Aunt Lisa's Twice Baked Potatoes

When I had guardianship of my niece, two of her favorite things were ranch and cream cheese. I changed a recipe for twice baked potatoes to incorporate both. She requested these regular and now that she has a family of her own, she uses my recipe.

Ingredients:

• 6 large baking potatoes
• 6 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 Tbsp. butter or margarine
• 1 packet ranch
• salt and pepper, to taste (some ranch has plenty of seasoning, so salt and pepper is not necessary)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Microwave potatoes on high for 10 minutes, then bake in oven until tender, about 30 minutes. Cut 1/3 off top of each potato.

Scoop flesh from potatoes into a medium bowl, reserving shells. Add cream cheese, sour cream, and butter to potato flesh.

Beat potato mixture with electric mixer set at medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add ranch and stir. reduce oven to 350 degrees F.

Spoon potato mixture into shells. Bake until potatoes are heated through, about 15 minutes. Can be prepared up to 8 hours in advance.

*For a lighter version, use low fat cream cheese, and margarine. Substitute fat-free yogurt for sour cream.

*For a hearty version, add bacon and, or broccoli in potato mixture, and top with cheese, to make a one dish meal.

*Cut leftover tops into wedges, coat with oil and seasoned salt and roast until golden.

By Lisa from Coos Bay, OR