Completely Baked

One of my go to sides for visitors, and also a nice hearty meal for a vegetarian, is the twice baked potato. Although they require a little work, the nice thing is that the bulk of it can be done in the morning, or even the day before. I bake the potatoes simply by washing them, and poking some holes in them with a fork (The Joy says that this is to allow steam to escape, and one of these days I might see exactly what happens if I don't. It will be informative, if not interesting.) and putting them directly into a 400 degree oven for 50 minutes. After they have cooled, it is easy to scoop out the flesh and make the filling, and if by chance you tear the skin, you can buttress the boat with some aluminum foil. My recipe is adopted from the Joy of Cooking, which adds bacon and tabasco. I used chives instead of scallions last night.

Twice Baked Potatoes

Rub 2 large baking potatoes with olive oil. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 50 minutes. While the potatoes are baking, mix 1/2 cup grated cheddar, 2 scallions, minced, 1/4 cup sour cream, 1 tsp. dijon mustard.

When the potatoes are done and cool enough to handle, cut in half along the longer side. Scoop out the flesh and mix with the cheese mixture, adding salt and pepper as needed. Fill the shells and bake at 400 for 15 minutes, until the cheese is nicely melted.

The Graduate. A little half-baked? Oh no, dad, it's completely baked.