Cheeseburger Twice Baked Potatoes

Two classic dishes come together to make the ultimate comfort food.

By
Emma Christensen
Emma Christensen headshot
Emma Christensen
Emma Christensen is the General Manager for Simply Recipes, the author of three books on home brewing and a graduate from The Cambridge School for Culinary Arts. 
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Updated October 17, 2024
Emma Christensen headshot
cheeseburger stuffed baked potatoes on a plate at a table setting with bowls of toppings and sauce

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

The other night, I was craving twice baked potatoes for dinner, but my husband begged for cheeseburgers and gave me puppy dog eyes. Compromise is key to a happy marriage, so we improvised a mashup of our two favorites. Enter cheeseburger twice-baked potatoes. 

For a fairly simple recipe, this one delivers big time. Sautéed onions, ground beef, and cheddar cheese—essential burger components—get mixed into the scooped middles of baked potatoes and stuffed back into the potato skins before being topped with more melty cheese. Pile on shredded lettuce, cherry tomatoes, and (of course) burger sauce, and there you have it.

My husband hadn’t even finished his portion before he requested that we put this one on our regular meal rotation. I certainly wasn’t going to argue!

A Note on Portion Sizes

As written, this recipe makes six well-stuffed halves. One half was plenty for my appetite, but my husband devoured two halves. This also left us with the remaining three halves for dinner the next night. Win!

You could add another potato to the mix to make yourself eight stuffed potato halves instead of six, especially if that makes things easier for your particular family configuration. You’ll end up with slightly less filling in each one, but I think you’ll still be 100% satisfied.

Cheeseburger stuffed baked potatoes with toppings on a plate with utensils and in the surroundings, a bowl of sliced tomatoes, bowl of sauce, and chopped lettuce

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

Make Ahead Moments

If you’re counting on leftovers the next day or just want to get these prepped earlier in the week, I suggest the following:

  • Prepare the recipe up through stuffing the potato halves with the filling. Do NOT put them back in the oven.
  • Let them cool, then put them in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to five days.
  • To reheat, place as many as you want to eat on a microwave-safe plate and warm in 1-minute bursts until warmed through. You could also do this in the oven if you prefer, but be sure to loosely cover the potatoes with tinfoil to keep them from drying out.
  • Top with cheese and microwave or bake for a few additional minutes until the cheese is melted.
  • Top with lettuce, tomatoes, and sauce, and enjoy!

Time-Saving Tip

I prefer to bake my potatoes in the oven because it’s hands-off. I get everything else ready while they’re baking, and I’m a sucker for crispy potato skin. If you’re strapped for time, I totally support cooking your potatoes in the microwave. Microwave potatoes are ready for scooping and filling in about 15 minutes rather than an hour.

Cheeseburger stuffed baked potatoes on parchment paper

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

More Fun With Potatoes

Cheeseburger Twice Baked Potatoes

Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 60 mins
Total Time 75 mins
Servings 4 to 6 servings
Yield 6 stuffed potato halves
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

For the twice baked potatoes

  • 3 large russet potatoes (about 8 ounces each)

  • 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided

  • 1 yellow onion, diced

  • 1 teaspoon salt, divided, plus more for seasoning the potatoes

  • 1 pound lean ground beef

  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

  • 1/2 cup sour cream

For the burger sauce and toppings

  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise

  • 1/4 cup ketchup

  • 2 tablespoons pickle relish

  • 1 head romaine lettuce, sliced into ribbons

  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  2. Bake the potatoes:

    Wash the potatoes and pat them dry. Use a fork to poke holes on all sides. Rub each potato all over with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. 

    Set the potatoes on a baking sheet and bake for 45 to 60 minutes, turning once or twice during cooking. They’re done when easily pierced with a fork all the way through the middle. Set aside to cool slightly and leave the oven on.

    olive oil coated potatoes on a baking sheet for cheeseburger stuffed baked potatoes recipe

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
    baked potatoes on a baking sheet for cheeseburger stuffed baked potatoes recipe

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
  3. Meanwhile cook the beef and onions:

    While the potatoes are baking, warm a teaspoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the diced onions and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring every minute or so, until the onions are deeply browned and even a bit charred in spots.

    Push the onions to the edges of the pan to create space in the center. Add the ground beef and sprinkle with another 1/4 teaspoon salt. Use a stiff spatula to break up the ground beef into small crumbles. Cook until browned, gradually mixing in with the onions. Remove the pan from the heat.

    caramelized onions in a skillet for cheeseburger stuffed baked potatoes recipe

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
    ground beef cooked with the caramelized onions in a skillet for cheeseburger stuffed baked potatoes recipe

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
  4. Make the filling: 

    When the potatoes are cooked through, slice them in half and scoop out the middles with a soup spoon, leaving behind about 1/4 inch in the potato shell. Transfer the middles to a mixing bowl and mash with 1 cup of the cheese (reserve the rest), the sour cream, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir in the cooked onions and ground beef. Taste and add more sour cream if you’d like a creamier filling or salt if needed.

    baked potatoes cut in half and the potato middles scooped out for cheeseburger stuffed baked potatoes recipe

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
    potato middle, sour cream, and cheddar mixed together in a bowl for cheeseburger stuffed baked potatoes recipe

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
    cooked ground beef mixed with the cheesy potato filling for cheeseburger stuffed baked potatoes recipe

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
  5. Bake: 

    Arrange the empty potato halves on the baking sheet like boats. Divide the filling between all the halves. The filling will be mounded quite high, almost to the original size of the potato.

    Return the potatoes to the oven and warm for 10 minutes. Sprinkle the tops with the remaining cheese and bake for another 3 to 5 minutes, until the cheese has melted.

    filling added to baked potato shells on the baking sheet for cheeseburger stuffed baked potatoes recipe

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
    baked cheeseburger stuffed baked potatoes on a baking sheet

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
    baked cheeseburger stuffed potatoes on a baking sheet

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
  6. Make the sauce and serve: 

    While the potatoes are warming, stir together the mayonnaise, ketchup, and relish to make the burger sauce. Taste and add more ketchup or relish if desired.

    Serve 1 to 2 halves per person, depending on your appetite. Top with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, and a drizzle of burger sauce.

    Store leftover twice baked potatoes (without toppings) in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Store the sauce separately for up to a week in the fridge.

    Love the recipe? Leave us stars and a comment below!

    bowl of sauce for cheeseburger stuffed baked potatoes recipe

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
    cheeseburger stuffed baked potatoes topped with shredded lettuce and sliced tomatoes on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
    Cheeseburger stuffed baked potatoes with toppings on a plate

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
658 Calories
41g Fat
37g Carbs
36g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 658
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 41g 53%
Saturated Fat 15g 75%
Cholesterol 124mg 41%
Sodium 1076mg 47%
Total Carbohydrate 37g 13%
Dietary Fiber 5g 19%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 36g
Vitamin C 18mg 92%
Calcium 363mg 28%
Iron 5mg 27%
Potassium 1379mg 29%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.