Blue Cheese Twice Baked Potatoes Recipe

A few years ago, a good friend brought along a dish of mashed potatoes to a potluck and surprised us all by announcing they were accented with blue cheese! I have to confess…I’m in love with about 99% of all cheeses out there. But the blue (“bleu”) variety and I have never totally gotten along. However, decided to give them a try that night, and ended up going back for thirds. :) Who would’ve known that the tangy cheese would be the perfect accent for spuds??
So for Thanksgiving this year, I decided to revisit the deliciousness and make a twice-baked potato recipe. Really, they just call for standard twice-baked potato ingredients (plus lots of real bacon – which I never use – in honor of Thanksgiving :-)). But of course, the highlight was that magical 1/4 cup of the “bleu”!
So even if you’re not a huge fan of blue cheese — or if you love it! — would definitely recommend giving these a try! I guarantee you our family will be making them again soon. :)

Blue Cheese Twice Baked Potatoes Recipe(Adapted from Our Best Bites)
Ingredients:

• 4 medium baking potatoes
• 1/2 cup low-fat sour cream
• 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese (or more to taste)
• 1/4 cup milk or buttermilk
• 4 Tbsp. real butter, cut into chunks
• 3/4 tsp salt
• freshly-ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 8 pieces bacon (or turkey bacon), cooked crisp and crumbled
• grated cheddar cheese

Method:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash and dry potatoes. Rub them lightly with a bit of shortening or vegetable oil (helps crisp the skin) and place directly on oven rack, or a cookie sheet. Bake for one hour or until potatoes are done.
Remove potatoes and let cool just a bit. Cut an opening on the top and hollow out each potato, OR cut each potato in half (as shown in photos) to make 8 servings. You may want to hold them with a potholder as they will still be hot!
Scoop out the insides and place in a bowl. Mash, and add butter, sour cream, bleu cheese, milk, salt, pepper, and garlic. Beat with a hand mixer or stir with a wooden spoon until fluffy. Carefully spoon mixture back into potato shells. Place in a baking dish.
Return to hot oven and bake for 12-15 minutes. Remove and sprinkle bacon and cheddar cheese over each potato. Bake an additional 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly
Ali’s Tip:
If you’re in a hurry, feel free to microwave the potatoes for the first step. For four potatoes at a time, it should take around 15 minutes on high heat, but keep an eye on them. :)  http://gimmesomeoven.com/blue-cheese-twice-baked-potatoes/