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(Almost) Twice-Baked Potato

Over break, fellow Backdropper Allory Williams and I decided to try some new recipes. One of them, twice-baked potatoes, turned out to be a bit of a disaster. Suffice it to say, the potatoes turned green. I suppose we can’t all be winners.

But I’ve since returned to that recipe once or twice (I wouldn’t give you guys green potatoes!), and I think I’ve got it down now. The problem with twice-baked potatoes is, simply, they have to be baked…twice. Baking a potato in the oven can take as long as an hour; then you have to scoop it out, mix it up, spoon it back in and bake it again. No, thank you.

Luckily, WikiHow had some great tips for “baking” potatoes in a microwave, so I took that technique, adjusted the recipe itself, and well…you can see the results for yourself.

(Note: You’ll notice no real measurements for this recipe. Since it’s only meant for one, you don’t really need more than a splash or a dash of any of the ingredients.)

You will need:

• · a medium baking potato
• · butter
• · sour cream
• · milk
• · garlic powder
• · salt and pepper
• · parmesan cheese
• · cheddar cheese
• · green onions or chives

Start by washing the potato thoroughly and trimming off any buds or eyes. Poke it several times with a fork, making sure it punctures deep enough to let out some steam while it’s cooking. If you skip this step, your potato will probably explode in the microwave. Microwaves don’t really like exploding potatoes.

Cook the potato on a microwave-safe plate, covered with a damp paper towel to keep it from drying out, for about five minutes (note: not all microwaves are the same; higher wattage microwaves will have a shorter cooking time). After five minutes, leave the potato in the microwave for another three minutes. This extra time will cook the very inside of the potato, without drying out the outside any more.

While that’s cooking, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Wash your green onions and chop finely. Set aside.

When the passive cooking time is up, cut the potato in half lengthwise. If the middle is still a bit firm, cover with a fresh, damp paper towel and microwave, cut-side down, for another minute at a time until the center is cooked. Scoop out the center of the potato, leaving a “shell.” (Ever had potato skins? It should look like that.) Mash the center part of the potato with a splash of milk, a small dollop of sour cream, a little bit of butter, a dash of salt, pepper, garlic powder and parmesan cheese. I mashed mine with a hand mixer, but at Allory’s, we pulsed the mixture in a blender, and that actually worked out pretty well. Spoon the mashed potatoes back into the potato shells. Put the potato halves on a baking sheet and bake for seven minutes. Take the potato out, top with the green onion and a good portion of cheddar cheese, and bake for another seven minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Then all you have to do is sit back and enjoy your faster-than-normal twice-baked potato!

Tags: College Kitchen, Emma Frankart, potato