Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a baking sheet by greasing with nonstick cooking spray.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and boil potatoes until tender, around 10 minutes.

Place potato halves on prepared baking sheet. Using a fork or potato masher, smash each potato flat.

In a small bowl, combine butter and ranch dressing mix. Spread the butter mixture over the top of the smashed potatoes.

Bake potatoes for 15 minutes, the remove from oven and sprinkle cheese and chopped bacon over the top. Place potatoes back into the oven and bake for another 5 minutes.

Allow to cool slightly before serving. Serve with chopped parsley as a garnish (optional).