Hot Baked Potato Salad

Growing up, I used to love having lunch at a place called Dad's Deli—they offered all sorts of sandwiches, soups, salads, desserts, and more.  One of my favorite things to get was a side dish they called hot baked potato salad—featuring the irresistible combination of potatoes, bacon, and cheese.  I moved away from my hometown at 18 for college, and one day several years later, a memory of that dish popped into my mind and knew I just HAD to look for a recipe similar to it online.  While the recipe below is not exactly the same as I remembered, it's pretty close.  Because it's rather indulgent, I feel better eating it alongside an otherwise healthy-ish meal, with fresh fruit, a green vegetable or salad, and a lean protein.   

Ingredients:

• 8 potatoes (russet works best)
• 2 c shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 c mayo
• 16 oz sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt)
• 6-8 slices of Becker Farms bacon, cooked and crumbled 
• 4-6 green onions (scallions), thinly sliced, using both the green and white parts
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt
• few sprigs of fresh chives, thinly sliced, for garnish

Directions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 375F.  Fill a pot large (5-6 quarts) enough to hold the potatoes two-thirds full of water and bring to a boil. While the water is heating, wash the potatoes and peel half of them, while leaving the skin on the other half.  Cut the potatoes into  bite-sized cubes (~1.5") and place them into the boiling water.  Cook the potatoes until they are softened (~15 minutes), then drain the water. 
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the sour cream (or Greek yogurt), mayo, salt and black pepper.  Add the cooked potatoes to this mixture and then add the cheese, cooked bacon pieces, and green onions. Use a rubber spatula to gently combine all of the ingredients together. 
3. Lightly spray/grease a baking dish large enough to hold the mixture and transfer it to the baking dish. 
4. Bake in the pre-heated oven for around 35 minutes (stirring at the halfway point), or until the mixture becomes golden-brown and hot and bubbly in appearance. Add any extra salt and pepper, to taste. Garnish with the chives and enjoy!