Makes 4 large, medium or small potatoes.
YouTube instructional video is at the bottom.
What you’ll need
4 large russet potatoes (4 pounds 8 ounces total) You can also use small or medium sized potatoes. You will only need 4 of those as well.
Olive, vegetable or canola oil
Salted or unsalted butter
Whole milk
Sour cream
8 ounce block mild cheddar cheese or preshredded mild cheddar cheese
1 pound thinly sliced smoked bacon or bacon bits in a container
Seasonings
Salt
Black pepper
Fresh or freeze-dried chives
Tools you’ll need
9 by 13-inch baking pan
Aluminum foil
Potato masher or a small or large spoon
Cheese shredder (If you are using pre-shredded cheese, omit this item)
Preparation of ingredients
Potatoes 1
Step 1- Rub the potatoes with your hands while rinsing them with cold water. Pat each potato dry with napkins.
Preheat oven to 400-degrees.
Step 2- Line a sheet of aluminum foil along the inside of a 9 by 13-inch baking pan. Add the potatoes into the baking pan.
Step 3- Add 2 teaspoons olive, vegetable or canola oil into the palm of your hand. Rub each potato with the oil. Add 2 addtional teaspoons oil into your hands if you need to add more oil onto the potatoes.
Step 4- Sprinkle 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper onto the potatoes. Rub the seasonings onto each potato with your hands and place them back into the baking pan.
Note– Baking times will very depending on the size of the potatoes. Use the instructions given in the step below as a guideline to properly bake your potatoes and also prevent them from overcooking. Very important.
Step 5- Place into a preheated 400-degree oven on the bottom rack. If you have large potatoes like how I have, baked the potatoes for 1 hour and 10 minutes. If you are using medium-sized potatoes, bake for 1 hour and for small potatoes 45 minutes.
Note- While the potatoes are baking, prepare all the other items. You can also do this before you bake your potatoes as well. Also, if you have items that are already premade and prepackage you can skip steps 6-10
Chives
Step 6- Chop 0.5 ounces fresh chives with a knife. If you are using freeze dried chives in a container, you can skip this step.
Cheese
Step 7- Shred 8 ounces mild cheddar cheese using the cheese shredder. If you already have your cheese in a pack pre-shredded, you can skip this step.
Bacon
Preheat fire to medium heat.
Step 8- Cut 8 strips of bacon in half. Add the bacon strips into a large saucepan of frying pan. Let the bacon strips fry for 7 minutes on medium heat. After 7 minutes, Turn your fire down from medium-to-medium low heat. Flip the strips over to the other side. Let fry for 8 to 10 minutes. This will prevent the bacon strips from burning. Also, if you are already using premade bacon bits, you can skip step 8-10
Step 9- Remove the bacon strips from the saucepan of frying pan using a spatula. Place them onto a serving dish lined with napkins. Take more napkins and press down onto the bacon, this will crumble the bacon and remove any excessive oil. You can also crumble the bacon with your hands instead of using a food processor.
This step is optional
Step 10- Add bacon bits into a food processor. Pulse 3 to 5 times. From there you’ll have bacon bits.
Potatoes 2
Step 11- Remove the potatoes from the oven. Let cool for 5 minutes before doing any testing to see if the potatoes are done. To test to see if the potatoes are done, press each potato with your fingers. The potato skin should be nice and crispy, and the inside of the potato should be soft. Another way to tell is if you can stick a large fork in and out of each potato easily, the potatoes are done. Let the potatoes cool for 15 to 20 minutes.
Baked Potato Troubleshoot- If the potatoes are not done, preheat your oven again to 400-degrees and place the potatoes back into the oven for an additional 10 to 20 minutes. Once the baking time has ended remove the potatoes from the oven, wait 5 minutes, then test the potatoes again. Careful not to overbake your potatoes. Overbaked potatoes produce a lot of starch, and the potato insides will have a mushy and slimy texture.
Step 12- Cut an oval incision at the top of each potato using a sharp knife. Remove the skin from the top. Carefully dig out the insides of each potato using a spoon. Careful not to damage the inner shell of the potatoes. Add the potatoes insides into a medium-sized bowl.
Step 13- Mash the potatoes well with a potato masher or a spoon. Once done you should have 2 pounds and 8 ounces mashed potatoes. If you have medium-sized or small potatoes, you should have between 1 and 1/2- or 2-pounds mashed potatoes.
Making mashed potato filling
Important note- The amount of filling will very be depending on the size of the potatoes you are using. I will give 2 measurements only for certain ingredients. The first measurement will be for the smaller potatoes and the second measurement will be for large to medium-sized potatoes. If I’m giving just one measurement by itself, it’s for any amount of mashed potatoes.
Preheat fire to medium heat.
Step 14- Heat a large 8-quart pot for 1 to 2 minutes. Add 5 tablespoons salted or unsalted butter and let the butter melt.
After the butter melts, turn your fire down from medium to medium low heat.
Step 15- Add 1/3 or 1/2 cup sour cream, and 1/3 cup whole milk. Stir all ingredients with a whisk until combined.
Step 16- Add 1/4 or 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/8 or 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 1 or 2 tablespoons fresh or freeze-dried chives, and 2/3 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese. Stir continuously until the cheese melts into liquid. Add 3 tablespoons or 1/4 cup bacon bits, mashed potatoes and an additional 1/3 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese. If you want to add any more seasonings or any other additional ingredients, you may do so at this time. Stir all ingredients together until combined. Mixture should be thick and creamy.
Filling and baking the potatoes
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Step 17- Carefully add the mashed potato filling into each potato shell. Press the filling down into each potato shell to ensure they are filled properly. If you have any additional filling left over, continue adding it on top of each potato shell until there’s no filling left.
Step 18- Place the filled potato shells back into your baking pan lined with napkins. Add 1/2 tablespoon salted or unsalted butter on top of the filling of each potato shell. Press the butter down into the filling with your finger.
Step 19- Place into a preheated 375-degree oven on the bottom rack. Bake for 35 minutes. After 35 minutes, remove the stuffed potato shells from the oven. Let the potatoes cool for 15 to 20 minutes.
Step 20- As a final garnish, add a small amount of sour cream, shredded mild cheddar cheese, bacon bits and fresh or freeze-dried chives on top of the baked potatoes. After that the potatoes are ready to be served.
YouTube instructional video
