Double-Smoked Potatoes

Today's Friday post is going to be a little different than the usual 5 - I'm going to share an amazingly delicious side recipe for the grill. For Christmas last year, Stephen's brother got him this perfect cookbook for smoking. Stephen's really been enjoying it and a few weekends ago, he made these delicious twice-smoked baked potatoes on the grill. They were so delicious that I had to share the recipe :)

Ingredients:
- 4 large baking potatoes
- 1.5 Tbsp bacon fat, melted butter or EVOO (we used the olive oil)
- Salt and pepper
- 4 strips of bacon
- 6 Tbsp cold, unsalted butter - thinly sliced
- 2 scallions, chopped
- 2 cups of coarsely grated white cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- Spanish smoked paprika for sprinking

Directions:
1. Allow for your grill/smoker to reach 400*F and make sure you have enough supplies to smoke for an hour and a half.

2. Scrub the potatoes on all sides with a brush and rinse well. Prick each potato several times with a fork. Brush or rub the potato with the olive oil (or butter or bacon fat) and season generously with salt and pepper.

3. Place the potatoes directly on the smoker rack and smoke for about 1 hour until the skins are crisp and the potatoes are tender on the inside.

4. Meanwhile, cook your bacon (I completely forgot to do the oven method and made a huge mess) and make sure they're crispy.

5. Once the potatoes have cooked, transfer to a cutting board and let them cool slightly. Cut each potato in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, scrape out most of the potato flesh, leaving a 1/4 in- thick shell. Cut the flesh into chunks and place in a bowl (at this point, I should've smashed them a little before adding the other ingredients because I wanted them a little more smashed).

6. Add the bacon, 4 Tbsp butter, scallions and cheese to the potato flesh and stir to mix. Add in the sour cream and some salt and pepper to taste.

7. Spoon the mixture back into the shells, mounding it in the center. Top each potato half with a thin slice of remaining butter and sprinkle with paprika. Place your potato halves in a shallow, aluminum pan and place back on the smoker for about 20-30 minutes or you can heat them up in the oven at 400*F.

Stephen and I really enjoyed this side dish and plan on making it again in the future!