Canadian Deluxe Twice Baked Potatoes

These are just tooo damn good! Easy to sit and eat this as a starter, side or all alone as a meal itself....Not necessarily for those who are watching the diet, but everything in moderation, right?

Super good as a side with a BBQ'd roast beef or with soup at lunchtime.

Some people make the common mistake of 'baking' their spuds in the microwave. Don't do this! It only makes the skins hard and rubber and you lose sooo much of the essential baked taste. Take the time to put them in the oven or better yet, on the BBQ.
INGREDIENTS:
4 medium russet potatos
10 ounces Smoked Sliced Bacon (more if you like)
1 cup broccoli florets
2 knob of butter
1/2 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Monteray Jack cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Fresh Parmesan Cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Cream Cheese
1/4 cup Regular Cream
Sea Salt
Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
3 Spring Onions, finely chopped
Chives to Garnish, chopped.
Flat Leaf Parsley to Garnish, chopped.

1. Scrub the spuds of and be sure the are clean and look good.
2. Get your oven going on around 200C. Place each Individual potato on aluminum foil and splash with Olive Oil and a pinch of Sea Salt. Wrap each tightly in the foil. Place in the oven and cook at for around 1/2 hour, turn them over and cook 1/2 hour until the potatoes are soft (check with a skewer, if it slides out easily without lifting the spud up, its done). Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
3. Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until nice and crispy.
4. Set the bacon aside and allow to cool down. Once cool, roughly chop.
5. Prepare the broccoli (wash and cut into small florets). In a medium saucepan bring about 1 cup of water to the boil, add broccoli, cover, and cook until tender, 3 to 4 minutes until 'al dente' (still has a nice crispy bite). Drain the broccoli and set aside.
6. Carefully cut the cooked potatos in half. Slowly scoop the insides out into a medium bowl. Add 1/4 cup Cheddar, 1/4 cup of Jack, cream cheese, regular cream, butter and salt and pepper to taste and 'roughly smash with a fork...Do not completely mash allowing some texture to the mix. Add spring onions, broccoli and 1/2 the bacon; stir to combine.
7. Carefully take the potato 'shells' and place in the hot bacon fat and allow to fry until brown, turn and crisp up the other (skin) side.
8. Evenly divide the potato mixture among the potato shells and top with the remaining cheese and bacon.
9. Place the potato's on a baking sheet and place under the oven grill for 10 minutes untl the cheese is golden and bubbly.
10. Remove, sprinkle with chives and parsley.
11. Serve with Sour Cream on the side.

Yield: 4 servings

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