Twice Baked Potatoes with Bacon & Cheese

Preheat the oven to 200°C Fan. Rub the olive oil over the outside of the potatoes and season generously with salt. Put the potatoes on a baking tray and bake in the oven for 1 hour 15 minutes, or until the inside of the potato can be pierced very easily with a knife, it may take a little longer. Take the potatoes out of the oven and allow to cool completely. It is a good idea to bake the potatoes the day before you want to eat them. You can store them in the fridge overnight.

To cook the bacon, preheat the grill to a high heat. Lay the bacon out flat on a baking tray or grill pan and put it under the grill. Cook for 7 minutes, checking every couple of minutes, until the bacon is golden brown and starting to get crispy. Take the bacon out from under the grill and allow to cool for a couple of minutes. Roughly chop the bacon. You can fry the bacon if you prefer.

Once the potatoes are completely cool cut them in half lengthways. Scoop out most of the potato in the middle, you can leave a bit round the edges, so you don’t pierce through the potato skin. You should now have four boat-shaped potato skins, put these on a baking tray. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan.

Put the scooped-out potato into a large bowl and mash well until mostly smooth. Add in the chopped bacon, spring onions, ¾ of the grated cheddar, sour cream, and Mackays Red Pepper & Smoked Paprika Chutney. Add a generous grind of black pepper. Mix well with a wooden spoon or spatula and then taste and add more salt or pepper if needed.

Divide the mixture between the four scooped-out potato skins, piling it up on top to make a mound. Sprinkle the reserved grated cheddar over the potatoes and add a pinch of smoked paprika (if using) on top of each potato.

Put the potatoes in the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until golden and bubbling. Serve immediately with a green salad and a dollop more of Mackays Red Pepper & Smoked Paprika Chutney.