Stuffed Baked Potatoes
I don’t know about you, but when I’m cooking a big dinner for a crowd, I like to get as much done ahead of time as possible. That’s the key to enjoying your company and not stressing. So with the holidays ahead, you might be planning your meal for a large gathering and wondering what to serve as a starchy side dish. This one – a throwback to my days as a young wife in the 70s – is easily made ahead a day or even two or three, and then heated up before serving. And it’s pretty irresistible to everyone – unless dairy is on your no-no list.
Start by baking the potatoes – Choose the brown skinned Idaho-type baking potatoes. Bake for about 45 to an hour; cool until you can handle them, then cut in half and scoop out the insides, leaving a small perimeter of potato intact. In a large bowl (DON’T use an electric mixer or you’ll have gluey potatoes), mash the inside of the potato with a hand masher and mix with the rest of the ingredients – milk, cheddar cheese, sour cream, melted butter, milk, salt and pepper.
Top the potatoes with more cheese (and more chives if desired).
Bake in the oven for another 20 minutes or so until the top is golden brown. Then watch ’em disappear.
Stuffed Baked Potatoes
8 large brown potatoes – try to find a uniform size so they bake at the same time
4 T. melted butter
3/4 c. milk
1 c. sour cream
8 oz. grated cheddar cheese
2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
handful of chopped chives
Scrub the potatoes well and pierce once to allow steam to escape while cooking. Rub the skins with a little olive oil or butter. Bake on a cookie sheet at 400 degrees, for about 45 minutes to an hour, turning once. Cool slightly and slice in half lengthwise. Scoop out the inside of the potato and place in a bowl. Be careful to leave a small perimeter of potato intact and try not to break the skin. I use a grapefruit spoon to extract the potato.
Mash with a hand masher, and add the rest of the ingredients, but reserve a little of the grated cheddar cheese for the top. Pile the filling into the potato shells and sprinkle with the reserved cheddar cheese. You can make these ahead of time up to this point.
About 1/2 hour before serving, put the potatoes on a cookie sheet and place in a 375 degree oven for about 20-30 minutes or until golden brown and heated through.
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Those potatoes look and sound mighty scrumptious! A wonderful recipe.
Cheers,
Rosa
Oh, but I LOVE these potatoes. We had them all the time at home when I was growing up. I'd say they were a blast from the past, but I make then still. Yours look perfect. Save one for me.
Thanks for the reminder! I still make these from time to time and vary the cheese by what I'm in the mood for. Jarlesberg, marbled Cheddar Jack and Parmesan are all contenders at my house.
These look delicious! I agree with you on getting done as much as possible ahead of time.
Sfiziosissima la tua ricetta . Tanti auguri di Buona Pasqua ,un grande abbraccio .
Stuffed Potatoes are a favorite of my daughter-in-law, Linda. I will try your recipe the next time she is over for dinner. I do like to prepare as much of a dinner ahead of time as possible–it makes it much less hectic.
Tomorrow my son-in-law is cooking Easter dinner–he is a wonderful cook and we are all looking forward to his meal.
Happy Easter to you and your family!
And who doesn't love a delicious stuffed baked potato! We call them double-baked potatoes 🙂 Delish!