Twice baked potatoes, twice the holiday fun

By Ryan Dreesch, December 2011
Sports Editor

Photo by Ryan Dreesch

Twice baked potatoes dress up a meal.

Being from a single parent family, one learns to fend for oneself to avoid the microwave cuisine as often as possible. This potato recipe is a favorite of mine during the fall months due to the Thanksgiving-to-Christmas stretch of family gatherings worthy of a delicious side dish for an inexpensive price. All this twice-baked potato recipe calls for is an hour and 30 minutes of time and some care. Here’s what is needed to prepare this recipe:

• A bag of large potatoes, russet style are the best; the bigger the better (five potatoes makes four overstuffed servings );
• 1/2 cup of milk; 2 percent makes creamier potatoes, and skim milk makes a healthier meal;
• 1/2 cup of butter, again regular makes creamier potatoes, and fat-free makes healthier potatoes;
• 1/2 cup of shredded cheese, American is usually the standard, but jazzing up the potatoes is a matter of cheese preference. Muenster is a good alternative due to the color and texture it carries once melted;
• 1 tablespoon of diced chives;
• 1 teaspoon of olive oil to lightly cover each potato (this helps cooking time and to crisp the potatoes);
• A pan lined with tin foil will prevent a messy cleanup and help crisp the skins;
• 1/2 cup of sour cream to top the finished potatoes;
• A frying pan and five pieces of bacon, depending on how many people are being served; and
• A mixing bowl to mash the potatoes and combine the ingredients .

When the ingredients are all in order, pre heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook the bacon five minutes at medium stovetop temperature until gently browned and fully cooked. Let the bacon soak on paper towels once cooked and cooled. The bacon will be added later in the recipe.

Next clean the potatoes under running water using your fingers or a clean, soft, bristled brush so as not to remove the skin of the potatoes. Poking small holes in the potatoes with a fork will allow a release for steam. Spread the potatoes with olive oil until an even coat is present, and place the potatoes in the middle of the oven rack cooking for 35 minutes on one side, then rotating and cooking again for another 35 minutes.

Once the potatoes are fully cooked and cool to the touch, take a steak knife and remove just the top 1/4 of the cooked potato in a “scalping” fashion. Next, scoop out the insides of your four potatoes leaving 1/8th of an inch layer of potato around the skin forming a “canoe” shape as your shell. The fifth potato will be scooped out for it s insides only, but you can make some delicious baked potato skins instead of tossing the remains. Throw the skins on a cooking sheet with some olive oil and bake for 10-15 minutes for a delicious little side snack.
 
Place the scooped out potato matter in a mixing bowl, and depending on the preference of texture, squish contents with a spoon, hand masher or whisk. Combine the 1/2 cup of milk, 1/4 cup of butter, 1/2 tablespoon of diced chives and the cooked bacon pieces made earlier and mix into a creamy texture. Microwave the content for 10 to 15 seconds to help soften the mix and melt the cheese.

With a spoon, place the mashed and mixed contents back into the potato canoe skins from earlier and gently fill the insides, over filling the tops of the potatoes just slightly. Sprinkle on the remainder of the cheese and add salt and pepper for flavor. Place the over stuffed potatoes back into the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 to 20 minutes or until the cheese is thoroughly melted. Once out of the oven and relatively cooled, top the potatoes with the sour cream and chives and serve to those you care about this holiday season.

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