Most days about 4:00 PM I give my sweet wife a couple of choices for dinner. Last night she strayed from my suggestions to let me know she had been hankering for a baked potato. While I love them, too, I dislike the mad rush of stuffing one just at dinner time. You know, cut a hot potato three-quarters through, mash, butter, add cheese, hope it melts, salt and pepper, maybe toss in some bacon and chives, spoon in sour cream … all the while hoping it will still be hot when time to eat!
Sometimes I have the focus for all of the commotion in order to dine on a “pure” baked potato, and other times I’d rather make the twice-baked version. With those, they are ready to go when I am, with just a few seconds in the microwave. Last night was one of the “make ahead” baked potato nights!
Wanting to bring you an original recipe, I decided to craft a new mix of ingredients and document the process in hopes the outcome would be worthy of posting. These potatoes turned out so well, I want to post the recipe for my use later and I’m letting you in on the discovery. I’m using feta and cheddar cheese which work well together here. If you like, Havarti would be a wonderful substitute for the cheddar, although the melt time in the oven will be shorter.
Of course, twice-baked potatoes are a fabulous choice for barbecues and dinner parties. They are ready when you and your guests are! I’m using quantities in this recipe for two people. Not to worry, the recipe will scale easily to the quantity you need. For example, if you will serve four folks, multiple all ingredients by 2; serving six diners, multiply by 3.
Enjoy!!
Scoop out the potato flesh in each half, leaving a little behind to form a shell
Mix the potato and other ingredients together well in a bowl
Stuff the potato shells, sprinkle with cracker crumbs and drizzle with olive oil
Bake until the cracker crumbs brown a little, then remove from oven
Arrange cheddar cheese over each potato half and return to oven until the cheese is melted
- 2 Baking Potatoes 10 - 12 Ounces Each Baked or Microwaved until Done
- 3 Tablespoons Butter
- 2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- ½ Cup Milk, Half and Half or Cream
- ¼ Cup Crisp Bacon Pieces or Bits
- ½ Cup Crumbled Feta Cheese
- ½ Cup Sour Cream
- Salt and Pepper
- 3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 6 Ritz or Club Crackers Crushed to Make Crumbs
- ¾ Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- Get to work on the potatoes as soon as they come from the oven while they are super hot. Use a folded paper towel to hold them if desired to prevent burning your hands.
- Cut a potato in half lengthwise. Use a small spoon to carefully scoop out the potato's insides leaving a bit behind in the skin to create a shell; see picture. Put the scooped potato into a bowl; repeat for each potato. Set the shells aside carefully so that they remain whole and not torn (if a shell splits it can still be used).
- Mash the potatoes in the bowl with a fork and mix in the butter until it melts, add 2 tablespoons olive oil, milk, bacon, Feta cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Finally, stir in the sour cream into the mixture until fully combined.
- Stuff each potato shell evenly with the potato mixture, mounding the filling. Smear 1 tablespoon of olive oil onto the bottom of an oven safe casserole dish; arrange the potato halves in this dish. Sprinkle the cracker crumbs evenly over the potatoes and drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil (for all four of the potato halves) over the crumbs.
- Bake the potatoes in a 350 degree preheated oven for 12 minutes, then remove. Put an equal amount of shredded cheddar on top of each potato half. To ensure that the cheese stays where you put it, push it a little into the center of the potato. Return to the oven and bake an additional 7 minutes or until the cheddar melts. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley.
- Serve immediately or reheat as needed.
No Comments