WARNING: please eat these sparingly. =) These are seriously amazing, just not totally healthy. They remind me of the delicious cheese fries you can get at Outback Steakhouse or Texas Roadhouse, they are oh so good just not oh so good for you =). It's the holidays after all right? I love these potatoes! My grandpa was a potato farmer so my family has always been a big time meat and potatoes family. And trust me my mom makes the best mashed potatoes on the planet! You can also leaved these potatoes unloaded, without all the extra topping just the cheese and seasoning. But, for a special occasion, I think you are going to want to load them =). Enjoy!
Loaded Twice Baked Potatoes
Yields 12
Ingredients:
6 large Russet Baking Potatoes
3 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup cream
1/3 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp salt
pepper to taste
12 oz. medium or mild cheddar cheese (about 3 cups)
Season salt
8-10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
6 green onions, chopped (chives work also)
1 recipe Ranch Dressing, recipe follows
Directions:
Wash and scrub potatoes, poke each one several times with a fork. Place in oven and bake 400 degrees for 65-70 minutes, or until soft when squished (I don't ever preheat the oven, I don't think it's necessary).
Remove baked potatoes from oven (reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees), slice potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out flesh into a large mixing bowl, leaving about 1/4 inch of flesh so potato maintains it's shape. Place potato skins on a baking sheet.
Add butter to hot potato flesh in mixing bowl and mash potatoes with a potato masher until no longer chunky. Add in cream, sour cream, salt and pepper and beat potato mixture with an electric mixer until potatoes are smooth and fluffy about 2 - 3 minutes (Note: if you like your potatoes any thinner just add a little bit of milk a few tablespoons at a time to reach desired consistency).
Fill potato skins with mashed potatoes and smooth out tops with a spoon. Sprinkle filled potatoes with cheddar cheese. Sprinkle each potato with about 1/8 tsp season salt (you could do more or less to your taste) and fresh ground pepper to taste. Bake filled potatoes for 15 - 20 minutes (depending on how gooey or crisp you like your cheese).
Remove from oven, sprinkle potatoes with crumbled bacon and chopped green onions, and drizzle with ranch dressing. Serve immediately.
Ranch Dressing
Ingredients:
1 heaping Tbsp ranch seasoning mix
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup milk
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl, mix well. Cover and let rest in refrigerator 1 hour.
