Pomme de Terre MaCaire - The best way to eat potatoes

A couple weeks back, I discovered my new favorite way to eat potatoes. It combines all the best aspects of a baked potato, but it looks much nicer for a fancy dinner party. It's also a great dinner side dish because it can be made up to a day ahead of time. I hate making potatoes because they always take so long from start to finish. Why make potatoes (which take an hour) when rice takes half an hour and couscous takes 5 minutes?

These potatoes have a creamy aspect but don't have the mushy texture of mashed potatoes. They're savory and very flavorful, while still having a crunchy exterior. I love them, and they go perfectly with steak or pork chops.

Pomme de Terre MaCaire (serves 4)
Ingredients

• 4 large russet potatoes
• equal parts sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese (should be about 1 large tablespoon of sour cream)
• scallions
• 3 strips crispy bacon, crumbled
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Bake potatoes until done (about 1 hour)
2. Let potatoes cool and scoop the insides out of the skins. It should be chunky, but break up any particularly large pieces
3. Mix potato with scallions, bacon, sour cream and cheddar cheese. You only need a large tablespoon of sour cream. Potatoes should be very stiff and hold their shape. They should not be like mashed potatoes in texture.
4. Pat potatoes into ring molds to hold their shape. Refrigerate until ready to serve
5. Before serving, pan fry potatoes in unsalted butter until crispy on the outside. Finish in the oven until heated in the center.