Twice Baked Potato ??

My son Tim goes back to the Army for his final month on Saturday and I'm cooking a steak dinner tomorrow (Thursday) night as a going away dinner. Shrimp cocktail, French onion soup, steak, green salad, pumpkin pie (probably going to open a few Pinot Noirs). I bought a big bag of Russet potatoes, something I rarely buy (preferring red skin) and I think a twice baked version would be better than a plain baked potato. Things that are going through my mind include sour cream, bacon and scallions (green onions). Does anyone have other suggestions or recipes? BTW - Robin - not a bad idea for a Food Letter topic.

[Jenise]

My son Tim goes back to the Army for his final month on Saturday and I'm cooking a steak dinner tomorrow (Thursday) night as a going away dinner. Shrimp cocktail, French onion soup, steak, green salad, pumpkin pie (probably going to open a few Pinot Noirs). I bought a big bag of Russet potatoes, something I rarely buy (preferring red skin) and I think a twice baked version would be better than a plain baked potato. Things that are going through my mind include sour cream, bacon and scallions (green onions). Does anyone have other suggestions or recipes? BTW - Robin - not a bad idea for a Food Letter topic.

Cheese would usually be an addition to the three items you mentioned, Howie, and a combination of sharp cheddar and authentic Parmesan Reggiano (no green can) would be more interesting than either alone.

If you're open to other ideas (your son may be a fan of twice baked, so no substitutions would be welcome), can I suggest an alternative to a twice baked potato that would be more elegant than a simple baked potato and as tasty as a twice baked but without all the fat? Slice potatoes into rounds about 1/4" thick and drop into a bowl. Add a considerable quantity of fresh green herbs--choose at least three from rosemary, thyme, marjoram, oregano, and parsley. Add fresh course ground black pepper, salt and extra virgin olive oil. Mix, then gather up piles of potatoes with fresh herbs between the slices and arrange in approximately 2-2 1/2 inch stacks, press down a bit to ensure a good fit (occasionally, some potatoes slide during cooking, but typically they compress and hold together). Place the stacks on a baking sheet and roast at 400 degrees for about 45-60 minutes--until the top slice goes golden. Delicious, attractive, and different.

Bake 4 russet potatoes, cut in half, spoon inside of potato into a bowl. Set the baked shells into a baking dish.

To the potato, add:
1/4 cube of butter
1 small Philly cream cheese
1 half carton sour cream
tsp. salt, and freshly gr. pepper
1/4 tsp dried thyme
Whip until light and fluffy.
If dry, add 2 Tbsp. milk
Fold in 2 green onions, green and white, sliced thin, then chopped
3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
Fill shells, sprinkle paprika on top
Bake 350° for 20 minutes or until heated through

Use the best cheddar you can get, good sour cream and very fresh ingredients.
These are the best I have had!

Thanks Jenise and Karen. Since I'm also making French onion soup, I was thinking that also having cheese in the potato might be a bit much, but maybe not. The recipe looks good. The use of cream cheese never occurred to me.

Howie,

I take the insides and mix like for mashed potatoes only a little more soupy, but I add finely chopped sweet yellow onion (Vidalia is best if you have it) and add the "pretend" crabmeat with finely shredded cheddar, salt and pepper to taste; mix well then stuff back in the potato skin and back until the mix is melting with cheese. I have done this with small potatoes as an hor d'ouvre and its always a big hit.

I did Karen's recipe (forgot the thyme ) and everyone loved them. I had to print out a few copies of the recipe to give to guests. Thanks Karen.