CRISPY BACON & CHEESE POTATO SKINS

I prefer my potato skins to be crispy on the outside and simply delicious on the inside.  Rubbing them with olive oil prior to baking them gets the crispy part set in motion. After scooping out the flesh I turn up the oven heat, rub inside and out with canola oil and cook again on each side. The crisper to me, the better!

6 medium russet baking potatoes
olive oil & canola oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
6 slices of bacon
1 cup extra-sharp cheddar cheese
sour cream and/or Ranch dressing

Scrub potatoes clean, rub with olive oil, bake in 400 degree oven for 1 hour, or until cooked through.
Fry out the bacon while the potatoes are cooking. Drain on a paper towel, cool and crumble.
Remove potatoes from oven and allow to cool enough to handle. Cut in half horizontally and scoop out flesh from the insides, reserving for another use (potato cakes maybe). Leave 1/4-inch of potatoes on the skin.
Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees. Rub potato skins inside and out with canola oil, sprinkle with the sea salt. Place on a broiler pan and cook 10 minutes on one side and then turn them over and cook 10 more minutes. Remove from oven and let cool enough to handle.
Arrange skins skin-side down on pan. Grind the fresh pepper over them and then top with the cheese and bacon. return to oven and broil for a couple of minutes until cheese is bubbly. Serve with sour cream and/or Ranch dressing for dipping.
Serves 4 to 6

ADDITIONAL TOPPINGS: Bleu cheese & spinach; green onions; sun-dried tomatoes; pimiento cheese; brown sugar-soy sauce-ginger and garlic; apricot preserves and spicy mustard; sausage & Jack cheese with peppers; chicken-pineapple and soy sauce. The possibilities are virtually endless.