Stuffed Baked Potato

 When I travel to my company's L.A. office and am accompanied by local co-workers, we have a tradition of stopping for dinner at a restaurant on the way to the airport that is known for its giant baked potatoes. I always get one when we go. It is, in fact, giant and I enjoy it immensely, despite being uncomfortably full for at least the first few hours of the flight home. A baked potato can be delicious prepared very simply with salt, pepper and a pat of butter. I eat it in its entirety, including the skin. I hesitate to admit that as a kid, I would cut the potato in half, scoop out the "meat" onto my plate, then put a big slab of butter inside the skin, let it melt and eat that by itself. Aaaah, the 70s - before we knew consuming unchecked amounts of butter was not so great for our heart health.

Baked potatoes can also be made into a hearty, comforting meal by stuffing them with various combinations. I'm not sure if "stuffed" is the most accurate description. It's more like they're "topped with" or "smothered". However, for recipe naming purposes, stuffed sounds better. This post is less a recipe and more an idea to build upon. I will share a combination that I like, and will add more in the future as I play with more possibilities. I say "play" because I do think of stuffed baked potatoes as a fun food, yet I think it can also be daring or sophisticated depending on your desired toppings. So, I challenge you, my non-existent readers, to come up with a variation that you deem tasty and satisfying and then share it back with me.

I am currently doing a cleanse to give my digestive system a break as we head into the colder months, so no butter or cheese in the version I made tonight as I might typically do, but the base is similar to one of my go-to combinations. 

Update: I tried a Mexican version which I've been meaning to do. You might just prefer to have this sort of thing over rice. It is nice, in my opinion, over a potato and offers some variety of taste and texture for a Mexican inspired dish.

Mexican inspired - black beans & baby kale

Cleanse toppings - spinach & mushroom

Same ingredients but in a saute

Basic baked potato recipe

Russet potatoes

Olive oil 

Sea salt

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Scrub each potato with water to remove dirt. Using a fork or a small sharp knife, poke many holes around each side of the potato to prevent from exploding in your oven.

3. Put a little olive oil in your hands and rub it all around the surface of each potato. Then rub some sea salt on.

4. Put the potatoes on a baking sheet and put them in the oven. They will need to cook anywhere from 40-60 minutes depending on their size. Test for doneness with a fork. When the fork slides right through to the middle, they are done. 

5. Put on a plate. Cut a slit down the middle. Hold from either end, and push ends towards each other to open up the potato for a bit. Add toppings.

Cleanse toppings (pictured above)

white miso paste put into slits in the potato so it will soften

sauteed onions, garlic, mushrooms, dried thyme, spinach and fresh parsley finished with a little lemon juice

sprinkled dulse, pepper and a little Bragg's liquid aminos

Mexican toppings (also pictured above)

1 small diced onion sauteed with chili flakes, salt, one can of black beans, cumin, chili powder, baby kale (another green would be just fine), and some water with a little vegetarian Better than Bouillon (not necessary), squeezed lime juice at the end.

Topped with feta and fresh cilantro. Chopped tomatoes or salsa would be nice for tasted and presentation as well. 

Above you'll see another variation with the leftover baked potato diced and sauteed in the pan with everything else.