It’s Superbowl weekend! Okay for those who know me well, I’m really not into the game. But, put some A-list performers like Beyonce on the half time show and well, it’s a different story. It becomes worth watching. Don’t get me wrong, I admire the athleticism but as my dad will tell you, I missed the team bus. But, where there is a game, there is food. That’s where I come in. So here is a great dish, an old standard to make for the game. So easy, Baked Potatoes stuffed with Mashed Potatoes (or not).

Now I kept this simple. I mashed the potatoes with a bit of olive oil, butter, salt and pepper, oh and of course, some jalapenos and cream cheese. I would have liked to put bacon and cheese not to mention Thai chilies, but I wanted to keep it simple. Know your audience I always say. So, butter, olive oil, salt and pepper. I tried these potato skins variation for the very first time over 30 years ago – disastrous effects, never tried it again. Just ordered them when I went out.  I just didn’t understand the science of potato skins. It takes patience, which I now have – really. So, I no longer have to order these, I can make them. You can too!

I used Yukon Gold potatoes, but you should actually use Russets – both work well. In my opinion, Russets give you texture, Yukon Gold’s give you richness. So use either depending on your mood. You just need the potatoes and really anything you have in your fridge to flavor the filling. The stores are open so go out and get a bag of Yukon’s or Russets and prep them – this means wash them and bake them – so hard, so much work – NOT! You can stuff them and do the final bake before the game starts. Then put on your buffet pants and dig into your Superbowl feast. Chili, nachos, wings, beer, wine – oh my goodness, such goodness!! Go Team! As always – enjoy!

6 potatoes, Yukon or Russet
2 jalapenos, 1 sliced on the diagonal, 1 finely diced
½ cup cream cheese
2 tbsp. Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
4 tbsp. butter

Optional:
Add chopped cooked bacon, sour cream, grated cheese, Thai chillies, green onion, de-seeded tomatoes or any combination there off – and mix well

Heat the oven to 400f
Thoroughly wash and scrub the potatoes
Place on a parchment lined baking sheet
Bake for 1 hour – insert a sharp knife into the potato, it should go through easily
Let cool slightly, and cut in half
Scoop out the centers leaving about 1cm of potato attached to the skin – set aside.  If you happen to break through the skin, just patch it up with some of the mash – it’s potato skins – no one is going to care
Paint the potato skins with olive oil – inside and out, sprinkle with salt and pepper – arrange skin side up on the pan
Return to the oven and bake for 10 more minutes
In the interim, mash the potatoes, season with olive oil and butter – add the finely diced jalapenos and cream cheese, season with salt and pepper – if you were using any optional items above, this is where you would add them in
Mix well – set aside
Remove the skins from the oven, flip them over and fill the hollowed out centers with the mashed potato mixture, top with a sliced jalapeno
Return to the oven and finish baking for another 10 minutes
Remove from the oven and devour with some chili or on its own
Enjoy!!! Happy gaming!