twice baked potatoes

i am a fan of spuds…you can keep bread away from me i could care less but potatoes can not be avoided especially with a grilled steak. i do not make these very often because they are super unhealthy and generally we eat clean but for one of those days you want to splurge these are amazing. and really nothing special…i just added the ingredients we like. some of my favorite recipes have no recipe at all just my creation! so check it out and let me know what you think. these can definitely be prepared the morning of or even the day before since the last step is to warm up or re-heat.

ingredients

6 large restaurant style potatoes

1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese

1/4 cup sour cream (we love daisy)

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter…but don't tell anyone

1 cup of bacon bits (i prefer fresh so i cook the bacon and make my own crumbles)

1 cup of green onions/scallions chopped

1/2 cup of chives finely chopped

course seas salt

1. heat oven to 400 degrees. wash potatoes and then poke holes in them with a knife or fork. re-wet the potato if necessary and sprinkle with sea salt…you want the salt to stick. place directly on oven rack and back for about an hour until potatoes are soft with a slightly crunchy skin…yum!

2. remove from the oven and allow to cool so potatoes can be handled. once they are cool enough to touch slice them long ways down the center. then scoop out the inside of the potato and place in a medium sized mixing bowl.   (see photos below)





















3. once the insides of the potato are all scooped out place the stick of butter (yikes) in the bowl and allow the butter to melt with a lid on top or pop it in the microwave for a few seconds.  then mash potatoes using an electric mixer. you could hand mash as well but i prefer smooth and no lumps and hand mixing can take some time. mix until they are well blended and creamy. then add sour cream and mix. the remaining ingredients i fold in together. add the cheese, half of the bacon crumbles and scallions mix until evenly distributed.

4. next step is to fill the potato skins with that yummy mixture above. i actually used an easy accent decorator from the pampered chef to fill mine but feel fee to use a spoon or any other type of kitchen gadget.

5.  sprinkle remaining bacon bits over the top of each potato. if the bacon bits start to fall off gently press them into the potato.  place the potatoes in a pan or on a cookie sheet and warm at 350 degrees. you could also add them to the top rack of your grill if you are grilling. remove from oven or grill and sprinkle with scallions.

enjoy!!