Meal fit for a father

Meat and potatoes ... it's the quintessential manly meal. Few men will turn down a dish of their favorite cut of beef paired with a delicious potato.

Children interested in creating a special day for dads this Father's Day may want to plan a few activities together, such as a game of baseball or hitting a few balls around the golf course. The afternoon can culminate in a meal that will make Dad smile.

While a burger and some fries certainly qualifies as meat and potatoes, perhaps Dad deserves a little more for Father's Day. Here's a meal that seems complicated but really is quite easy to make. Plus, the end product is a dinner that looks like it can be served in a gourmet restaurant.

'Pot' Roast With Twice-Baked

Potatoes

Roast

5 lb. pot roast

1/2 cup water

1 package onion soup mix

Salt and pepper to taste

Potatoes

4 large baking potatoes

2 slices bacon

1/4 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon chives

1/2 stick butter

1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Pastry bag with large star tip, if desired

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a baking pan, lay down one sheet of aluminum foil lengthwise and then place on top widthwise so the foil overlaps. Place the pot roast in the foil. Add water and soup mix. Fold up foil to make a steaming pocket.

Place the pot roast into oven and use a meat thermometer to test doneness when thermometer reads medium, after about one hour of cooking.

For potatoes, place cleaned potatoes with skin on a baking sheet. Bake until the potatoes test soft enough when pierced with a fork. You don't want the potatoes to fall apart.

Remove from the oven and let cool a few minutes. Slice each potato in half. Use a spoon to scoop out the middle of each potato into a bowl, leaving a thin layer of potato on the skin.

Add milk and butter to scooped potato pulp and whip with a hand mixer until fluffy.

In a skillet, brown the bacon slices until crispy. Let cool and then chop into small pieces.

Lay the scooped potato skins back on the baking sheet. Fill a pastry bag with the whipped potato mixture and pipe into the skins. If you don't have a pastry bag, simply scoop the whipped potatoes into the skins.

Top with the chopped bacon, chives and shredded cheese. Bake again until the potato tops get lightly browned and are firm to the touch.

Serve sliced pot roast and potatoes with gravy and a vegetable of choice.