Loaded Baked Potatoes with Creamy Sour Cream Sauce

1Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

2Wash the potatoes (6 large) thoroughly and pat them dry with a paper towel.

3Pierce each potato several times with a fork to allow steam to escape during baking.

4Rub the potatoes (6 large) with a little oil and sprinkle salt (1 tsp) on them.

5Place the potatoes (6 large) directly on the oven rack and bake for about 50-60 minutes, or until they are tender when pierced with a fork.

6In a small saucepan, melt the butter (4 tbsp) over low heat.

7Once the butter (4 tbsp) is melted, stir in the sour cream (1 cup) and heat until warm.

8Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the chopped chives (¼ cup).

9Cook the bacon bits (½ cup) in a skillet until crispy, then drain on paper towels.

10Once the potatoes (6 large) are cooked, make a lengthwise slit in the top of each potato and fluff the insides with a fork.

11Top each potato with a generous dollop of the sour cream (1 cup) sauce.

12Sprinkle the crispy bacon bits (½ cup) over the top of the sour cream (1 cup) sauce.

13Serve the loaded baked potatoes (6 large) hot and enjoy!