If you are looking for an easy way to serve a crowd potatoes this summer, you should try this. These sports bar-inspired creations are roasted instead of deep fried (like the loaded potato skins) and come out tasting great.
Choosing the smallest red potatoes you can find keeps them easy to eat. A tray full on the table or the buffet line are a yummy addition to all the cookouts I know you are planning.
With butter, bacon and cheese they taste just as sinful as the deep fried version we are used to eating.
I have to admit I have been craving potatoes lately. After two weeks of rain, weed pressure in the vineyard is high. I have been hoeing around the vines so that root establishment does not have any competition from our friends, "the weeds". Anyway, it is extremely hard work and carbs have been calling. These potatoes hit the spot.
Mini Loaded Red Potatoes
Red potatoes, small
Butter
Sour Cream
Cheddar cheese, shredded
Bacon, crumbled
Chives
Preheat oven to 450o F. Scrub potato skins and pierce each potato with a fork several times. Place potatoes on a baking tray 1/2" apart. Bake until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork, about 30 minutes.
While still hot, make an opening with a knife and place a slab of butter on the potato followed by a dollop of sour cream. Follow with cheddar cheese, crumbled bacon and chives!
Cathy is currently in the development stages of her vineyard and winery in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. She is a food writer for Davis Life Magazine and blogs daily about wine, food and everyday living. She lives with her husband and two sons. You can visit her at noblepig.com.