Get ready to add these stuffed baked potatoes to your comfort food list! The potatoes are made by baking them, scooping out the middle, mashing it with milk, butter, cooked smoked pancetta, sharp cheddar, and sautéed mushrooms, filling the shells with the mixture, and baking them again. This gives you a rich, earthy, smoky, and creamy filling that warms the soul on a cold evening.

I love to top them with sour cream (or creme fraiche) and chives and serve them for a hearty dinner, holiday dinner, family gathering, and other special occasions.

side view of four stuffed baked potatoes with sour cream and pancetta topping served on a white dish against a black background

Ingredients Needed

To make these stuffed baked potatoes, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Potatoes – 4 large potatoes for baking (starchy potatoes like Russet/Idaho potatoes in the US, Maris Piper or King Edward potatoes in the UK); I used 14 oz potatoes in the photos but this recipe works with smaller ones as well.
Cheddar – 1 cup shredded/grated sharp white cheddar, divided (3/4 cup for the filling and 1/4 cup to top the stuffed potatoes), yellow cheddar works as well.
Smoked Pancetta – 6 oz smoked pancetta (170 grams) (smoked bacon is a good substitute)
Mushrooms – 8 oz white mushrooms (225 grams)
Garlic – 1 garlic clove
Butter – 2 tbsp butter (both salted and unsalted butter work)
Milk – 1/2 cup milk
Oil – 1 tbsp light olive oil (or another neutral oil like sunflower oil, vegetable oil, canola oil for baking the potatoes)
Salt – salt, to taste
Pepper – black pepper, to taste
Chives – finely chopped fresh chives, to garnish at the end (spring onions are a good flavor substitute)
Sour Cream or Creme Fraiche – 1/3 cup sour cream or creme fraiche to top the baked potatoes (optional)

Instructions with Photos

Step 1. Bake the potatoes: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). While the oven is preheating, prep the potatoes. Wash them well, scrubbing all the dirt away. Then pat them dry and poke holes in them with a fork or knife (carefully). Then, season generously with salt and pepper and rub with 1 tablespoon of oil. Place them on a baking sheet or roasting tray and bake them until tender. For these 14 oz potatoes, it takes about 75 minutes. For smaller potatoes (10-12 oz), it can take about 55-65 minutes.

To test if the potatoes are baked, use a knife to pierce them. If it pierces easily and the potato is tender, then it’s ready.

four potatoes on a baking tray before being baked

view of four baked potatoes on a baking tray after they have been baked

Step 2. Cook the pancetta: While the potatoes are baking, cook the smoked pancetta. Add the diced pancetta to a pan over medium heat. Sauté it, stirring occasionally, until the pancetta is cooked (and slightly crispy) and it releases the fat in the pan (about 5-6 minutes). Remove the pancetta to a plate with a slotted spoon or spatula, leaving the fat in the pan to sauté the mushrooms in it.

close up of pancetta cubes cooking in a pan with the fat bubbling

Step 3. Sauté the mushrooms: To the same pan (now with the fat from the pancetta) over medium-high heat, add the sliced mushrooms and a pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are fully cooked (about 10 minutes). Add the minced garlic to the cooked mushrooms, mixing it in, and sauté for a few seconds to gently cook the garlic, and then remove the mushrooms from the heat and set them aside.

close up of sliced mushrooms in cast iron pan

minced garlic added to mushrooms cooking in a cast iron pan

close up of cooked mushrooms with garlic in a black cast iron pan

Step 4. Prep the baked potatoes: Cut a small piece of the side of the baked potatoes and scoop out the middle. You can use a pairing knife, a small spoon, or a cookie scoop. Make sure to keep the shells intact (leaving enough potato on the shells to hold their shape).

top down view of two baked potatoes with the tops sliced off and placed next to the body of the potatoes

overhead view of five potato shells and a glass mixing bowl showing the insides of the potato scooped up and into the bowl with a knife and spoon next to it

Step 5. Prep the filling: Mash the scooped potato with a potato masher or a potato ricer (for fluffier potatoes). Add the butter and mash again to incorporate the butter. Add the milk a bit at a time until you have the preferred consistency. Add in 3/4 cup of shredded cheddar, cooked smoked pancetta (reserve a few for garnishing the potatoes), and cooked mushrooms, and fold everything into the mashed potatoes with a spatula or spoon. Taste the mixture and add salt and pepper to taste.

close up of potato being mashed with a masher in a glass bowl

view of a bowl of mashed potato after cooked mushrooms, pancetta, and grated cheddar has been added to the mixture

Step 6. Stuff the potatoes and bake: Fill the potato shells with the mashed potato mixture and add grated cheddar on top. Return to the oven for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is golden with some golden-brown spots on top.

Step 7. Serve the potatoes: Serve the stuffed potatoes with sour cream or creme fraiche and chives.

What I enjoy most about these potatoes is just how velvety soft that filling is! This is such a great way to add a tasty spin to a beloved classic, and it’s sure to put some smiles on faces. If you made this and really enjoyed it, let me know with a review below.

Want More Topping Ideas?

I’ve put together a truly delicious array of topping ideas here for an amazing potato bar. You can even get it as a free printable, so you can try all of them and tick them off.

More Potato Dishes

For hearty weeknight meals, try these mashed potato cakes with pancetta, this hearty potato frittata with a fresh salad, or this air fryer baked potato. If you need some tasty sides, try these lemon-garlic new potatoes, these air fryer potato bites with cheat aioli, or some lemon parmesan oven-roasted potato bites.

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