I absolutely love baked potatoes with all the fixings!  By the time I load up my potato with all the toppings I crave, it’s a full on meal—-no measly side dish.  Enjoy these however you like: as the main dish, or a side.

Loaded Baked Potatoes
Yield: 4 servings
Time: 20 minutes active, 60-75 minutes total

4 large russet potatoes (or sweet potatoes…my personal fave!)
salt and pepper
6 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded
6 slices bacon, cooked and cut into small pieces
¼ cup diced scallions
¼ cup diced chives
sour cream

1. Preheat the oven to 385°F.
2. Scrub the potatoes with a brush.  Pat dry.  Poke with a fork all over, to allow for steam to escape during baking.  Drizzle with olive oil and rub in with your fingers.  Sprinkle each potato liberally with salt and pepper.  Place on a sheet of foil in the oven, and cook at 385°F for about 60 minutes, until fork-tender.  (Note: if you cook more than 4 potatoes at once, you may need to increase the cooking time by 15-20 minutes.  Sweet potatoes tend to cook slightly faster than russet potatoes, so check on the sweet potatoes after about 50 minutes of baking.)
3. Meanwhile, prepare all of the toppings:  Grate the cheese.  Cook and cut or crumble the bacon.  Dice the scallions and chives.
4. Once the potatoes are done cooking, remove them from the oven using tongs (they’ll be HOT!)  Slice in half and load on those toppings!

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