Scrub potatoes very well, pat dry and poke with fork. Microwave on high for 10 minutes, flip over and microwave for an additional 10 minutes until a knife inserted into the center meets no resistance. Carefully cut hot potatoes in half lengthwise, cover with a clean tea towel and allow to cool for 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425° F.

When potatoes are cool enough to handle, dice into large 1-2 inch pieces. (Remove any black spots or blemished areas of skin where appropriate.)

In a large mixing bowl combine milk, sour cream, mayonnaise, chives, parsley, onion powder, salt and pepper. Whisk until smooth.

Fold in cooled, diced potatoes, 4 ounces of the shredded cheddar, all of the parmesan cheese and ½ of the crumbled bacon.

Spray an 8” x 8” or 1 ½ quart baking dish with cooking spray or brush with oil or butter.

Spoon casserole mixture into prepared dish, distribute evenly, but do not pack down.

Spray top lightly with cooking spray and cover tightly with aluminum foil.

Place baking dish on sheet tray and transfer to the center of your preheated oven.

Bake covered for 60 minutes or until center registers 160° F.  Uncover and bake for 10 more minutes. Sprinkle casserole with remaining 2 ounces of shredded cheddar and remaining half of the bacon crumbles and bake for 3-5 minutes to melt cheese and warm bacon.

Optional Garnish: Place ¼ sour cream in plastic sandwich bag and cut ¼ inch off bottom corner to create piping bag. Pipe sour cream across top of casserole and sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon of reserved minced chives.

Let stand 5 minutes and enjoy!