Weekly Recipe: Twice-Baked Potatoes by Chef John

Baked Potato is a delicacy that melts in your mouth, but have you ever baked it twice?

Twice-baked potato is a rather fancy-looking side dish that will impress your dinner guests without taking too much of your time in the kitchen. This recipe is a chance for both at-home chefs and novice kitchen adventurers to absolutely nail a classic.

See also: Weekly Recipe: Grilled Halloumi Tacos by K Pasa

YouTube favorite Chef John of Food Wishes provides the technique, but he encourages you to play around with the toppings, flavor profile and seasonings.

"Taste is, and always will be, the most important aspect of cooking," he says, "but when entertaining guests on special occasions, don’t forget that you’re putting on a show with the food, and when it comes to starchy side dishes, this is a great way to express that flair for the dramatic."

Chef John adds green onions, white cheddar cheese, cayenne, egg yolk and cream to his concoction, creating an extra rich experience most people are sure to enjoy, but this is really just a jumping off point.

Have a couple potatoes lying around? Try this fool-proof recipe and make it your own.

Ingredients (4 servings)

• 4 large russet potatoes
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 or 2 tbsp minced green onion
• salt, pepper, cayenne to taste
• ½ cup shredded white cheddar cheese
• ½ cup cream or milk
• 1 egg yolk

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
2. Rub potatoes with vegetable oil and place on the prepared baking sheet.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until a paring knife easily inserts into the center of a potato, about 1 hour. Set aside to cool until easy to handle, about 10 minutes.
4. Cut ⅓ off each potato lengthwise. Scoop flesh from each potato to within about 1/8-inch of the skins. Transfer flesh to a bowl.
5. Combine potato flesh with butter and green onion; stir until butter is melted evenly into potato. Add salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and cheese; stir until cheese is melted. Pour cream and egg yolk into potato mixture; mix to combine. Season with salt to taste.
6. Place small piece of potato skin inside the bottom of each larger potato shell. Fill each potato with an equal amount of cheese mixture. Gently press the surface of the filling with a fork to create texture. Brush tops with melted butter and sprinkle with paprika.
7. Bake stuffed potatoes until golden brown on top, 20 to 30 minutes.

Follow Chef John on YouTube for more delicious recipes.