Shelly's Recipe

STUFFED BAKED POTATOES

Category: Twice Baked Potatoes

4 baking potatoes
1 cup frozen vegetables, such as peas, carrots, corn or broccoli, or a mix
2 or 3 slices ham or smoked turkey (optional)
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheddar or Swiss cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 350. Make 2 deep slits, 1 lengthwise and 1 crosswise, across the top of each potato. Cut about halfway into the potato.

Put the potatoes in the oven, directly on the oven rack, and bake about 1 hour.

Prepare the filling
While the potatoes are baking, cook the frozen vegetables according to the directions on the package. Set them aside until they are cool enough to handle. Chop any of the large cooked vegetables and the ham, if using, into tiny pieces. Set aside.

remove the potatoes from the oven, but leave the oven on. Set the potatoes aside until they are cool enough to handle.

Use both hands to gently squeeze the potatoes so that the white, fluffy potato flesh starts to burst out from the skin.

Using a spoon, scoop out the potato flesh, being careful not to poke through the skin on the bottom and sides. You should try to leave a wall of potato flesh about 1/4 inch thick, so that the skin wont break when you try to stuff it. Put the potato flesh in a bowl. Set the skins aside.

Mix the filling
Add the sour cream and milk to the bowl. Using the spoon, stir and mash the potato mixture until it is smooth.

Stir in the cooked vegetables, ham and 3/4 cup of the shredded cheese. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Scoop the potato mixture back into the potato shells. Sprinkle each potato with a little of the remaining shredded cheese.

Place the potatoes on a cookie sheet and put them back in the oven and bake until the cheese is bubbly and the potatoes are heated through, about 15 minutes. Serve ommediately. Serves 4.