Sunday, May 16, 2010

Mini Baked Potatoes for Magazine Monday

It's been awhile since I've been online. I decidied I needed a break. I subscribe to so many blogs via Google Reader and while I usually read each one, I often can not comment. And I know it shouldn't make me feel bad, but it does.......

It's nice to visit but between all the other things going on in life, work, etc....it just isn't always feasible to spend lots of time online.

I am trying out a new template (thank you to Janel for turning me on to a new idea)and will be focusing on other projects.

I the meantime, let me get in Magazine Monday and send this recipe over to Cream Puff's in Venice.

I made this last week...thought I'd posted it!

Maybe trying to slowly cook my way through Nigella Express has gotten me on this easy-to-toss-together kick. I am a fairly lazy person, if truth be told, but I do love puttering around in the kitchen. That being said…here is another easy side dish that could also fit the role of appetizer. Your choice…I made these as a side.



You’ll need some salt, new potatoes, a few slices of thick-cut bacon, about ½ cup of diced onion and cheese. Also parsley if you want to fancy it up. I did not use the parsley…still looks good though!



Simple ingredients, simple directions.

Step One - Heat your oven to 425 F (215 C ). You may either place a thin layer of salt on a baking tray OR scrub your potatoes and gently and salt them. I did the second thing. Cook them for 30 to 40 minutes.



Allow to cool a bit. I didn’t let them cool enough.... my fingers were burnt holding on to them for step two of the process. My digits are still red tipped and tender…

OKStep Two. After the potatoes have cooled, slice off the tops and scoop out the middle with a melon baller. Do that instead of what I did which was cutting the potatoes in half. I then scooped out the potato flesh. It would have been so much better if I had not halved them, just sliced the top off. The reason – as I was scooping the potato out I would knick the skin and some ended up falling apart. Harder to stuff.

Set potato flesh aside.




Step Three
– Dice the bacon and fry it up, then add diced onions. Toss in the potato pulp which you had set aside. Toss in about a ½ cup of cheese. You could use Brie. Cheddar. Swiss…whatever you fancy. I used Swiss and cheddar.



Step Four – Spoon this ooey gooey bacon-potato mix into the scooped-out potato shells. Bake for 2 or 3 minutes.

Here is what your stuffed mini taters will look like. Now put them in the oven. Simple.



Here is what they look like roughly 3 minutes later.... I'm sad the photo is blurry but you kinda get the idea....



Delicious!
A version of these starchy bites are served at the Clarence Hotel in Dublin Ireland . (Owned by U2’s Bono and The Edge)



Served up with grilled chicken and leftover ribs. Coleslaw. Beer or iced tea.





I am sending this over to Cream Puffs in Venice for her Magazine Monday series

Then I’m off to watch a recorded episode of House.

7 comments:

  1. Delicious!!! Perfect bites.

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  2. Gorgeous - how can you wrong with spuds, cheese and bacon eh? Loving the new blog look, v. swanky! Did you do this?

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  3. Thank you Velva - They are easy to overeat too...just one more...

    Jo = Thanks! I wanted a new look and downloaded this template then had hell pkaying with the features. haha...I had to get off line for awhile too and evaluate all this online time :-)

    The potatoes are worth doing by the way.

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  4. You know what the problem is with those? I'd eat them all myself! So cute!

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  5. I love the new look of your blog! I haven't been around to all my blogging buddies either lately and it makes me feel bad too. I love red potatoes and these look fantastic. I agree with one of your other readers, I would literally eat them all.

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  6. Creampuff - that is very true because these are very tasty. I love love love potatoes and these just kinda candied them up for me.

    Kim - Thank you. I really wanted to do something different both in looks and in the way I am blogging.

    I feel bad when I can't go visit everyone and sometimes, I actually drop by but can't comment due to time restrictions or the crappy Internet connection.

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Welcome and thank you so much for visiting. If I don't answer you here I will get back to you on your blog. Also have had to switch to approving comments due to some SPAM lately. Alas...

It's been a good run...........