Here’s a dish I just love, and one thing I love is that I can make it year-round. Even better, it goes with seasonal-favourite entrées year round! Baked Potatoes are one of the healthiest things you can eat. Or, you can dress them up until they literally drip with sinful Calories, Fat and Salt…
Classic Stuffed Baked Potato. Add Shrimps or other
pre-cooked Protein to make it a meal in itself!
What you need…
4 medium-sized Russet (‘baking’) potatoes
1 cup / 250 ml grated White Cheddar or Swiss Cheese
1 cup / 250 ml grated Yellow Cheddar Cheese
1/2 cup / 125 ml Sour Cream
8 slices Smoked Bacon
1/4 cup / 65 ml Butter, softened
1/4 cup / 65 ml Chives or Green Onions, chopped
Salt and Pepper, to taste
What you do…
First, you have to bake your potatoes. That, for many cooks, is the hardest part!
Preheat your oven to 450 F. I know that sounds hot, but it’s the right way to do this thing.
Cut the Bacon into Lardons (1/4 in. / 0.5 cm pieces across the the width of the strips) and place on a baking sheet. Roast the Lardons in the pre-heating oven until they’re dark and crispy; about 15 minutes There will be a lot of Bacon Grease in the bottom of the pan; save this to add to the stuffing.Wash as many medium-sized Russet (‘baking’) potatoes as you’ll need to feed your family and/or guests. Give them a good scrub, since we’ll be leaving he skins on and some folks like to eat the skins!
Bake the spuds on a baking sheet for 90 min., or until fork tender, turning two or three times.
Then, mix up the ingredients for the stuffing. Place together in a large bowl Sour Cream, White Cheese, Butter and Bacon Grease.
Slice the cooked Potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out the Potato flesh into the bowl with the other Stuffing ingredients. Leave about 1/4 in. / 0.5 cm of flesh on the skin, so the skins retain their shape.
Stir the Stuffing ingredients and the Potato together until you have a smooth,uniform mixture.
Stuff the Potato Skins with the mixture, distributing it evenly between the 8 potato halves.
Top with the Yellow Cheddar Cheese, Bacon Bits and Chives/Onions.
Place back in the oven for a few minutes until the Cheese melts and Potato reheats through.
And there you have it!
Sounds like a lot of steps, but it really takes only a little time and there are some intervals when you can have two or more of the steps, above, going in parallel.
If you want to make these Stuffed Potatoes a meal in themselves, just add more Bacon and serve with a Fried or Poached Egg on top! Add lightly sautéed Shrimps or Bay Scallops to the Stuffing! Add pre-steamed/boiled veggies … Let your imagination be your guide!
As I said off the top of this post, you can serve these with any Roast or other entrée centrepiece. And I’ve never met anyone who didn’t love them!
~ Maggie J.