| I had a few potatoes I wanted to include with a grilled steak dinner the other evening – but they were really a little too small to make decent baked potatoes. I thought about making oven fries, but I wanted something more substantial. I finally hit upon the idea of trying twice-baked potatoes – something I’ve enjoyed in restaurants from time to time, but never really thought of at home.I was glad I did; they turned out delicious!They start out, of course, as baked potatoes – and when I make baked potatoes, I do them a little differently than some folks. First I scrub them with a plastic abrasive pad under running water, and then coat them in olive oil before wrapping them in foil and baking. The oil softens the skins and makes them tender, for those who like to eat the skins. But for these, I omitted the oil, and just crusted the damp skins with sea salt. The theory is that a bit tougher skin is needed to keep the potatoes intact while scooping out the insides.
Quantities in this recipe are approximate, and vary based on the size of potatoes you start with. |
|
| 6 | Russet potatoes, pre-baked and cooled |
| 4 Tbs | Sour cream |
| 1-1/2 Tbs | Butter, softened |
| 1 tsp | Black pepper |
| 4 slices | Bacon, cooked and crumbled |
| 1 tsp | Dried minced onion |
| ½ tsp | Garlic powder |
| ½ cup | Finely shredded cheddar cheese |
| A/R | Green onion, diced (for garnish) |
| A/R | Additional sour cream (for garnish) |
| Cut potatoes in half lengthwise; and using a spoon, carefully scoop out the insides, close to the skin, but taking care not to break the skin.Put the scooped-out potatoes in a mixer bowl, and start mixer at medium speed.Add sour cream, butter, pepper, minced onion and garlic. Increase mixer speed to whip potatoes. Add cheese; mix well.
Using a pastry bag with a wide nozzle, pipe potato mixture evenly back into potato skins, heaping mixture above the tops of the skins. Place potatoes into a 13” x 9” baking dish, and place in a preheated 375 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, or until tops of potatoes just start to turn golden brown. Garnish with additional sour cream, bacon bits and diced green onion.
|
|
