Pimento Cheese Twice Baked Potatoes
I wanted to spruce up our potato side dish for Thanksgiving. Just in case you’re anything like me and find comfort in reinventing old classics. These Pimento Cheese Twice Baked Potatoes are a combination of two of my favorite recipes. You start off by making homemade pimento cheese—which is so easy because the food processor does all the work for you—then you mash it into potato filling. Stuff it back into the potato, top it with more cheese and cracker crumbs and bake until golden brown and melted. They’re the perfect holiday appetizer or side dish. They can be made ahead of time without much stress. After all, isn’t that what we all want for Thanksgiving…less stress?
If you’re looking to spruce things up this year for your Thanksgiving feast, then I hope you’ll give these Pimento Cheese Twice Baked Potatoes a chance. They’re great as an appetizer before the main meal. But would also make for a great side dish. You can make them with larger potatoes if you wish to serve them as a side. Let me know what you think below. Thank you for reading and following along!
Pimento Cheese Twice Baked Potatoes
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- Food processor
- Potato masher
- Baking sheet
Ingredients
- 6 small Yukon gold potatoes scrubbed
- 4 ounces sharp yellow Cheddar cheese cubed
- 2 ounces pepper Jack cheese cubed
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 scallions thinly sliced
- 1 small dill pickle
- 4 ounces pimientos drained and dried
- Kosher salt and coarse black pepper
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon fresh chives chopped (plus more for garnish)
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated onion
- 1/4 cup Cheddar cheese shredded
- 1/4 cup pepper Jack cheese shredded
- 6 butter crackers crushed (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Prick the potatoes all over with a fork and carefully place directly on the oven rack. Bake until just tender, about 30 to 45 minutes (depending on the size of your potatoes).
- In the meantime, in a food processor, combine the cubed cheddar, pepper jack, mayonnaise, scallions, dill pickle, pimientos, and a small pinch of salt and pepper. Pulse until combined and spreadable. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
- Once the potatoes are cooked, carefully transfer to a cutting board to cool slightly, but keep the oven on. When cooled enough to handle, use a serrated knife to cut them each in half, lengthwise.
- Carefully scoop out the flesh of the potatoes with a spoon, transferring the insides to a large bowl. You want to leave somewhat of a border inside each potato to make them stable.
- Add the sour cream, pimento cheese, chives, granulated garlic, onion, a pinch of salt and pepper, and mash until combined and somewhat smooth. Fill each potato shell with the pimento mixture and then top with shredded cheeses and crushed crackers (if using). Return pan to oven and bake until golden brown and the melted, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and garnish with chives before serving. Enjoy!
