heat through before burning.
More Potato Recipes
- Sheet Pan Shredded Hashbrowns
- Potato Casserole
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Grilled Potatoes
- Potato Salmon Cakes
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Ham and Cheese Twice Baked Potatoes
Ingredients
- 8 medium sized potatoes baked until well done
- 1 ½ cups chopped ham
- ½ cup cream cheese or homemade quark
- ¼ cup milk*
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bake potatoes at 400 °F until a fork easily pierces, about 45-60 minutes.
- Let the potatoes cool to a handle-able temp, but you do want to do this while they're warm. Once they get cold they are harder to scoop and mash.
- Cut the potatoes into halves lengthwise, and scoop all the insides into a medium sized bowl. Add in the ham, cream cheese, milk, rosemary and mash well. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Fill each potato level with the filling.
- You can immediately bake them until browned on top (450 °F for 15 minutes) OR we like to freeze and use on busy days.
- To bake from frozen, bake at 400 °F until browned on top.
Notes
- *Amount of milk used depends on how dry your potatoes are. Go slow and don’t add it all right away.
- Fill the potato skins level so that you have enough filling for all. Or you can mound them for a fancier presentation, and enjoy the leftover skins by brushing with butter before baking to a crisp.
Nutrition
