Preheat the oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Wash potatoes and pierce each one 4-5 times with a fork.
Place potatoes on the baking sheet and bake at 400F for 50 minutes.
Allow the potatoes to cool until they are easy to handle, but still warm. Cut potatoes open and scoop baked potato into a large mixing bowl. Pour the melted butter, milk, sour cream, salt and onion powder into the bowl.
Mix with an electric mixer hand mixer until evenly combined. Fold in chopped chives with a flat spatula.
Grease a 9x13 casserole dish and pour the potato mixture into it. Top with the shredded cheese, crispy chopped bacon and some more chives.
Bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes and serve immediately.
Notes
Orange cheddar gives this baked potato casserole dish a nice color. This is just my preference, so if you do not have orange cheddar, white cheddar will taste just as good!
Be careful to not overmix the potato mixture or they will get a gluey texture. Mix everything together lightly to keep the potatoes fluffy.
This recipe is packed with flavor as is but feel free to try other seasonings or cheeses to customize the flavors!