Twice baked potatoes…so ’80s but it was the very first dish I ever learned how to make and it was the very first dish I taught my daughter, Ashleigh, to make on her own….No, not gourmet, but delicious? For sure! Hubby is grillling some steaks tonight, the kids are home (yes, they are adults but still kids to me) and this is the perfect  side dish!

My mother taught me how to make these when I was in my mid-teens and I have tweaked the recipe over the years so that now, I think I have finally gotten them exactly how the Pitt family likes them.  (Please never buy those pre-made ones in the store….yuck!)

Ingredients

• 5 large Idaho baking potatoes
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• Kosher salt
• 5 pieces of bacon, chopped
• 4 tbsps butter, melted
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped chives
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

Season the potatoes with 1 tablespoon of the oil and salt. Place on a baking sheet and place in the oven.

Cook until fork tender, about 1 hour. Remove and cool.  (I like to put them on a separate plate to cool so they don’t absorb any more heat)

While potatoes are cooling, place bacon in a saucepan over medium heat and cook the bacon until crispy.  Remove and drain on paper towels.  Slice 1/4 of the top off each of the potatoes. Using a spoon, scrape out the flesh of each potato into a mixing bowl…don’t forget to scrape the potato out of the 1/4 top, too!  

Using a hand held masher, mash the potatoes until smooth…I mash each time I add another potato.  Add the butter, sour cream, milk, s cup and a half of the cheese, bacon, and the chives. Season with salt and pepper; mix well.

Spoon the potato mixture back into the potato shells.

Top the potatoes with the remaining cheese and place back on the baking sheet and bake until the cheese melts, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Ready to serve and I promise that there won’t be one bite left! Enjoy!