Ingredients
for 8 servings:
4
medium-sized russet potatoes
½ stick Kerrygold garlic and herb butter (found
at Safeway, Albertsons etc…)
½ stick salted butter
½ cup Philadelphia
cream cheese OR 3/4 cup sour cream
2 tbsp of your
preferred store-bought pesto. (A table spoon is just your ordinary sized spoon
for eating)
1 avocado.. 2 if you
REALLY like avocado
1 bundle green onions
8 strips of thick-cut
bacon (Alt: One portabella mushroom, halved,
then cut into thin strips)
1 package of Colby-jack
or Monterey-jack cheese (Tillamook is my favorite; cheese will be to taste… I
like a dump-truck load)
Extra virgin olive oil
SPICES (and herbs):
Salt, Pepper, Garlic-powder, Cumin, Thyme
Directions:
1. Pre-heat
oven to 375 degrees.
2. Put
a layer of aluminum foil over a baking / cookie sheet.
3. Clean
the potatoes then pierce with a fork about 6 times on each side of the potato.
4. Lightly
coat the skin of each potato with extra-virgin olive oil
5. Sprinkle
both sides of the potato with sea-salt, pepper and garlic powder)
6. Place
potatoes on your covered baking sheet and bake in the oven for 120 min.
7. When
the potatoes are half-way done, cut the slices of bacon into inch-sized squares
and then cook on medium/high heat until crispy. (ALT: Sautee the portabella strips with a bit of butter or olive oil
until tender).
8. Crumble
up bacon and put on a paper towel to de-grease. (ALT: Put portabella strips on a paper towel to de-grease.)
9. When
the potatoes are done baking for 120 min, pull out of the oven and let stand
until cool enough to touch. LEAVE OVEN
ON… Then slice the potatoes in half.
10.
Scoop potato flesh out of potato skins into a
mixing bowl.
11.
Once you’ve scooped the potato flesh in a
mixing bowl, combine cream cheese (sour
cream), avocado, pesto, garlic-herb butter, salted-butter, herbs and spices
(to taste) until well blended and
creamy.
12.
Using a table spoon, scoop mix evenly into the
potato skins.
13.
Place
potatoes back in the oven at 375 degrees and bake for an additional 20 minutes.
14.
Take potatoes out of oven, then top with
cheese, green onions and EITHER
bacon, OR portabella strips TO TASTE.
15.
Place back in the oven for an additional 5
minutes. If you would like the cheese to be a bit browned, BROIL for an
additional 45 seconds)
16.
ENJOY! SALIVATE! DEVOUR! ENJOY!
