Twice-baked potatoes

What’s your favorite thing about mashed potatoes?

All that cream and butter smashed in, right?

Agreed.

So, what’s your favorite thing about loaded baked potatoes?

All that deliciousness piled on top.

Am I right?

Bacon, cheese, sour cream, butter, chives … the list goes on.

Now imagine a world where you can have it all.

Oh wait.

You don’t have to.

It’s called the twice-baked potato.

Good lord, get me a fork.

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Ingredients

• 4 large baking potatoes
• 8 slices bacon
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup milk (or half and half)
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 8 green onions, sliced, divided (or a nice bunch of chopped chives)
• 1/4 cup ranch dressing (preferably Hidden Valley from-the-packet made)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Bake potatoes in preheated oven for 1 hour. (It always takes me, like, an hour and a half, for some reason.)
3. Meanwhile, place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.
4. When potatoes are done allow them to cool for 10 minutes. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop the flesh into a large bowl; save skins. To the potato flesh add sour cream, ranch, milk, butter, salt, pepper, 1/2 cup cheese and 1/2 the green onions. Mix with a hand mixer until well blended and creamy. Spoon the mixture into the potato skins. Top each with remaining cheese, green onions and bacon.
5. Bake for another 15 minutes.

[Source: Slightly altered from AllRecipes.com]