Start with a sacka potatoes. Russets will do just fine! It’s best if they’re on the smallish to mediumish side.
Thoroughly scrub the potatoes, then let them dry. Preheat the oven to approximately 401.3764293327266 degrees.
Okay, fine. 400 will do.
Use a paper towel or just your grubby (or, preferably, clean) hands to rub canola oil all over the skins until they’re nice and moist and wonderful.
Stick ’em on a baking sheet and bake ’em until the skins are crisp and the taters are tender, about 30 to 40 minutes or so.
While the taters are baking, grab some bacon. I like the thick cut, peppered kind, but you can use any ol’ bacon you have on hand.
I like to cut bacon slices in half before frying them…
Because they cook more evenly that way, and they also fit more neatly in the skillet.
Fry ’em till they’re just barely crisp but mostly chewy, then throw ’em on a cutting board.
Then chop ’em up pretty finely and set them aside for a bit.
While you’re at it, grate up some sharp cheddar. Or mild cheddar. Or medium mild sharp in-between ambiguous noncommittal cheddar.
Then slice/chop up some green onions.
Sorry to be so bossy today.
Okay, the potatoes are done by now! Let them cool just a bit, then slice ’em down the middle.
Then use a spoon or scoop to scoop out the insides.
Look. You can see me. Freaky!
Leave a little rim around the edges so the potato skins will have a little support and so the potato skins will also have some potato in them.
My logic is sound. My logic is very, very sound.
Just throw the innards into a bowl. Use it for whatever you’d like! I smashed mine up with softened butter, sprinkled in salt and pepper, and saved it for dinner.
But that’s just me.
Keep going till all the taters are scooped out!
Throw ’em back on the baking sheet…
Then melt together a little butter and canola oil.
Then grab a brush…
And brush the inside of the potatoes.
Next, flip ’em over and brush the skins.
Then throw ’em back into the oven for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the skin starts to really crisp up.
Then flip the taters over and leave ’em in for another 3 to 5 minutes, or until they start to get nice and golden brown around the edges.
After you take ’em out, sprinkle cheese on the inside of the skins.
Then sprinkle on plenty of bacon!
Then stick the taters BACK into the oven just long enough to totally melt the cheese and sizzle the bacon.
Yum!
Add a little sour cream…
This is my nephew from Dallas. He and his brother are visiting the ranch for the next couple of weeks and he likes to photobomb my food.
His name is Stu. I call him Tooie. And I will still call him Tooie when he’s forty years old.
Okay, Tooie left the room for a few minutes. I’d better hurry!
Green onions come next! Yum, yum…and YUM.
We ate these over the course of the first half of the game and loved them lots and lots.
You’ll love them lots and lots, too!
