Eight to 12 servings, depending on who is coming to dinner

When I say loaded, I mean loaded.

Ingredients
5 large peeled russets, cut in half crosswise
6 ounces smoked hot pepper cheese
1/3 pound diced and crisply cooked bacon (discard bacon fat)
1/2 cup sour cream
8 ounces soft butter
3/4 cup thinly sliced scallion tops
To taste, salt
To taste, white pepper


Procedure
Place the potatoes in a thick-bottom pot. Fill the pot with just enough water to cover the potatoes. Cook the potatoes over medium heat until they are completely tender. (Cooking on high heat will cook the outside of the potatoes too fast, and the inside will still be raw.) Drain all of the water from the potatoes, leaving the potatoes in the pot. Add the remaining ingredients to the pot. Using a hand potato masher, mix and mash everything together. You can put everything in the mixer if you want, but I don’t mind a chunk or two of potato in this recipe.

This recipe is great with roasted meats. I like to top off the potatoes with a little garlic and hot pepper flakes toasted in olive oil. I use about 1/2 cup of olive oil. When the oil is hot, I add two cloves of fresh, thinly sliced garlic. When the garlic just starts to brown, I add a teaspoon of hot pepper flakes and remove it from the heat.

Enjoy!