Lunch: Baked Potatoes with Bacon Butter

Recipe by Cheryl Slocum There's no more comforting a side dish than a classic baked potato topped with sweet, creamy, smoky bacon-flecked butter.

Ingredients

6 slice bacon
4 large russet potatoes
6 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 1/2 tbsp. chopped chives (about 10 chives)
3/4 tsp. dry mustard

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a nonstick skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate and set aside. Reserve 2 teaspoons bacon fat; let cool.
Pierce potatoes several times with a fork. Using your hands, rub potatoes with reserved bacon fat. Place directly on oven rack and bake until tender when tested with a fork, about 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, crumble reserved bacon. In a small bowl, combine with butter, chives, and dry mustard. Then turn out onto a 3- by 12-inch piece of plastic wrap; roll into a 1-inch-thick log and twist ends to seal. Refrigerate until firm, 20 to 30 minutes.
To serve, break or cut open potatoes and fluff using a fork. Top each with a dollop of bacon butter.

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