Twice-Baked Cheddar Sweet Potatoes

Recipe from Milk Marketing Board.

Ingredients:

4 sweet potatoes
4 slices thick cut bacon
2 tablespoons brown sugar
4 tablespoons butter, melted
4 tablespoons half and half, at room temperature
1 egg, beaten, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons orange zest
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 3/4 cups (7 ounces) Wisconsin Sharp Cheddar Cheese, grated, divided
Kosher salt and pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Place sweet potatoes on rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper; bake 45 minutes. Remove from oven; cool until still warm but cool enough to handle.

While potatoes bake, fry bacon over medium-high heat in skillet until crisp. Remove bacon from pan and break into pieces.

Add 2 tablespoons brown sugar to bacon grease and cook to dissolve, about 1 minute. Add bacon pieces back to pan, mix

to coat and set aside.

Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Cut off top third of warm potatoes, lengthwise, and carefully scoop out flesh of both sides into large bowl, reserving larger bottom skins.

Combine sweet potato flesh, melted butter, half and half, egg, orange zest and maple syrup with hand or stand mixer until smooth. Fold in all but 2 tablespoons of bacon pieces and

1 1/2 cups Cheddar. Season with kosher salt and pepper to taste.

Using piping bag with large star tip or gallon size freezer bag with one corner trimmed at 1/4-inch angle, fill bag with potato and cheese mixture and pipe into reserved skins. Top each with reserved bacon pieces and 1/4 cup Cheddar, dividing evenly.

Bake 20-25 minutes or until cheese melts and tops begin to brown. Serve warm.