Twice-Baked Potatoes

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place a wire rack over a foil-lined baking sheet.

Step 2: Scrub the outsides of the potatoes and pat dry

Step 3: Using the tines of a fork, prick the potatoes in several places. This allows the steam to escape while baking.

Step 4: Lightly brush or rub each potato with oil and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place the potatoes, evenly spaced on the rack over the foil-lined baking sheet.

Step 5: Bake the potatoes until fork tender (usually about 50 to 60 minutes.)

Step 6: Combine the buttermilk, sour cream, butter, 3/4 of the cheese in a mixing bowl and set aside.

Step 7: Remove the potatoes from the oven and once cool enough to touch, cut the potatoes in half lengthwise and gently scoop out the majority of the cooked potato being very careful to leave 1/4 of an inch around the walls of the skin. Place the cooked potato into the mixing bowl with the cheese mixture.

Step 8: Place the potato skins back on the baking pan and cook for an additional 5 minutes. This will crisp up the skins and make them sturdier to hold the potato mixture.

Step 9: Mash the potatoes and the cheese mixture together.

Step 10: When the potato skins are cool enough to handle, scoop the potato mixture back into the skins and sprinkle each potato with the remaining cheese. At this point the potatoes can be covered and refrigerated and rewarmed when you're ready to serve.

Step 11: When ready to reheat, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Place the stuffed potatoes on a foil lined baking sheet and re-warm 35 minutes if cold, or 20 minutes if they're room temperature.

Step 12: Remove from the oven and sprinkle with chopped chives.