Stuffed Baked Potatoes with Bacon

These are a favourite in our house, and once you try them I'm confident they will be a favourite in yours!

Let's face it, there are not too many of us that DON'T like potato...I suppose there must be a few out there...but here in this house we are big huge potato fans, so I'm always looking for new and interesting ways to serve them.

BTW, we also like love bacon, so these little beauties are a win win!

Simple to make, just bake the whole potatoes in the oven straight on the rack (yup, right on the rack) then scoop out the insides, mix it all together then stuff it back in, a sprinkle on top then back in the oven. Couldn't be easier.

PS: a side note from my sous chef, bottle washer, taste tester, biggest fan and all around favourite person in the whole entire world...yeah, I know, sorry for the gush...he wants you to know this recipe is "husband-friendly" (his term not mine!)

Please enjoy...

Lee-Ann ♥

Suggested Mains/Accompaniments:

Oven Roasted Lamb Ribs with Youghurt Mint & Garlic Sauce

Homemade Chicken Sausages

Red Wine & Garlic Lamb Shanks

📖 Recipe

Stuffed Baked Potatoes with Bacon

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A creamy combination of potato, bacon, sour cream & cheese, with a crunchy oven baked topping

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Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes

Serving: 4 as a side

Calories: 359kcal

Author: Lee-Ann Grace

Ingredients

• 4 large potatoes about 180g each thin skinned - I used coliban
• ½ tbsp. olive oil
• 2 spring onions finely sliced
• 100 g bacon roughly chopped
• 1 garlic clove crushed/minced
• ½ cup cheddar cheese with some reserved to sprinkle - shredded
• 2 tbsp. sour cream
• 1-2 tbsp. fresh breadcrumbs

Instructions

• Pre heat oven to 180c.
• Prick potatoes all over with a fork - you want to do this so they don't burst their skins in the oven.
• Using your hands, rub the potatoes all over with olive oil & place directly on oven rack.
• Bake for 1 hour or until cooked through (check by inserting a sharp knife into potato to test for doneness).
• Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10-15 mins.
• Meanwhile in a small non-stick pan fry bacon over medium-high heat for 2-3 mins or until starting to brown, add shallots & garlic and turn off heat (the residual heat in the pan will slightly cook the shallots & garlic) and leave in pan to cool slightly.
• When potatoes are cool enough to handle, slice them in half length ways.
• Using a melon baller or teaspoon, scoop out the middle of the potato (you want to scoop out as much potato as you can, but be careful not to pierce the skin).
• Mash potato until there are no lumps, add sour cream & bacon mixture, mix to combine.
• Place a wire rack over a baking tray, and place potato skins on rack, cut side up.
• Add shredded cheese to potato mixture and mix to combine.
• Evenly divide potato mixture between skins.
• Combine reserved cheese and breadcrumbs, sprinkle evenly on top on potatoes.
• Bake for 30 mins, or until tops are golden.

Notes

I do my best to buy potatoes of an even size for this recipe, so they all cook through at the same time.

I like to add the shredded cheese to the potato mixture last so the potato mixture has a chance to cool slightly - this means that when I mix in the cheese it doesn't melt straight away, and when you eat the potatoes you find little pockets of cheesy yumminess.

100g of bacon usually equates to 2 rashers (rind removed) or 4 shortcut.

If your potatoes are too hot to handle and you don't want to wait, I hold them steady with a pair of kitchen tongs to slice them in half, or you could use a clean tea towel - just not too tightly or you will squash them - be careful when scooping them out, the centre of the potato will be VERY hot.

The reason you put the stuffed potatoes on a wire rack over a baking tray to finish cooking is to try and keep the bases of the potatoes from sweating, but not dropping cheese etc all over the oven floor.

*Please note that the amount of calories per serve is provided as a guide only, as ingredients and cooking methods can vary greatly*