Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

Preheat oven to 375ºF and line a sheet tray with a silicone mat or tin foil. Lay the sweet potatoes out on the sheet tray and bake them for 50–60 minutes, until they are soft. While they bake, get out another sheet tray and line it with foil. Fit a cooling rack on the sheet. Lay out the bacon on the rack and get it into the oven to get crisp for 30–35 minutes. Take both trays out and let them cool for 5 minutes. While they cool, get out a large mixing bowl and combine the soft butter, maple syrup, ricotta, smoked paprika, salt, and garlic powder in it.

Carefully cut the cooled potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh without breaking the skin. Put the flesh through a potato ricer right into the mixing bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Then pour the milk into a small saucepan and gently heat it up until it starts to bubble over medium heat. Pour the hot milk into the mixing bowl as well and thoroughly stir it all together. Lay the skins back out onto the sheet tray and fill them with mixture to the brim. Sprinkle each potato generously with the cheddar cheese.

Crumble the crisp bacon and evenly distribute it on top of each potato as well. Bake the potatoes again for another 20 minutes or so, until the skins are more crisp and the filling is bubbly. Serve them immediately on the side of your favorite main course when they are done!