JALAPENO POPPER POTATO SKINS

JALAPENO POPPER POTATO SKINS FOR THE POTATOES 6 medium Russet potatoes Olive oil Salt and pepper FOR THE FILLING 8 ounces cream cheese, softened 1/2 cup grated cheddar ¼ cup sour cream 1 large jalapeno, seeded and minced 1 clove garlic, minced 3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled TO MAKE THE POTATOES Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Scrub the outsides of the potatoes and prick all over with a fork. Rub with olive oil and season with salt. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour or until potatoes are fork tender. Increase the heat of the oven to 450 degrees. Let potatoes cool until you can handle them and then slice in half and scoop out the insides, leaving about ¼ inch of potato all the way around. Reserve the scooped out portion of potatoes for another use. Brush the potato skins with olive oil and bake with the cut side down for 10 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees while you prepare the filling. TO MAKE THE FILLING Add the cream cheese, cheddar, sour cream, jalapeno, and garlic to a mixing bowl and stir well to combine. Spoon the mixture evenly between the potato skins. Sprinkle with the bacon and return to the oven for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve with ranch dressing or sour cream, for dipping, if desired.