Serves: 4

Prep: 10 mins  |   Cook: 1 hour 15 mins   |  Total: 1 hour 25 mins

Ingredients

4 medium sized russet potatoes

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon salt (divided)

4 tablespoons salted butter (melted)

¼ cup warm milk

½ cup sour cream

½ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon paprika

¼ teaspoon pepper

Dash cayenne pepper

4 oz Hudson Valley Cheese Company Aged Cheddar

5 strips bacon cooked (chopped and divided)

Chives (for garnish)

Sour cream (for garnish)

Directions

Heat oven to 400 degrees

Pierce each potato with a fork 6-8 times. Drizzle each potato with olive oil and sprinkle salt on them. 

Bake for 45-60 minutes or until the potato can be poked easily with a fork. Let potatoes cool enough to handle. 

Once the potatoes can be handled, slice them in half lengthwise and scoop out the insides leaving about ¼ inch of the shell. Placing the insides in a large bowl.

Return the potato shells to the oven, while you are making the filling.

Combine the potatoes with butter, milk, sour cream and spices mash until they reach a creamy consistency. (add additional milk and butter if necessary)

Fold in half of the bacon and cheese. Spoon mash potatoes back into the potato skins.

Top with remainder of cooked bacon and return potatoes to the oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

Serve immediately.