Bake a potato, slice it lengthwise, scoop out the flesh and whip it up with goodies, load it back into the shell, and bake it again. That’s the basic twice baked potato. And they rock!

And the beautiful thing about a twice-baked potato is how versatile it is. Sure, you can mix the typical goodies into the mashed potato (sour cream or buttermilk is common) and top it with cheddar cheese and fried bacon crumbles. But Dennis Weaver of the Prepared Pantry (www.preparedpantry.com) did some experimenting and discovered the sky’s the limit when it comes to packing a twice-baked potato.

First I’ll share Dennis’ recipe for the perfect twice-baked spud. Then read on for his list of delicious goodies to add to your potatoes.

BASIC TWICE-BAKED POTATO

8 large baking potatoes
1/2 pound bacon (optional)
1 cup milk OR cream
2 cups sour cream
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
chives

Preheat oven to 350°F. Select uniformly-sized baking potatoes that are free from major blemishes. Scrub and wash the potatoes. Bake them without aluminum foil as you would regularly baked potatoes in the preheated oven for an hour or until soft. Let them cool for fifteen minutes.

Fry the optional bacon until crisp, let cool, and crumble. If you prefer, cook the bacon in the microwave and snip the bacon into bits with kitchen shears.

Slice the baked potatoes lengthwise. Scoop the potato flesh from the skins being careful not to tear the skins. Save the skins. To the potato flesh add the milk or cream, sour cream, butter, salt, one cup of the grated cheese, and a desired amount of chives. Mix with an electric blender until smooth. Spoon the potato mixture into the potato skins. Top each with the remaining cheese and optional bacon bits. Bake for another 15 minutes.

Tips for success:

1. When you scoop the potatoes from the skins, leave a little flesh next to the skin to provide a more sturdy shell.
2. Add ingredients to taste. If the potato mixture is not flavorful enough, add more sour cream or cream cheese. Make sure that the salt is adequate.
3. These potatoes can be made ahead with the final bake just before meal time. Store the filled potatoes in the refrigerator covered with plastic. At mealtime, bake in a preheated oven. Because the potatoes are cold, you may need to bake the potatoes for an extra five minutes or so to assure that they are heated through.

Now with the basics out of the way, let’s look at all the variations on a twice baked potato that are possible:

• Mix sour cream, bacon bits, and corn kernels with the mashed potatoes. Top with grated cheddar cheese and sprinkle with paprika.
• Mix cream cheese with the mashed potatoes. Top with chives and chopped black olives.
• Mix sour cream and finely chopped onions with the mashed potatoes. Top with asiago cheese.
• Mix feta cheese with the mashed potatoes. Top with chopped onions, sliced olives, black beans, and a dash of garlic salt.
• Mix cream buttermilk and chopped ham with the mashed potatoes. Top with cheddar and chives.
• Mix cream cheese and bits of smoked salmon with the mashed potatoes. Top with chives or finely diced green onions.
• Mix sour cream, diced green chilies, and pimentos with the mashed potatoes. Top with grated cheddar and mozzarella.
• Mix grated Swiss cheese with the mashed potatoes. Top with sautéed mushrooms, diced fried ham and more Swiss cheese.
• Mix corn, diced green peppers, steamed cauliflower bits, and sour cream with the mashed potatoes. Top with chilies and grated cheese.
• Mix the mashed potatoes with buttermilk and some mashed sweet potato. Top with broccoli and grated cheddar.

Mix and match your own. Here’s a list of ingredients to consider.

• Sour cream
• Plain Greek yogurt
• Buttermilk
• Cheddar cheese
• Parmesan cheese
• Asiago cheese
• Feta cheese
• Swiss cheese
• Monterey Jack cheese
• Cream cheese
• Bacon bits
• Diced or chopped ham
• Cooked and crumbled breakfast or Italian sausage
• Smoked salmon
• Chili
• Black beans
• Chives
• Carmelized onions
• Green onions
• Scallions
• Pimentos
• Mushrooms
• Chopped bell peppers
• Corn
• Broccoli
• Finely chopped steamed Brussels sprouts
• Cut steamed asparagus spears
• Chopped steamed spinach, kale, or chard
• Cauliflower
• Cooked and diced green beans
• Baked sweet potato
• Baked butternut or acorn squash
• Diced green chilies
• Salsa
• Pico de gallo
• Diced or sliced black olives
• Chopped fresh cilantro
• Chopped fresh basil
• Dried tarragon
• Dried or fresh oregano
• Dried or fresh rosemary
• Garlic salt

I’ll close with one last suggestion from Prepared Pantry’s Dennis Weaver: “No matter how you load your potatoes, consider making them smoked (a little or a lot depending on your taste). It's easy. Just sprinkle a little smoked salt on your potatoes when you're mashing them. This is a flavor kick no one will expect and boy does it jazz things up!”

I do agree with Dennis. Smoked salt is an easy and unexpected way to take cooking to a whole new level. There are a variety of smoked salts available (hickory is my favorite). Pair this special salt, with a few of the add-ins mentioned above, and you’re sure to serve up a twice-baked potato that rocks!

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