Todays post is quick and easy to throw together and serves as a wonderful side dish but the versatility allows you to use leftovers to turn this into a main entree! The fun thing about these potatoes is that you can make a batch ahead of time and freeze them to use in a jiffy at a later date. Reheating may then be done either in the oven or microwave, so this is a win win either way you look at it.
Back when we had people over for dinner on a regular basis, this was a go-to dish for me that I served just about every time. It was a great way to round out the meal without taking any additional prep time and they always got rave reviews.
Things sure were different when I was little though! Its amazing but almost every memory I have of our dinner table growing up includes my mother, father, sister, brother, and at least one or two “extras”. No matter how tight our grocery budget or schedule was, Mama always found time and managed to feed more.
Inviting folks over to dinner is one of those “oldie but goodie” practices that is, in my mind, the ultimate show of welcoming and graciousness towards your neighbors and friends. I’d love to hear from you why you do or don’t have folks over more often. Is it time constraints? Budget? Lack of time alone as a family?
But mostly, I’d love for you to answer a question my mother posed to me recently (because Mama and I sit and come up with the strangest things to talk about from time to time):
If you could have dinner with any living person, who would it be and why?
I’ll post mine in the comments along with y’all. There are no limits here aside from it being a living person.
Now, how bout some loaded ‘taters?
I’m going to show you the ingredients I use but the best stuffed potatoes are the ones made to your individual tastes. I’ve seen folks add milk, tomatoes, leftover chicken or bbq (yum!), mayonnaise, ricotta cheese, fresh or dried herbs, etc. The sky is the limit here.
For mine, I use: A few tablespoons of butter, cooked chopped turkey bacon, green onions, cheddar cheese, and sour cream. I also use a little salt and pepper.
Bake your potatoes and cut them in half lengthwise like this. *I bake my potatoes by starting them in the microwave on about five minutes, then transferring to a 450 degree oven for about an hour. Sometimes I rub them down with a little cooking oil and sprinkle some coarse sea salt on them before baking like my Great grandmother did. MMM-MM Good!
Scoop out the pulp but leave enough that the skin still has a bit of shape to it.
To your pulp, add butter, sour cream, salt, and pepper.
Mash up well with a potato masher or just a fork.
Add in cheese and mash that, too.
Add all other toppings.
Stir up well. Resist urge to eat entire bowl as is.
Spoon filling into your shells.
Line them up on a baking sheet and place this in the freezer, uncovered, for about an hour. This is called flash freezing and it keeps them from sticking together.
After they are frozen, remove them from the sheet and put in a zipper seal bag. Return to freezer until you need them.
Now I’m going to take a few and sprinkle with cheddar cheese to bake right now for our supper (you don’t have to use extra cheese). Instructions below.
YUM! I like to keep these in the freezer and reheat just one or two for a quick lunch but like I said, they are a great side dish to have on hand for any meal.
Enjoy!
Servings: 14 halves
Ingredients
- 7 medium sized potatoes washed
- 1/2 cup Sour Cream
- 3 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 4 green onions chopped
- 1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 8-10 slices turkey bacon cooked and chopped
Instructions
-
Bake potatoes and cut in half lengthwise. Scoop out pulp, leaving enough for the skin to retain it’s shape. In bowl, combine scooped potatoes, butter, and sour cream. Mash together well. Add cheese, mash. Stir in all other ingredients. Spoon filling into potato shells.
-
Line filled potatoes up on baking sheet or other dish and freeze, uncovered, for about an hour. Remove and place into zipper seal bag and return to freezer.
-
To bake from frozen: Place on cookie sheet in 350 oven for half an hour, top with cheese and return to oven until melted.
-
To microwave from frozen: Place on microwave safe plate and heat for about 2-3 minutes, or until heated through.
-
To bake from room temp: Top with cheese and place in oven until heated through, about 15 minutes.
Notes
*I bake my potatoes by starting them in the microwave on about five minutes, then transferring to a 450 degree oven for about an hour. Sometimes I rub them down with a little cooking oil and sprinkle some coarse sea salt on them before baking like my Great grandmother always did.
*This recipe was originally published in 2009. I updated the post and photos in 2020.
I will prepare and someday my chance will come.
~Abraham Lincoln. To submit your quote, click here.
If you’re wondering if I need or would like more quotes submitted, the answer is always “YES!!!”
Yum