Bacon and Cheddar Bursting Baked Potatoes

Ingredients

Large Russet potatoes

4

Bacon strips

8, cooked and crumbled

Cheddar cheese

2 cups, shredded

Sour cream

1/2 cup

Green onions

4, chopped

Salt

to taste

Black pepper

to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
2. Thoroughly wash the potatoes and pat them dry. Using a fork, pierce each potato several times. This will allow steam to escape and prevent the potatoes from bursting.
3. Bake the potatoes directly on the oven rack for about 45-60 minutes, or until they turn tender when pierced with a fork.
4. Take the potatoes out of the oven and let them cool slightly. Be careful, they will be hot!
5. Make a slit lengthwise in each potato. Gently squeeze the ends of the potatoes to open them up.
6. With a fork, fluff up the insides of the potatoes. This will make them ready to absorb all the delicious toppings.
7. Season each potato with salt and pepper.
8. Stir together the crumbled bacon and shredded cheddar cheese in a bowl, then stuff this mixture into the slits of the potatoes.
9. Put the potatoes back into the oven and bake for an extra 5 minutes, or until the cheese has melted into a bubbly, golden delight.
10. Remove the potatoes from the oven, allowing them to cool down for a few minutes.
11. Finish off each potato with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of chopped green onions.
12. Serve hot for a delicious, comforting side dish that everyone will love.