PUBLISHED JANUARY 1999
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Twice-Baked Potatoes with Pepper Jack Cheese and Bacon
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
We had a head start on our twice-baked potato recipe, having already developed a recipe for the Best Baked Potato. Starting there, we let the baked potatoes cool slightly before slicing them open and removing the flesh. We found that we could keep the skins from turning soggy and flabby by keeping them in the oven while making the filling. And for the filling we found it best to combine the potato with a tangy dairy ingredient like sour cream or yogurt, a small amount of butter, and ingredients with strong flavors like cheddar cheese, bacon, or chipotle peppers. For a perfect finish, we placed the filled potatoes under the broiler, where they turned brown and crisp.
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INGREDIENTSPrint Shopping List
4 russet potatoes (7 to 8 ounces each), scrubbed, dried, and rubbed lightly with vegetable oil
2tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, chopped fine (about 1 cup)
4ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
½cup sour cream
½cup buttermilk
3 medium scallions, white and green parts sliced thin (about ½ cup)
1 – 1 ½tablespoons minced chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
2tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
½teaspoon table salt
Ground black pepper
INSTRUCTIONSSERVES 6 TO 8
Yukon gold potatoes, though slightly more moist than our ideal, gave our twice-baked potatoes a buttery flavor and mouthfeel that everyone liked, so we recommend them as a substitution for the russets. For a slightly smoky aftertaste with just a hint of heat, limit the chipotle pepper to 1 tablespoon. For a little bit of upfront heat, increase the chipotle to 1 1/2 tablespoons.
1. Adjust oven rack to upper middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Bake potatoes on foil-lined baking sheet until skin is crisp and deep brown and skewer easily pierces flesh, about 1 hour. Setting baking sheet aside, transfer potatoes to wire rack and let sit until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes.
2. Heat butter in medium skillet over medium heat; sauté onion until soft, 3 to 4 minutes, and set aside.
3. Following illustration below, using an oven mitt or folded kitchen towel to handle hot potatoes, cut each potato in half so that blunt sides will rest on work surface. Using a small dinner spoon, scoop flesh from each half into medium bowl, leaving a 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch thickness of flesh in each shell. Arrange shells on lined sheet and return to oven until dry and slightly crisped, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, mash potato flesh with fork until smooth. Stir in remaining ingredients, including pepper to taste, until well combined.
4. Remove shells from oven and increase oven setting to broil. Holding shells steady on pan with oven mitt or towel-protected hand, spoon mixture into crisped shells, mounding slightly at the center, and return to oven. Broil until spotty brown and crisp on top, 10 to 15 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Serve warm.
TECHNIQUE
The Right Slice
Most potatoes have two relatively flat, blunt sides and two curved sides. Halve the baked potatoes lengthwise so the blunt sides are down once the shells are stuffed, making them much more stable on the pan during the final baking.