Baked Potato Leftovers Become Twice-Baked Potatoes

We have been hosting a series of themed potlucks with a group of friends as we prepare to launch a church.  Each week we gather with foods that reflect the theme and have enjoyed South of the Border, Breakfast for Dinner, International Foods, and Southern Comfort Food.  Included on the table last night were BBQ pork, Fried chicken, baked potatoes, Macaroni and Cheese and lots of pie.  Fattening and yummy, the meal was a delight to our taste buds!

Nine small/medium baked potatoes ended up in my fridge.  What to do?  Twice-Baked Potatoes, of course!  The time-consuming part of this recipe is the pre-baking which had already been done.  I had removed them from the foil and put them in the fridge all night.  Today, I cut them in half, longwise and scooped out the potato leaving just a bit along the skin.  I used an ice cream scoop to carefully capture the potato.

Next, warm the potato with butter and milk.  For these nine potatoes I used about 1/4 C butter and a scant 1/2 C milk/cream.   Beat until mostly smooth and add a good handful of shredded cheese and a good handful of crumbled bacon.  You may also add sliced green onions, garlic or any other baked potato toppings that you enjoy.  Mix well.

Place potato shells on a cookie sheet or 9x13" pan.  Spoon the filling back into each shell.  Sprinkle with cheese and bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until warm all the way through.  Let set for a few minutes before serving.