Twice-baked potatoes

Twice-baked potatoes turn out best when I’m not in a rush. I first tried them after seeing the recipe on TV, and I’ve been going back to it ever since. I usually choose potatoes that are similar in size to ensure they bake evenly. If my oven is occupied, I boil them in their skins; I haven’t noticed a significant difference in the end result. The part I love most is the filling made with sautéed cabbage in butter, which adds all the flavor.

Quick Info

Total time: about 2 hours
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Baking/cooking time: 1 hour 40 minutes (in the oven) or less if boiling the potatoes
Servings: 6 (12 potato halves)
Difficulty: easy-medium
Recipe type: side dish or main vegetarian meal

Ingredients

12 potatoes (ideally medium-sized and similar in size)
1/2 head of sweet cabbage (about 600-700 g)
100 g butter
Salt
Pepper

Instructions

1. Wash the whole potatoes very well. Do not peel them.

2. Place the potatoes in a large baking dish, ensuring they don’t overlap. Put the dish in the oven and let the potatoes bake at medium to high heat until a fork easily pierces them. I’ve never timed them, but it takes at least 1 hour, possibly longer for larger potatoes. Alternatively, if your oven is busy, you can boil them in their skins. The method doesn’t matter; the important thing is that they are cooked through but not falling apart.

3. Remove the potatoes and let them cool, at least until you can hold them in your hands.

4. Meanwhile, prepare the cabbage. Chop it as finely as you can; it doesn’t have to be perfect. In a large skillet, melt the butter, then add the cabbage to sauté. Press down gently with a spatula and stir occasionally until it begins to soften and reduce. It shouldn’t be fried hard, just soft and slightly sweet in taste. Turn off the heat.

5. When the potatoes have cooled enough, cut them lengthwise in half. Using a spoon, gently scoop out the flesh, leaving about half a centimeter thickness at the edges to maintain their shape and prevent them from breaking when filling. Place the scooped-out skins back in the baking dish.

6. Add the scooped potato flesh to the sautéed cabbage and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If it seems too dry, add a little more butter (I didn’t feel the need, but it depends on how much cabbage you use and the size of the potatoes).

7. Using a spoon, fill each potato half with the cabbage and potato mixture. Smooth the surface gently, but don’t press too hard.

8. Arrange the filled halves in the baking dish. Bake in the oven at 180-200°C until they are golden on top, about 20-30 minutes. They shouldn’t burn, just develop some color.

9. Remove the dish and let the potatoes sit for a few minutes before serving.

Why I make this recipe often

I love it because it doesn’t require many ingredients, and potatoes and cabbage are available year-round. The recipe can be made without much planning and is also suitable as a vegan dish (if you replace the butter). The filling of sautéed cabbage completely transforms the usual flavor of baked potatoes.

Tips and Variations

Tips

- Use potatoes of similar size for even baking.
- Don’t scoop too much out of the potato, or the skins may break when filling.
- Don’t sauté the cabbage over high heat, or it will dry out or burn.
- If you find the mixture too wet, keep the dish in the oven for a few more minutes with the grill setting.

Substitutions

- For a vegan version, you can use oil instead of butter, but the flavor will be different.
- Savoy cabbage or red cabbage can also be used, but the flavor will be slightly altered.

Variations

- For a richer flavor, dill or white pepper can be added to the filling.
- You can sprinkle some grated cheese on top for baking if you’re not vegan.
- You might try adding fresh herbs at the end, but the original recipe doesn’t include them.

Serving Ideas

- As a side dish to a roast, but they also work as a main dish with a simple salad.
- They can be eaten cold the next day, but they are better warm, freshly out of the oven.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can the potatoes be made just by boiling, or do they have to be baked?

They can be either baked or boiled in their skins. The final result is almost the same; baked ones are slightly more flavorful, but there’s no essential difference for this recipe.

2. Can less butter be used, or can it be eliminated completely?

You can use less butter or even none if you want the vegan version, in which case you can replace it with oil. However, butter provides the best flavor for the sautéed cabbage.

3. Can I prepare everything in advance and bake the potatoes just before serving?

Yes, you can prepare the filling and fill the potatoes, then store them in the fridge for a few hours. Bake them just before mealtime. They retain their texture.

4. Can sauerkraut be used instead?

I don’t recommend it, as it turns out too sour and doesn’t blend well with the sweet potato.

5. What should I do with leftover filling if I have any?

Any leftover filling can be placed in a small dish and baked separately. It’s also good on its own, without the potato skin.

Nutritional Values

Approximately, for half a filled potato (1 serving out of 12):

Calories: 120-140 kcal
Protein: 2-3 g
Fat: 4-5 g (more if you use all the butter)
Carbohydrates: 20-22 g

These values are approximate, depending on the size of the potatoes, the exact amount of cabbage used, and whether you add extra butter. Potatoes don’t provide much protein or fat, but they are quite filling.

Storage and Reheating

The stuffed potatoes can be stored in the fridge, covered, for up to 2 days. When reheating, it’s better to put them in the oven or a skillet, not in the microwave, to avoid becoming mushy on the outside. After the first day, the texture is a bit softer, but the taste remains pleasant. I don’t recommend freezing them, as the sautéed cabbage changes texture after thawing.

We wash the potatoes very well and place them whole in a baking tray. We put them in the oven and leave them until a fork goes in easily. (I cheated a bit, my oven was occupied, so I boiled them.) We let them cool down. We slice the cabbage thinly and as small as possible. In a pan, we melt the butter and add the cabbage, sautéing it in the butter until it softens. We cut each potato in half and scoop out some of the inside with a spoon. What we scoop out from the potato is placed over the sautéed cabbage, and we mix it with salt and pepper to taste. In the hollow we made, we put the mixture of cabbage and potatoes and level it a bit. We place them in a tray and put the stuffed potatoes in the oven until they brown on top. The preparation time for these potatoes is quite long, but it is worth it. Choose potatoes that are about the same size so they bake at the same time.

 Ingredients: -12 potatoes -half a sweet cabbage -100 g butter -salt -pepper

 Tags:  baked potatoes