Preheat oven to 400° F.

Wash the potatoes and then dry them well. Place potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and roll them around to coat. Sprinkle generously with salt (about 1.5 teaspoons, or to taste), rolling around to coat evenly.

Roast for 35-40 minutes, or just until they are fork tender.

Remove potatoes from the oven and allow them to cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes.

Slice ¼” off the top of each potato and scoop out the centers (a small baking scoop works great!). Place tops and centers into a medium bowl. Do your best to not rip or pierce the potato, so the potatoes can hold the filling.

Add the melted butter and sour cream to the bowl with the potato centers. Stir until the mixture is smooth and combined.

Add the shredded cheese, crumbled bacon, and chives to the bowl. Stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Carefully fill each potato with filling, pressing the filling solidly into each cavity. You can simply add about 2 tablespoons of filling, which will leave you with filling left over. Or you can mound the filling on top and use it all up. (If you don't use it all, place it in a container in the fridge to heat up and eat later!)

Bake the potatoes for an additional 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melty and the potatoes are thoroughly warmed.

Garnish with additional chives, flaky sea salt, and ground pepper. Enjoy!