Mom's Famous Half Shell Potatoes

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My mother's simple recipe for twice-baked potatoes. I've experimented using sour cream in the filling and cooked crumbled bacon, slivered green onions and even crab or baby shrimp for topping before baking -- but i still like her original recipe best.

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Steps

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Preheat oven to 400f with rack in the center position.

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Wash the freshest smooth-skinned blemish-free russet potatoes.

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Pierce each potato evenly 4 times using a fork.

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Coat each potato with vegetable oil.

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Sprinkle each potato lightly with kosher salt.

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Wrap each potato with aluminum foil.

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Place potatoes on center rack in oven.

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Bake potatoes for 1 hour.

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Remove potatoes from oven.

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Allow to cool just slightly.

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Lower oven temperature to 350f.

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Remove foil from one potato at a time with one oven mitt.

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Cut potato lengthwise on a cutting board with a serrated knife across the flattest , widest surface.

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Hold hot potato in oven mitt.

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Scoop put out potato pulp carefully from each half into a large bowl , leaving enough skin and pulp in each shell to support filling.

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Place each shell cut-side up on a cookie sheet.

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Repeat same process with remaining potatoes , working quickly and carefully while potatoes are still warm.

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Whip potato pulp well using a potato masher or fork.

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Add 2 tab.

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Ingredients

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vegetable oil, kosher salt, aluminum foil, russet potatoes, salted butter, mayonnaise, whole milk, vidalia onions, sharp cheddar cheese, pepper, paprika