Name: Double Baked Mini Potatoes with Bacon
Cook time: 55 min
Ingredients: 2 pound new red potatoes or thin-skinned fingerling potatoes (the smaller, the better); olive oil, to taste; Kosher salt, to taste; freshly ground black pepper, to taste; 4 slices of bacon; 8 ounce cream cheese, softened; 1/4 cup whole-milk yogurt; 1/4 cup fresh chives, minced

Double Baked Mini Potatoes with Bacon

By: Not Your Mothers Casseroles by Faith Durand, Harvard Common Press

Double Baked Mini Potatoes with Bacon are roasted once, then hollowed out, refilled, and baked again, making one of the best potato recipes. But let me tell you, these creamy bites of roasted potato, cream cheese, and bacon are worth the effort.

Serves6

Cooking Time55 min

Ingredients

2 pounds new red potatoes or thin-skinned fingerling potatoes (the smaller, the better)
olive oil, to taste
Kosher salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 slices of bacon
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup whole-milk yogurt
1/4 cup fresh chives, minced

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with a drizzle of olive oil and a few shakes of salt and pepper. Spread on the baking sheet and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, or until easily pierced with a fork. Let cool.
While the potatoes are roasting, lay the bacon slices in a cold skillet and turn the heat to low. Cook for about 15 minutes, turning the bacon frequently. When the bacon is very crisp, remove it from the pan and place on a plate lined with paper towels. Blot the bacon with another paper towel to remove excess grease.
In a large bowl or in a food processor, whip the cream cheese until very soft and creamy.
Whip in the yogurt and chives, along with a pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Crumble the bacon into very small bits, and whip them into the cream cheese as well.
When the potatoes have cooled, cut about 1⁄4 inch off their tops. Roughly chop these tops and whip them into the cream cheese filling.
Then use a teaspoon to scoop out the center of each potato. Mash this into the filling.
Refill the center of each potato with a spoonful of the creamy filling. Place the filled potatoes on the baking sheet. (At this point the potatoes can be covered and refrigerated for up to 24 hours.)
Return the baking sheet to the oven and bake the potatoes, uncovered, for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let cool for 5 minutes, then serve.