Thursday, November 11, 2010

Loaded Baked Potatoes (as a Meal)


A loaded baked potato can be a meal in itself, and Pritchard Parker said that is what sounded really good to him. 

Almost anything can be used to top a baked potato--if you serve it beside a baked potato, you can serve it on top.  Some things I have used are leftover chili with cheese, leftover roast beef and gravy, scrambled eggs, with sauteed green peppers, onions, and salsa.  Taco toppings work really well. For a casual meal for family or friends, it is fun to set out a variety of toppings and let everyone fix their own potato.

Most produce departments have loose "Baking Potatoes", which are Russet potatoes, graded to be a consistent size and shape.  I start with those but any potato will work.

Loaded Baked Potatoes
One baked potato per person
Butter
Streamed fresh broccoli
Sauteed fresh mushrooms
Freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese
Crisp bacon, broken into bite size pieces
Sour cream
Chopped scallions

Scrub potatoes very well and inspect carefully for any discolorations, blemishes, or sprouts, and trim away as necessary.  Dry them thoroughly.  Coat the outside of each potato lightly with vegetable oil and place on a baking sheet.  Sprinkle with sea salt.  Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for approximately 1 hour, until the skin is crispy and the potato is tender.

To serve, pierce the potato in a dotted line from end to end, with a fork.  Crack the potato open by pushing the ends toward the center.  Dress each potato with desired amounts of toppings. 

3 comments:

  1. i am going to try and make this for my husband:) it looks so good! thanks for sharing and for visiting my blog.

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  2. My husband, who doesn't cook, has said that he used to do this for dinner as a single parent to a teen age son. What a great way to get healthy food to the table in an easy and appealing way. The simple things are best, I think.

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  3. It's been way too long since I ate a loaded baked potato. wow.

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