twice baked potatoes: cole's original

I don't think I've had a twice baked potato since I was a kid. That changed last week. My mom reminded me of them when she was visiting. 

Now that I have a fresh memory of how good they are, you'll probably see multiple variations pop up here in the near future (similar to my recent discoveries of frittas and risotto).

The possibilities for mix-ins and toppings are endless. Because of this, twice baked potatoes can be a good "clean out the fridge" dish. Throw in whatever you have that you think will taste good. Serve with some soup or salad, and you have yourself a meal. This version keeps it simple: topped with cheese & meat. I'm going to call it my original twice baked potato recipe.

Twice Baked Potatoes: Cole's Original

Serves 2

2 medium potatoes*

olive oil

coarse sea salt

3 Tbsp. sour cream

1/2 c. sharp cheddar cheese, grated

proscuitto, baked or pan fried until crisp

freshly ground black pepper

*Russet potatoes are the most common for baking. I had several good sized red potatoes on hand (which I would typically use for roasting), which I used this time. The skin of a red potato isn't as thick as a russet, so if you use red potatoes, be careful not to break the skin when scooping out the flesh.

Scrub potatoes under water with a potato brush. Pierce each several times with a fork (this allows the steam to escape while cooking and will keep your potatoes from exploding in your oven). Rub each potato with olive oil, then sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Bake in a dish in a 400 degree oven for 40 minutes.

Remove the potatoes from the oven and reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Allow the potatoes to cool enough to be handled. Cut each in half and scoop the flesh into a medium bowl, being careful not to break the skin. Place the skins on a foil-lined baking sheet.

Mash the scooped out potato flesh with sour cream and a generous grinding of black pepper. Scoop the flesh back into the potato skins. Top with proscuitto and grated cheese.

Return to oven and bake until heated through and cheese is melted, 15-20 minutes.

My only issue with these particular potatoes was their lack of green (though we did eat them with a fresh salad from the garden). It hit me while they were in the oven (for their second baking) that I should have included some finely chopped kale. I will definitely do that the next time I make these.

What would you add?