I am always looking for do ahead potato dishes for dinner parties.  A classic and familiar pairing of chives and Gruyère cheese makes these everyone’s favorite. I use a green scrub pad and an olive oil based bar soap to clean the potatoes because the skin is the best part.

5 medium Idaho Baking Potatoes, scrubbed and rubbed with canola oil

1 cup Half and Half

4 Tbs Unsalted Butter

4 ounces grated Gruyère Cheese

4 Tbs minced fresh Chives

Salt and Pepper to taste

• Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees
• On a foil lined cookie sheet put the scrubbed and oiled potatoes and pierce them each a few times with a knife
• Bake for about an hour until they are soft
• Let cool enough to handle then cut them length wise and carefully scoop out the flesh being careful not to tear the skin of the potato
• Mash lightly and add the butter in chunks and then the half and half, continue mashing until well combine
• Fold in the chives and Gruyère until well incorporated (I reserve a few chives and a bit of the cheese to sprinkle on top of the potatoes)
• Divide this mixture back into the potato shells
• At this point they can be refrigerated for future baking or bake them on a foil line cookie sheet for about 25 minutes until they are warmed through and a bit golden on top
• If you refrigerate them first they will take about 40 minutes to bake