The Make-Ahead Ground Beef Dinner I Can't Stop Making

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.

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.

More Fun With Potatoes

• Too-Much-Garlic Mashed Potatoes
• Crispy Parmesan Potatoes
• Greek-Style Lemon Potatoes
• Bang Bang Potatoes
• Crash Hot Potatoes

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!