Twice Baked Potatoes with Goat Cheese

We love to "steak and potato" on the weekends- yes, it's a verb! The classic combo of juicy steak and creamy tater is pretty hard to beat on a Saturday night, and while I've prepped steaknight spuds in every which way, I think these Twice Baked Potatoes with Goat Cheese may be my new favorite. I served these last weekend while entertaining family out of town and received rave reviews- even from the the pickiest party guests. If you've never had a twice baked, or restuffed, potato, you have been missing out on one of dining's great joys! You basically take a baked potato, scoop out the flesh and reserve the skins, mash the potato flesh with various ingredients to make a creamy, delicious filling, refill the potato skins with the mixture, top with cheese and bake again. That might sound hard, but it's really quite simple- and I love that these can be made in advance and even frozen prior to baking (*see note at the end of the recipe for details). They are ideal for entertaining for those reasons!

Twice baked potatoes tend to be rich, but these taste lighter and fresher thanks to the garlic and herb goat cheese that I swap on for cheddar (make sure it's at room temp or it won't mix evenly). I also omit the bacon and gobs of heavy cream from this mash up. The resulting spuds are still decadent, but won't overwhelm your tummy! I like to choose potatoes that are more on the small/medium size- not the huge ones. That way, everyone gets the perfect portion! It's also important to make sure the sizes are consistent so that the potatoes bake at the same time. Baking time will vary based on the size of your potatoes, but check them with a knife inserted into the center at the hour mark. If there is no give, they are done! Larger papas may need a few minutes more. I hope you will try these out next time you "steak and potato" with friends and family!

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prep time: 1 hour 15 min. cook time: ~30 min serves: 8

INGREDIENTS

8 small/medium russet potatoes, scrubbed

2 tbsp olive oil

kosher salt

ground black pepper

8 oz garlic and herb goat cheese, at room temperature

4 tbsp salted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup whole milk

8 oz sour cream

1/2 cup chopped green onions

2 cups grated parmesan cheese, divided

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INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 400°. Pierce the potatoes all over with the a fork and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle the potatoes with the olive oil and sprinkle 1 tbsp kosher salt over the tops. Use your hands to rub the potatoes evenly with the oil and salt. Place them in the oven to bake for about 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until there is no give when pierced with a knife through the center. Set aside to cool slightly and reduce the oven temperature to 375°.

In the bottom of a large bowl, add the goat cheese, butter, milk, sour cream, green onions, 1 cup parmesan cheese, 2 tsp kosher salt and 1 tsp ground black pepper. Slice the very top off each potatoes (reserve for stuffed potato skins or discard) and scoop the flesh out of each and into the bowl with the other ingredients, being careful not to tear the skins too much. I leave about a 1/4" buffer layer of potato flesh so that they are sturdier. Mash the warm warm potato flesh up with the other ingredients until the mixture is smooth and well combined- use a spoon of spatula to fully mix everything together. Check for seasoning and add more salt and pepper as needed.

Restuff each potato skin with the mixture, overstuffing them so that they are rounded on top. Transfer the potatoes to a baking dish and sprinkle the remaining 1 cup parmesan evenly over the tops. Place the potatoes back in the oven to bake 25-30 minutes, until they are hot and the tops are lightly browned. If the tops are too pale, broil the potatoes for 1-2 minutes at the end of cooking. Serve hot! *The potatoes can be frozen prior to baking: just wrap each potato tightly with plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw completely and proceed with baking as written.