Clean the potatoes. Pat dry with a towel. Toss in a bowl with a splash of olive oil to lightly coat, and then sprinkle with a hint of salt for flavor. Make sure not to add too much oil or you may get drips and smokes in the oven. You may want to put a cookie sheet under them to catch any drips.
Bake at 400 degrees for about an hour or however your normally bake potatoes. I have found using a thermometer to cook them to an internal temp of 165 degrees farenheit is perfect.
Allow the potatoes to cool a bit before handling (In the winter, I usually put them outside for a bit to cool).
Slice the potatoes in half and CAREFULLY scoop out the insides with a large spoon into a mixing bowl.
Add the sour cream, salt, cheese spread and butter (if using) to the potatoes and mix to desired consistency with an electric beater or mixer. This is where it gets personal - some people prefer prefectly smooth potatoes and others like some lumps in there. I aim for somewhere in between with some nice lumps in there for texture.
Get the oven back to about 350 degrees. Spoon the potato and cheese mixture back into the skins and mound it up nice and high like a steajhouse would do! I often sacrifice a potato skin here in order to have a nice mound of filling and just eat the leftover skin while I'm cooking.
Bake until you start to see slightly browned ridges on the potatoes or about 20 minutes.
Serve these bad boys with some steaks or use as an appetizer. Also, you may wish to alter ratios of ingredients to taste. Enjoy!