Crispy Twice-Baked Potatoes with Brie, Chive & Bacon-Mushroom

🥔 Crispy Twice-Baked Potatoes with Brie, Chive & Bacon-Mushroom These twice-baked potatoes are fluffy in the middle, crisp at the edges and rich without feeling heavy. The filling gets soft brie, creme fraiche, garlic and chives, then each potato is finished with browned mushrooms and crisp bacon for a tray of cosy, saveable comfort food. 🍄✨ Yield: 4 servings as a main side, or 8 halves for sharing Time: about 1 hour 35 minutes Ingredients - 4 large baking potatoes, scrubbed and dried - 1 tbsp olive oil - 1 tsp fine salt, divided - 3 rashers smoked bacon, finely sliced - 120 g mushrooms, finely chopped - 1 small garlic clove, finely grated - 2 tbsp unsalted butter - 3 tbsp creme fraiche or sour cream - 1 tsp Dijon mustard - 120 g brie, rind trimmed if you prefer, cut into small pieces - 3 tbsp finely chopped chives, plus extra to finish - 1/2 tsp black pepper - 1-2 tbsp warm milk, only if the filling needs loosening Method 1. Heat the oven to 210C / 410F. Rub the potatoes with olive oil and a pinch of salt. Place directly on a tray and bake for 55-70 minutes, depending on size, until the skins are crisp and a skewer slides easily through the centre. 2. While the potatoes bake, cook the bacon in a dry frying pan over medium heat until crisp. Lift it out with a slotted spoon. Add the mushrooms to the same pan and cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring, until their water evaporates and the edges brown. Stir in the garlic for the final 30 seconds. Set the bacon and mushrooms aside. 🍄 3. Let the baked potatoes cool for 5 minutes, then halve them lengthways. Scoop the fluffy centre into a bowl, leaving a sturdy 5 mm potato border so the skins hold their shape. 4. Mash the hot potato flesh with butter, creme fraiche, Dijon, brie, chives, black pepper and the remaining salt. The brie should soften into little creamy pockets. Add 1-2 tbsp warm milk only if the mash feels too stiff to spoon. 5. Spoon the filling back into the skins. Pile the bacon-mushroom topping over the filled potatoes and press lightly so it holds. 6. Return to the oven for 15-18 minutes, until the tops are golden, the edges look crisp and the brie is melted through. For extra colour, finish under a hot grill for 1-2 minutes, watching closely. Serving and storage - Serve with a green salad, roast chicken, steak, sausages or a bowl of soup. 🥗 - For a party tray, cut the filled halves into smaller wedges after baking. - Make-ahead: bake and fill the potatoes up to 24 hours ahead, then cover and chill. Add 5-8 minutes to the final bake from cold. - Leftovers keep 3 days and reheat best uncovered at 190C / 375F until hot and crisp-edged. Save this one for the next time you want potatoes to feel like the main event. 🥄