Twice-baked Potatoes
Po-ta-to, po-tah-to
Last updated
Po-ta-to, po-tah-to
Last updated
Medium ·2 Hours ·American
6 large potatoes
1 package bacon
250g sour cream
250g cheddar (freshly grated)
1 medium yellow onion (diced)
1 spring onion (thinly sliced)
1 clove garlic (crushed or grated)
2 Tbsp. butter
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Cook the bacon, then drain & strain the fat into a small container. Crumble or chop the bacon into small pieces and set aside.
Wash the potatoes thoroughly, then poke them all over with a fork to prevent a messy steam explosion in the oven. Place on a foil lined backing sheet and brush liberally with bacon fat (butter or olive oil work too), then bake in a preheated oven at 350F/180C for an hour, rotating halfway through.
Remove the potatoes from the oven, then slice off the top ~25% and carefully scoop the insides out into a large mixing bowl, being careful not to tear the skin. Once empty, place the canoe-like skin to the side. Try not to burn your fingers!
Melt the butter in a sauce pan, then add the diced onion and sautee briefly until softened. Add the garlic and sautee for another minute, then pour out into the mixing bowl.
Chop up the bits of skin you sliced off and add them to the mixing bowl along with the sour cream, half the cheese and half the bacon bits. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then mix it all up until well combined but still a little chunky. If you're feeling fancy you can add some ground nutmeg or smoked paprika here too.
Carefully spoon the mixture back into the potato skins and top with green onion and remaining cheese and bacon.
At this point you can either place the potatoes back in the oven for another ~15 minutes until the cheese is nicely melted or you can let them cool and place in the refrigerator for up to a few days. When it's time to eat them, just bake as before at 350F/180C until hot and melty