- To make these potatoes, start by preheating your oven to 400 F. 
- Next, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and line the bacon up across it in a single layer.  
- Transfer the tray into the oven and allow it to bake for 18-20 minutes, or until it's golden and crispy. Once it's done, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool before chopping it into pieces. 
- While the bacon is in the oven, prepare the potatoes. Clean and scrub the potatoes well and use a peeler to roughly peel them, leaving some of the skin on. 
- Heat a large pot of water, on the stove, over high heat. 
- Once the water is boiling, add in the potatoes and turn the heat down to medium. Allow the potatoes to cook until they're fork-tender - this should take approximately 25 minutes. You don't want the potatoes to be mushy, so be sure to keep an eye on them. 
- Once the potatoes are tender, drain the water from them and return the potatoes to the pot.  
- Use a potato masher to mash the potatoes into rough chunks. Then, add in the cream cheese, butter, sea salt, ground black pepper, and half & half (or milk of choice) and mash until there are no large chunks and the ingredients are fully combined. 
- Once the potatoes are mashed, transfer the mixture to an 8x8 baking dish and use a spatula to smooth it out in an even layer. 
- Sprinkle the shredded cheese and bacon evenly across the top. 
- Transfer the dish into the oven and allow it to bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubble. 
- Once the potatoes are done, remove them from the oven. Garnish with chopped chives, then serve and enjoy!