Preheat oven to 425°F. Scrub the potatoes well, poke a hole or two in each, and set them directly on the oven rack. Bake until they test soft in the centre when poked with a knife or skewer, about 1 hour.
Reduce heat to 400°F.
Slice the top ¼ off of each potato. Remove ¾ of the cooked potato from the inside of each one. Also, scoop away the potato pulp from the top that was sliced off, and use that, too. Sprinkle the salt and pepper, half on the inside of the shells and the rest on the removed centre potato. Mash the removed, cooked potato, salt, and pepper with a fork.
Break an egg into each potato shell. Bake on a cookie sheet until the egg whites are set, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. (I use a cast iron one.) Cook the bacon, if this hasn't already been done. Remove it from the pan but leave the fat. Press the spatula into the oil remaining in the pan to coat the back of it. Add the onions and cook until transparent, about 3 minutes.
Increase the heat to medium-high, add the potato pulp, and stir it with the onion. Press the back of the oiled spatula on the potato mixture to flatten it into a pancake. Cook 3 - 5 minutes on each side until golden brown. Don't worry if it breaks during flipping. You'l be dividing it up into servings anyway.
To serve, slide a piece of the potato "pancake" onto each plate. Arrange a potato "boat" onto each one. Sprinkle with chopped bacon and chives.
Notes
This dish is a great way to introduce kids to cooking