Ingredients:

• Sour cream, 2 Tbsp (1 Tbsp per potato)
• Spring onions, 1 stalk, sliced

Baked Potatoes:

• Russet potatoes, 2
• Kosher salt, 3 tsp (1 ½ tsp per potato)
• Unsalted butter, 1 Tbsp (½ Tbsp per potato)

Cheese Sauce:

• Half and half or heavy cream, ½ c.
• American cheese slices, 2
• Kosher salt, ½ tsp or to taste
• optional: msg, ¼ tsp or to taste
• optional: cornstarch slurry (cornstarch, ½ tsp + water, ½ tsp)

Crispy Bacon Bits:

• bacon of choice, 2 slices, finely cubed
• If needed: neutral oil or reserved bacon fat, ½ Tbsp

Directions:

Baked potatoes

1. Heat your oven to 425ºF.
2. Wash and scrub your potatoes thoroughly.
3. Sprinkle and rub salt (1 tsp) over each potato.
4. Place the potatoes in the heated oven and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes.
5. Transfer the baked potatoes to a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes.
6. Create a vertical slit down the potato with a knife.
7. Using your index fingers and thumbs, pinch and slightly compress the top of each potato, creating a diamond shape, creating a larger surface area for toppings to be added. 
8. Place in the butter and salt (½ tsp per potato). With a fork, mash the inside of the potatoes as the butter melts. 
9. Set aside.

Crispy Bacon Bits

1. In a medium to medium-high heat pan, fry the bacon. Pour in the oil if you’re using lean bacon (chicken or turkey).
2. Spread the bacon out into a single layer to develop colour, crisp the first side. About 2–4 minutes.
3. Stir when the bacon easily releases from the pan and has browned, then let the bits sit again to crisp other sides. Another 2–4 minutes or until you’ve reached your desired crispness.
4. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and let them cool. Set aside.

Cheese Sauce

1. Pour in the cream and add your cheese slices to a saucepan then turn the burner up to low to medium-low heat. Let it heat through, 3 minutes.
2. When the cheese is melting, whisk to combine.
3. Taste, then sprinkle in the salt and msg to your liking. Let the cheese sauce sit on low heat to get thicker if using heavy cream.
4. If you’re using half and half, pour in your cornstarch slurry, whisking at the same time, until the sauce thickens. If the sauce becomes too thick, splash in more cream (½ – 1 Tbsp).
5. Taste, making sure the seasoning is to your liking.
6. Turn the burner off.
7. Set aside.

Assemble

1. Place the baked potato on your serving plate.
2. Spoon in the cheese sauce (2 Tbsp per potato), followed by sour cream over the opening of the baked potatoes.
3. Sprinkle the crispy bacon followed by spring onions atop.
4. Serve and enjoy!