GIANT BAKED POTATO RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Mix ground beef, eggs, Parmesan cheese, parsley, bread crumbs, garlic, onion powder, salt, black pepper, oregano, and basil in a large bowl until thoroughly combined. Form meat mix into 2-inch meatballs.
• Wrap half a bacon slice around a meatball; turn the meatball around 45 degrees and wrap a second half-slice of bacon around the meatball so the meat is enclosed by bacon. Repeat, forming 12 meatballs and wrapping each one in 2 half-slices of bacon. Place wrapped meatballs onto the prepared baking sheet with seam sides down.
• Bake in the preheated oven until meatballs are no longer pink inside and bacon is crisp, about 45 minutes. An instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the center of a meatball should read at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C). Pour off excess grease.

Steps:

• Position racks in the top and middle of the oven, and heat oven to 400 degrees. Take the butter out of the refrigerator to soften. Scrub the potatoes clean and pat them dry. Poke holes all over them with a fork. In a large bowl, toss them with the oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Place the potatoes directly on the top rack, and place a baking sheet or a piece of foil on the middle rack to catch drips. Bake for about 1 hour, until the skin is crisp and potatoes offer no resistance when a knife is inserted in their centers. Remove from the oven and let sit until cool enough to handle.
• Slice the top third lengthwise off the potatoes. Use a spoon to scoop out the flesh, leaving 1/4-inch border of potato on the skin, and transfer the flesh to a medium bowl. Scrape the potato tops of all flesh, and add the flesh to the bowl. Place the bottoms on a parchment-lined baking sheet. (Snack on the tops — chef's treat — or discard.)
• Mash the potato flesh with a fork or potato masher. Add the butter, and stir until smooth (try not to overwork). Add the milk, sour cream and cheese and stir to combine. (If you want the filling softer, add more milk.) Season generously with salt and pepper. Stir in the chives, if using.
• Mound each potato skin with a quarter of the filling. Bake the potatoes until warmed through, about 10 minutes. Serve immediately.