My life is a little crazy right now. I say that like it hasn’t been for the last several years but truth is I’ve felt overwhelmed and too busy for years now. I hope things will slow down over time but who knows. I’m starting to think I just need to get used to being busy.
I love cooking and baking but when you get busy that can get pushed down on the list. When you avoid eating out and rarely eat fast food or pre-packaged meals you have to be creative. I used to be great at freezer cooking. I’d often double recipes and stick half in the freezer or take one day a week and make tons of food to stock our freezer with. I’ve gotten out of the habit over the years but I’m getting back into it.
One thing I used to make and freeze a lot was twice baked potatoes. They are very easy to make and delicious. Not the healthiest dish in the world but a nice treat. It’s hard to go wrong with potatoes and cheese.
These make a great side dish. I’ll also serve them as a main dish with a big salad. They work well with many other dishes. You can also add some bacon or chives to the mix.
You don’t have to freeze them if you aren’t into freezer cooking. I just find it easy to make a big batch and have some that night and freeze the rest for later. Either way works really well.
Twice Baked Potatoes
Ingredients
- 5 lbs potatoes
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1 cup milk
- 3 oz cream cheese, softened
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp garlic
- 4 oz cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Rub the potatoes with oil, sprinkle with salt, and prick them with the tines of a fork.
- Place on oven rack or baking sheet. Cook for 45 to 60 minutes, until you can stick them with a fork with no resistance.
- In large bowl mix butter, cream chess, seasoning, and half of the cheese.
- Cut baked potatoes in half.
- Scoop out most of the potato, leaving just a thin layer in the skin.
- Mix with cheese mixture, adding milk as needed.
- Fill the skins with the mixture and sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese.
- If freezing stop here and place on cooking sheet in freezer until frozen, transfer to container.
- When baking while fresh, bake at 400°F for 15- 25 minutes, until melted and hot.
- If baking after freezing, bake at 400°F for 20-40 minutes, until melted and hot.
I store mine in a Pyrex container in the freezer, after I’ve let them freeze on a cookie sheet. Just don’t bake them in the dish as the sudden temperature change can cause the dish to break.
I’d love to hear your favorite recipes to make ahead and freeze. I want to come up with even more to start making so we always have a freezer stocked with delicious food.
Yaya
I LOVE potatoes and these look sooo good. Especially with the melted cheese on top. YUM. Did these take long to make? I’ve always wanted to make them but worried that it would take a long time.
Lisa Sharp
Takes about 45 minutes to an hour to make the baked potatoes, maybe 10 minutes to make the filling, and 15-25 minutes to bake them again. Very little time needed actually working on them. 🙂
Rachel G
These sound really good! I’ll be honest, I really love potatoes to begin with, I think it’s awesome how many delicious foods you can make with them!
Helen Fern
What a great make ahead side! Would love you to come share on the “What’s for Dinner” linky!
TerriC
I love to make a big batch of meatloaf, chili or spaghetti sauce or cook up ground beef to use for tacos and hamburger gravy, etc. And any time I make a casserole of lasagna or whatever, I put half (there are just two of us) in the freezer for an extra meal. Enchiladas work well, as do burritos…
Roz
Homemade chicken enchiladas with green chile and sour cream sauce is my favorite meal. It starts with making homemade green chile sauce, which I make and freeze usually a couple of times a year. Then I admit I cheat by using a roasted chicken from the store to make the enchiladas (and usually several other dishes). But when I make the enchiladas, I make a 9×13 dish full, which is usually a dozen enchiladas. I eat 2 that night, save 2 out for lunch or dinner the next day, and then freeze the rest in containers of 2 each. Which gives me quite a few meals. These days, I’m trying REALLY hard to cook one big dish of some kind a week, which allows me to have, over time, a freezer full of meals to choose from for the rest of the week. I try to keep the makings for a salad, and sandwiches for lunches or dinners on days that I don’t feel like making a side dish to go with dinner, or those days when I really don’t feel like eating at all. Those potatoes sure sound like a great side dish, or even a main course when eating doesn’t feel like a high priority, and I just need some comfort food!!