Twice Baked Potato Shortcuts

Bacon Twice-Baked Potatoes

2 medium baking potatoes

2 tablespoons butter

¼ cup milk

1 bacon strip, cooked and crumbled

1 tablespoon finely chopped onion

1 teaspoon snipped chives

¼ teaspoon salt

Dash pepper

½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

Bake potatoes at 375 degrees for 1 hour or until tender. When cool enough to handle, cut a thin slice off the top of each potato and discard. Scoop out pulp, leaving a thin shell. In a small bowl mash the pulp with butter. Stir in the milk, bacon, onion, chives, salt, pepper, and 1/3 cup of cheese. Spoon into potato shells. Top with the remaining cheese. Place on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until cheese is melted.

This is one of my husband and my favorite potato dishes. So because I make it so often I have come up with some short cuts. Instead of using a strip of bacon and cooking and crumbling it, use the real bacon bits you can buy at the grocery store, they still give it a wonderful flavor (don’t use Bac O’s).  If you don’t like scooping out the pulp of a potato and then putting it back in, because the skin always tears, don’t worry. Just cut the potatoes in half, scoop out all of the pulp and mix it together like the recipe says, then spoon the potato mixture into a baking dish, the size of baking dish will depend on the amount you make. Sprinkle it with cheese and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. This way you can spoon out the amount of potatoes you want onto your plate, you don’t have to worry about ripping the skins of the potatoes, and it doesn’t cause as much stress.

I hope you enjoy this wonderful side dish.