Twice-baked Potatoes

Fresh Market was selling 15lb bags of potatoes for $1.99 last week and I couldn't help myself - I had to buy a bag. You know what you do when you have a 15lb bag of potatoes sitting in your pantry? You make a lot of potato recipes! I've never had twice-baked potatoes before so it was a good chance for me to try a new dish. Turns out they are easy to make and taste surprisingly good.

Tip: My grandfather taught me to clean potatoes by taking a BRAND NEW scotch brite pad and using it to gently clean the potatoes. Save that pad and use it only to clean potatoes. 

Ingredients: 

• 4 large potatoes
• 1/3 cup sour cream (I went for the lite kind)
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/16 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper
• shredded cheddar cheese
• chives and bacon bits (optional)

Preparations:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Gently clean potatoes and pierce each potato twice with either a sharp knife or fork. 
3. Bake potatoes on center oven rack for 65 minutes.
4. Remove potatoes from oven using an oven mitt. Cut the top of each potato off so that the remaining potato is in the shape of a canoe.
5. Scoop out inside of potatoes and put into a medium sized bowl. (Be gently because you need the shell of the potato.)
6. Add butter, sour cream and cayenne pepper to potatoes. Mix well. Salt and pepper to taste.
7. Place potato mixture back into potato shells. You can top with chives and bacon bits and then add the cheese or just add cheese.
8. Put potatoes into the oven at 375 for 15 - 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and potatoes are warm again.