Twice Baked Potatoes are Twice as Delicious!

This was quite possibly the highlight of my steakhouse dinner last weekend...well the best out of what I made, the girls always bring wonderful additions to every meal.  For dinner I made rib eye steaks, roasted broccoli (which I totally forgot about and burned to the point that it was inedible), Rocco Dispirito's Faux Onion Rings, Caesar Salad from Stacey Snacks (which I forgot to take a picture of) and these incredibly delicious Twice Baked Potatoes. 

Use big potatoes, about 1 pound each, they make quite the presentation.  The recipe I followed (which I found on Food and Wine Magazine's website), calls for using an extra potato, peeling it entirely and adding that to the mashed potato filling, making them overstuffed potatoes.  In my opinion it is completely unnecessary to do this.  The potatoes are huge and hearty and we barely finished them.  One per person is more than enough.  The recipe calls for chives but like I always say, use what you already have and I had scallions.  It's essentially the same taste and they can be used interchangeably.

Twice Baked Potatoes
Adapted from recipe by Emerill Lagasse
The orignal recipe can be found here at the website for Food and Wine magazine.

Ingredients:

3 - 1 lb Idaho baking potatoes
olive oil
salt and pepper
4 ounces of bacon, chopped
2 cups shredded shard cheddar cheese (you may not use it all)

1/2 - 3/4 cup sour cream

about 1/4 cup milk (or more depending on consistency you desire)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2-3 scallions, chopped, green part only

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.

2.  Rub potatoes with a little oil, salt and pepper.  Pierce all over with a fork.  Bake for 1hour - 1 hour 10 minutes or until fork tender.  Let cool. 

3.  While potatoes are cooking, cook bacon until crisp and drain on paper towels.

4.  Cut the top quarter from each potato and scoop the pulp from the potatoes and place in a bowl.  Be sure to leave 1/4 inch layer of pulp on the skin so you have a shell to hold the potato together. If you'd like, peel away the skin from the top quarter of the potato and add it the bowl with potato pulp.  I see no reason to waste that.  If there is a piece that seems a little hard just take that piece off. Return potato shells to the baking sheet.

5.  Use a potato masher to blend potatoes until smooth.  Add 1 cup of the cheese, sour cream, butter, milk, bacon, scallions, salt and pepper, stir to combine.  Top with cheese (you won't need the whole cup) and bake until hot and the cheese is melted, about 15 minutes.  Serve hot. 

Note - The recipe can be prepared ahead through step 2 and refrigerated for up to 1 day.

Click here for a printable recipe of Twice Baked Potatoes.