Easy Twice Baked Potatoes
Spuds, taters, tubers… whatever name you call them by, a potato is a potato is a potato. And to misquote Shakespeare, “a potato by any other name would taste as great”! (Actually, he said… “a rose by any other name would smell as sweet”, but I think he should have made Juliet speak about the potato rather than the rose! 🙂
Think about the innumerable ways in which potatoes can be cooked… you can roast, fry, or boil them… bake, stuff or sauté them… They gel well with any meat or fish… or they can stand on their own. They are good spiced up or plain; they can be the main dish or a side. And whatever you do with them, they taste sooo awesomely good!
Can you tell I’m a major fan of the potato? Yes, I love, love, love them! Not only for their great taste, but for their versatility and adaptability to whatever I want to do with them… I can trust the potato not only to rise to the occasion in any dish, but shine like the brilliant star it is!
All kidding aside, I do find the potato my go-to food in a hunger emergency. Also, many of my comfort foods are potato based. And the addition of a potato or two can improve most dishes, I do believe. What is more, I am sure that most of the world would agree with me on this. After all, potatoes are the world’s fourth largest food crop!
A baked potato is one of the most basic form of potato that you can think of. But a twice baked potato can be simple or complex, as you desire. And that is its charm too.
The principle is simple… you bake the potato…
Cut off the tops and scoop out the flesh, leaving a thick skin all around.
And use various stuff to flavour the scooped out flesh. Here you can let your imagination run wild, as most of the spices we commonly use will go well with potatoes.
Pile up everything back into the potato skin and place in the oven for the second round of baking.
When almost done, sprinkle some cheese on top and brown again.
All done! A few scallions for decoration is all the finishing touch needed.
This can be served as a meal when paired with a hearty salad, or can be a side to a meat dish.
Enjoy!
~Ria
- 2 large potato
- 1 tsp of vegetable oil
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¾ cup white cheddar cheese, separated
- 1 scallion
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Preheat oven to 350 degree farenheit.
- Choose 2 large potatoes of same size.
- Scrub and wash them thoroughly.
- Dry the potatoes with a paper towel and prick them all over with a skewer.
- Smear vegetable oil all over the potatoes.
- Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
- Check doneness by inserting a skewer into the centre of a poatato
- When done, take out of the oven and allow to cool.
- Cut off the top on the long side.
- Using a spoon, scoop out the flesh, leaving a thick wall all around.
- Mix the scooped out poatato with ½ cup of sour cream and ½ cup of shredded cheddar cheese.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Fill the ixture in the potato skins.
- Place in the oven and bake till the top starts to brown, about 15 minutes.
- Sprikle the reamining ¼ cup of cheese over the top and return to the oven.
- When the cheese starts to brown, take out from the oven and cool on a rack.
- Sprinkle the top with thinly slices scallion.
- Serve with a dollop of sour cream.