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Thursday, March 18, 2010

Twice Baked Potatoes

Usually when I cook, I find a recipe I think we will like and then switch some of the ingredients around.  Sometimes I make changes to exclude an ingredient that I don't like (i.e. mushrooms) or I make a change because I think the recipe could be improved if something was added (like peppers and onions) or I make a change simply because I don't have a specific ingredient and I don't feel like waiting until I go shopping to make the recipe. 

When I make twice baked potatoes, I follow the recipe as it is written.  Every time.  (except I leave out the green onion.) 


Twice Baked Potatoes

Ingredients:
  • 8 baking potatoes*, scrubbed
  • 2 sticks butter, sliced
  • 1 cup bacon bits**
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 tsp. Lawry's Seasoned Salt
  • 1 cup cheddar jack cheese, shredded
  • black pepper
  • additional cheddar jack for garnish
Method:
  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
  • Bake potatoes on cookie sheet for 1 hour, 15 minutes
  • Place sliced butter, bacon bits, sour cream and Lawry's Seasoned Salt in a large mixing bowl. 
  • When potatoes are done baking, remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes. 
  • Turn oven down to 350 degrees.
  • Hold potato with a clean dish towel or pot holder and cut in half (lengthwise).
  • Scrape out the potato pulp into the bowl with the other ingredients, being careful to leave a little still attached to the skin.  Also, being careful to not tear the skin. 
  • Place the skins on a cookie sheet. 
  • Mash the potatoes and other ingredients with a hand masher (not the electric mixer) to the texture you like.  I like them a bit lumpy. 
  • Add the shredded cheese and mix together until ingredients are well blended. 
  • Stuff the potatoes. 
  • Top with additional cheese. 
  • Bake on cookie sheet for 15-20 minutes. 
*I prefer to use the huge potatoes from Costco, but the more normal sized baking potatoes from the grocery store work great, too. 

**Don't use the hard, crunchy kind of bacon bits.  Use the soft kind by Oscar Meyer or similar.  This can usually be found in the salad dressing/crouton aisle or in the canned tuna/chicken/Spam aisle. 

This recipe can be found on The Pioneer Woman Cooks! blog along with a great, step-by-step picture tutorial! 

2 comments:

  1. Don't know what plans are in store for this Holiday weekend either but I just wanted to thank you for posting twice baked potatoes, they look so good I think that's what's for supper this weekend.

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  2. love the blog...I like cooking too...perhaps I should start a blog just for it ;) Ill look forward to more posts....

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